Bev Craig emerged victorious in the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election, succeeding Andy Burnham with a comfortable win, marking the largest by-election in the country’s history.
The 41-year-old leader of Manchester City Council and a prominent figure in the Labour Party secured the win after a run-off against Reform’s Sian Astley, as no candidate managed to secure over 50% of the votes.
Turnout for the election was slightly over 25%, lower than the previous mayoral contest in the region, with over 500,000 votes cast out of a potential two million eligible voters. Following the run-off and consideration of second preferences, Ms. Craig garnered 309,525 votes.
The by-election was triggered by Mr. Burnham’s resignation last month after his election victory in Makerfield, setting the stage for his bid for Downing Street.
Despite early hopes from Reform of a significant upset in Labour’s stronghold due to their success in the region’s May local elections, Ms. Craig, a close friend of the new Prime Minister, secured a convincing win. Nigel Farage’s focus on a by-election clash with Count Binface in Clacton and the observed ‘Burnham bounce’ in national polls indicated Ms. Craig’s likely victory in Greater Manchester.
Ms. Craig, who relocated to Manchester from Belfast at 18, first elected as a Burnage councillor in 2011 and later became the first female and LGBT+ leader of Manchester City Council a decade later, succeeding Sir Richard Leese.
In a recent interview with The Mirror, Ms. Craig highlighted her positive relationship with the new Prime Minister and emphasized her commitment to advocating for Greater Manchester’s needs. She stressed her independence from Andy Burnham, stating she stands on her own ideas and will be accountable solely to the region.
Mr. Burnham was spotted casting his vote at a polling station in Golborne near Wigan shortly before polls closed on Thursday evening.
Following the first preference and second preference votes, Bev Craig secured a significant win in the mayoral by-election.