Andy Burnham has encouraged the newly elected Greater Manchester mayor, Bev Craig, to push boundaries and take additional steps following her victory in the by-election. Bev Craig, a Labour candidate, secured the largest by-election win in British history, succeeding Mr. Burnham after his resignation to become Prime Minister.
The election outcome, announced late on Friday, marked another defeat for Nigel Farage’s Reform party. Mr. Burnham, addressing supporters at a celebratory event in Manchester alongside Ms. Craig, hailed her as the “queen of the north.”
Expressing confidence in Craig’s leadership, Burnham stated that she is the ideal individual to guide the city region towards its most prosperous decade ahead. He introduced her as the new Mayor of Greater Manchester, urging the audience to applaud her.
The 41-year-old Manchester City Council leader emerged victorious in a runoff against Reform’s Sian Astley, as no candidate obtained over 50% of the vote. Voter turnout stood at slightly above 25%, with over 500,000 ballots cast out of a potential two million eligible voters. Bev Craig secured 309,525 votes after factoring in second preferences.
Addressing her supporters, Craig emphasized the public’s demand for commitment from those in power who understand their needs. She pledged to focus on enhancing financial well-being and easing life challenges for the people she serves.
Craig highlighted that the election results reflect a desire for Greater Manchester to progress while rejecting divisive rhetoric. Detailed analysis of the votes revealed Craig’s strong performance across all ten local authority areas within Greater Manchester in the initial voting round.
In the subsequent round, Ms. Astley placed second in eight out of the ten areas, with Green candidate Geraldine Coggins securing second place in Manchester and Conservative candidate Phil Eckersley in Trafford.
