Bev Craig wins Greater Manchester mayoral by-election
Labour's Bev Craig won the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election with a landslide victory, securing two-thirds of the vote, following Andy Burnham's resignation to become Prime Minister.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Labour's Bev Craig has been elected as the new mayor of Greater Manchester, winning a decisive victory in the by-election triggered by Andy Burnham's resignation to become Prime Minister. Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, secured 66.3% of the final vote after second preferences were counted, defeating Reform UK's Sian Astley who took 33.7%. The result was announced late on Friday at the Co-op Arena in Manchester, following a count that stretched into the evening.
Under the supplementary vote system, voters expressed a first and second preference. In the first round, Craig received 47% of first preference votes (58,076), Astley 21% (45,250), and the remaining candidates, including the Greens and Liberal Democrats, shared 53,504 votes. After the elimination of lower-placed candidates, second preferences were redistributed, giving Craig a combined total of 309,520 votes to Astley's 157,178. Turnout was just 25%, the lowest since the mayoralty was created in 2017.
In her victory speech, Craig promised to serve all three million residents of the city region, saying she would reject "the politics of hate" and focus on making life better for families. She highlighted her first pledge of free bus travel for 11 to 18 year olds, which she said would put 500 pounds back into family budgets. Craig also committed to building 50,000 council and affordable homes by 2039, with a clear plan for at least 10,000 in her first term.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham joined Craig in Manchester to congratulate her, describing her as the "new Queen of the North" and saying she would build on his approach of "doing politics differently." Burnham used the occasion to promote his government's devolution agenda, promising to give regions more control over housing, transport, and skills. He said the result showed that communities which had felt ignored by Westminster now had a Prime Minister who backed them.
The by-election was seen as the first major electoral test of Burnham's premiership. Reform UK had performed strongly in the North West during May's local elections, winning all but one seat in Wigan, and some analysts expected a closer contest. However, Labour's share of the final vote was more than double that of Reform. Reform's candidate, Sian Astley, a businesswoman, had campaigned on redirecting investment beyond the city centre and tripling police stop and searches. She argued that Craig should be concerned about not winning outright on first preferences, saying: "I think I'd be disappointed if I was her because I'd have expected to absolutely storm winning on the first round."
The Greens, who proposed a 3 pound per night charge on visitors to fund free bus travel for under 22s, finished third in first preferences. The Liberal Democrats and other minor candidates were also eliminated.
The new mayor takes control of a 3 billion pound budget covering transport, planning, policing, and economic development. With Burnham promising further devolution, the role is expected to gain even more influence. Craig said she would meet combined authority chiefs to discuss her agenda, and pledged to focus on jobs, affordable homes, and vibrant town centres.
The low turnout prompted some commentators to question the level of public enthusiasm for the new government. However, Labour insiders pointed to the comfortable margin of victory as evidence that the party had consolidated support after the May local elections. The result also highlighted the continued strength of the Labour brand in Greater Manchester, even as Reform UK seeks to build a presence in the region.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bev Craig (Labour) won the Greater Manchester mayoral election, defeating Reform UK's Sian Astley. | |||||||
| Bev Craig did not win on first preference votes; first preference totals were 58,076 for Craig, 45,250 for Astley, and 53,504 for others. | · | · | · | · | |||
| The election went to a second round of counting (run-off) between the top two candidates. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Andy Burnham became Prime Minister after serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Reform UK had major success in the North West local elections in May. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Turnout was approximately 25%. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Andy Burnham called Bev Craig the 'new Queen of the North'. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Andy Burnham said that place should come before party. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Andy Burnham's net approval rating rose to plus 19 in polling. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Children in England can travel for free on most local buses throughout August. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Green candidate Geraldine Coggins proposed free bus travel for under 22s funded by a £3 per night visitor charge. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Labour candidate Bev Craig promised free bus travel for 11 to 18 year olds and 50,000 homes by 2039. | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on the campaign trail, featuring interviews with candidates and highlighting their key promises. The report framed the by-election as a test for Prime Minister Andy Burnham, warning that a Labour loss would allow opponents to say he 'sacrificed the city that made him'. The tone was neutral but emphasised the political stakes.
- “Andy Burnham took the job as Manchester mayor and turned it into one of the biggest Political platforms in Britain now it has taken him to Downing Street, but the battle to inherit is on”
- “If Labour lose here, Burnham's opponents will say he sacrificed the city that made him for the street that crowned him”
BBC Two's Newsnight focused on the low turnout (25%) and the political implications for Labour and Prime Minister Burnham. The programme featured panel analysis discussing the 'progressive alliance' and whether Labour's brand is weak in heartlands. It also included a segment on Burnham's honeymoon period, using polling data to show his net approval had risen to plus 19.
- “Only one in four registered voters showed up. The lowest turnout since Andy Burnham became the first mayor elected to the role in 2017.”
- “If you think that Andy Burnham won all wards in 2015, 2024, he won 214 out of 215 wards, all wards in 2021, does it tell you that the brand Labour is weak?”
GB News provided live coverage of the result announcement, reading out the full vote counts and the declaration. The channel emphasised the landslide nature of the victory and the record low turnout. It also carried Bev Craig's acceptance speech in full, highlighting her personal story and her rejection of 'divisive politics'.
- “Labour have won a huge victory. It's been described as in the Greater Manchester mayoral race.”
- “the turnout, I should say, was the lowest ever for a Greater Manchester mayoral race”
ITV1 gave a brief, straightforward result announcement, noting that Labour had taken control of the combined authority and that Craig received two thirds of the final vote share. The report was concise and factual, without analysis or commentary on turnout or political implications.
- “Labour have taken control of the combined authority there. Candidate Bev Craig, the current leader of Manchester City Council, received two thirds of the final vote share.”
BBC News focused on the result and the context of Reform UK's challenge, noting that the outcome was 'not nearly as close as many had expected'. It included a quote from Reform's candidate criticising Craig for not winning on first preferences. The report also highlighted the 3 billion pound budget and the devolution promises from the new Prime Minister.
- “Reform said Labour's Bev Craig should be worried she didn't win on the first preference votes.”
- “The job of Greater Manchester Mayor comes with a £3 billion budget”
BBC One West carried the same Andy Gill report as BBC News, with an additional focus on Andy Burnham's 'place first' philosophy and his congratulatory remarks. The tone was neutral, but the report gave space to Reform's criticism of Craig's first-round performance. It also mentioned the 3 billion budget and devolution.
- “I decided that something different was needed, a different way of doing politics. Place first, not party first. You've heard me say that, but that's what we did.”
- “Reform said Labour's Bev Craig should be worried she didn't win on the first preference votes.”
5 News Weekend gave a very brief summary, noting Labour held on despite a strong Reform challenge. It also mentioned the free bus travel for children scheme starting that day, linking it to the government's Great British Summer Savings Scheme. The report was short and factual, with no analysis of turnout or political implications.
- “The race for Greater Manchester mayor is over, with Labour holding on despite a strong challenge from Reform UK.”
- “From today, children in England can travel for free on most local buses throughout August, as part of the government's Great British Summer Savings Scheme.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.