Bev Craig of the Labour Party has become the first woman to serve as Mayor of Greater Manchester. She secured a decisive victory in a historic by-election, succeeding Andy Burnham after he stepped down to enter national politics.
Bev Craig's 309,525-vote mandate
The mayoral race concluded with a dominant performance by Bev Craig, who captured 66.3% of the total vote. According to the report, Craig received 309,525 votes, comfortably defeating her closest rival, Sian Astley of Reform UK, who garnered 157,178 votes, or 33.7% of the share. This result was finalized after a second round of counting under the supplementary vote system.
In her victory address, Bev Craig called for an end to divisive politics, urging the region to focus on inclusive growth. The 41-year-old politician, who was born in Northern Ireland and has lived in Greater Manchester for over half her life, intends to prioritize the strengthening of the region's global economy and the reduction of economic disparities.
The £4.7 million cost of the UK's largest by-election
This contest stands as the largest by-election in the history of the United Kingdom, with more than two million voters casting ballots. however, the scale of the democratic exercise came with a significant price tag; as the report says, the 2024 mayoral contest cost taxpayers £4.7 million.
The massive turnout underscores the perceived importance of the mayoral office in the North of England. The role serves as a critical bridge between local governance and national policy, particularly as the region navigates the aftermath of global economic shocks . The high cost of the election reflects the logistical complexity of managing a vote across such a vast and populous regional jurisdiction.
From city council leadership to the mayoralty
Bev Craig's ascent to the mayoralty is the culmination of over a decade of public service.. Before this victory, she established herself as a trailblazer in local government, serving as the first female and LGBT leader of the Manchester city council, as well as the deputy mayor for economic development.
This transition reflects a broader trend of diversifying leadership within the Labour Party's regional strongholds. By placing a leader with specific experience in economic development at the helm, Greater Manchester is signaling a desire for continuity in its growth strategy while breaking traditional glass ceilings in regional administration.
The shift back to the 2021 supplementary vote system
The mechanics of this election marked a departure from the most recent general mayoral contest. The by-election reverted to the supplementary voting system last utilized in 2021, which requires candidates to either secure over 50% of the first-round vote or proceed to a runoff.
This differs significantly from the system used during Andy Burnham's 2024 victory, which emloyed a first-past-the-post format.. in that previous instance, Andy Burnham won 63% of the vote and swept all ten boroughs. The return to the supplementary system for Bev Craig's election adds a layer of complexity to the mandate, though her landslide margin suggests she would have succeeded under either voting model .
Who will lead the recovery for 3 million residents?
Despite the celebratory nature of the victory, Bev Craig inherits a region grappling with significant instability. The new mayor must now address the cost-of-living crisis and the ligering economic scars of the pandemic that continue to affect Greater Manchester's three million residents.
While the source outlines Craig's general goals of "inclusive growth," it remains unclear exactly which policy levers she intends to pull to achieve these results. Specifically, the repot does not detail how Bev Craig plans to fund these initiatives or which specific industries she will target to bolster the global economy. Whether her experience as a city council leader will translate into effective regional management remains the primary question for the electorate.
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