Labour's Bev Craig will succeed Andy Burnham as the new Mayor of Greater Manchester. Craig said she felt humbled to be elected as Greater Manchester's Mayor after winning the contest following the addition of second-preference votes.
After no candidate secured outright victory in the first round by winning more than half of the vote, Craig beat Reform UK's Sian Astley by 309,525 to 157,178 after second-preference votes were added.
The by-election for a new mayor was called after Burnham was elected as MP for Makerfield in Greater Manchester in June, paving the way for him to become Prime Minister earlier this month.
As well as having led Manchester City Council since 2021, Craig is Greater Manchester Combined Authority's deputy mayor for economy, business and inclusive growth.
Craig, the UK's first female metro mayor, said the city region that had given the world the Suffragettes had
changed the worldand would do so again in the future.
She promised:
I will defend this city region with every bone in my body and I will fight for a better life for all of us.
Thanking those who voted for her as well as others who had
loaned their votesas second preferences, she said:
The special 'thank you' has to go to the residents of Greater Manchester.
I'm honoured, I'm humbled and I stand ready to serve.
How were the first-preference votes allocated?
In the first round, Craig secured 46.5% of the vote, compared with Astley's 22.2%.
This meant the ballot papers from voters who did not select either of them as their first choice were re-examined.
These ballot papers were checked to see if the second-preferences were for either the Labour or Reform candidate.
Those votes were added to the first-preference votes.
Craig expanded her already significant lead.
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