Shockwaves in UK Politics: Greater Manchester Mayoral Election 2026 Results Rock the Region!

Greater Manchester has elected Labour's Bev Craig as its new mayor, concluding a marathon election count that saw her succeed former mayor Andy Burnham. The announcement, made late on Friday night, came more than 24 hours after polling stations closed, confirming a comprehensive victory for Ms. Craig over second-place Sian Astley of Reform UK.

The by-election, described as the biggest ever held in the UK based on the two million eligible voters, was necessitated by Andy Burnham's resignation after he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Makerfield and subsequently became Prime Minister. Mr. Burnham had held the mayoral post from May 2017, with his term scheduled to run until June 2026. This election marked the first time a by-election was held for a strategic authority mayor in the UK.

The election utilized the Supplementary Vote (SV) system, allowing voters to express both a first and second preference. In the first round, Ms. Craig secured 47.15% of the votes, just shy of the 50% threshold needed for an outright win. This triggered a second round of counting, pitting her against Sian Astley, who had garnered 20.99% in the initial stage. After the second preferences were tallied, Ms. Craig emerged victorious with a total of 309,525 votes (66%), while Ms. Astley received 157,178 votes (34%).

In her impassioned victory speech at Manchester’s Co-Op Arena Live, Ms. Craig reflected on her personal journey, stating, “I never believed as a girl growing up on a council estate that one day I would have the chance to stand for the place that I love... I’m honoured, I’m humbled and I stand ready to serve the three million people that live across this fantastic city region. I will defend this city region with every bone in my body and I will fight for a better life for all of us.” She emphasized Greater Manchester's resilience, noting that when "Westminster walked away from us... it was the people in this place that began the journey to rebuild."

Despite the significance of the mayoral role, which encompasses strategic governance across health, transport, housing, planning, waste management, policing, and fire and rescue services, the election was marred by historically low voter engagement. Turnout across the region was just under 25% (specifically 25.14%, representing 538,659 votes from an electorate of 2,142,779), marking the lowest ever in a Greater Manchester mayoral election. This figure is significantly lower than previous mayoral elections (32.05% in 2024, 28.9% in 2017, and 34.7% in 2021). Several factors are believed to have contributed to this apathy, including voter fatigue from a succession of polls, the election being overshadowed by Andy Burnham's ascent to Prime Minister and Nigel Farage’s political maneuvers in Clacton, the absence of students, and many residents being on holiday. The low participation raises critical questions about whether English devolution has successfully transferred power but failed to win public engagement.

Ms. Craig demonstrated broad support, winning the most votes in every borough. While Sian Astley's Reform UK finished second in most areas, the Green Party's Geraldine Coggins secured second place in Manchester, and Conservative Phil Eckersley was runner-up in Trafford. The other candidates included Marlon Scott West (Restore Britain), Richard Martin Kilpatrick (Liberal Democrats), and Marcus Jonathan Farmer (Independent).

The performance of other parties presented mixed results. For Reform UK, despite reaching the second round, the overall outcome was disappointing. The party's campaign, led by Sian Astley, was reportedly overshadowed by controversies surrounding its leader, Nigel Farage, and alleged financial irregularities, with rumors of resources being redirected to a separate by-election battle in Clacton. Reform's failure to secure a significant win in Greater Manchester, alongside previous attempts in Gorton and Denton and Makerfield, highlighted ongoing challenges for the party.

Marlon Scott West of Restore Britain surprisingly outperformed both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, securing fourth place. His campaign, which focused on issues like child sexual abuse and immigration, clearly resonated with a segment of voters, potentially creating a new challenge for Reform UK by appealing to right-wing voters. The Green Party's Geraldine Coggins, despite being a personable and outspoken candidate, faced a disappointing result by failing to advance to the final round. Internal party issues, including dissatisfaction with national Labour leadership's stance on Gaza and controversy surrounding Green leader Zack Polanski, along with a campaign focus that deviated from climate issues during a drought, may have contributed to their underperformance.

Bev Craig's mandate, though substantial in votes, is tempered by the historically low turnout. However, her victory effectively countered the narrative that Labour might lose the mayoralty following Andy Burnham's move to Westminster. Her personal story of overcoming adversity and thriving in Greater Manchester resonated with voters, who now expect her to return that favor by championing the region's future.