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Greater Manchester's first mayoral by-election: Bev Craig leads

7/30/2026

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Bev Craig Runs

Voters in Greater Manchester will elect a new mayor on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
It is the United Kingdom’s first mayoral by-election.
Andy Burnham was automatically disqualified after winning the Makerfield parliamentary by-election with over 54% vote.
Labour’s candidate is Bev Craig, current leader of Manchester City Council.
A Findoutnow poll of 1,505 residents predicted Craig could win with 38% of the vote.

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Craig Leads

More than two million Greater Manchester voters will elect a new mayor on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
The race is framed as deciding housing policy and devolution for boroughs, Geraldine Coggins calls Labour a ‘developers’ paradise’ and urges powers to curb land-banking.
Polls by More in Common put Labour’s Bev Craig ahead, 65%-35% over Reform’s Sian Astley.
The supplementary vote system, restored by the Labour government, will decide the mayoral winner.

History

Historical Context

The Greater London Authority’s first mayoral election on 4 May 2000 followed a 1998 referendum in which 72 % voted for a mayor, and saw independent Ken Livingstone defeat Labour’s Frank Dobson with a 34 % turnout of about 1.75 million voters. That inaugural contest created a model later adopted for the 2024 Greater Manchester mayoral by-election.

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Bev Craig Runs

Voters in Greater Manchester will elect a new mayor on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
It is the United Kingdom’s first mayoral by-election.
Andy Burnham was automatically disqualified after winning the Makerfield parliamentary by-election with over 54% vote.
Labour’s candidate is Bev Craig, current leader of Manchester City Council.
A Findoutnow poll of 1,505 residents predicted Craig could win with 38% of the vote.

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