Bev Craig has been elected Mayor of Greater Manchester with 309,525 votes, defeating Reform UK’s Sian Astley who took 157,178; turnout was just under 25%. Craig will succeed Andy Burnham and has praised recent government moves to devolve powers from Whitehall, including proposals to give mayors a share of income tax. Her key pledges include freezing Bee Network fares, extending free bus travel to 11–18 year olds, delivering 50,000 new homes over 15 years and launching a £20 million high-street regeneration fund. Opposition parties have urged caution, saying devolution plans need clearer detail to avoid disadvantaging weaker local economies.
Bev Craig Elected Greater Manchester Mayor — Says New Devolution Could "Change Our Lives"
Bev Craig spoke in front of a Labour audience after she was elected as mayor [BBC]
Bev Craig has been elected Mayor of Greater Manchester, winning 309,525 votes to Reform UK candidate Sian Astley’s 157,178 in a contest marked by low turnout.
Craig, 41, will succeed Andy Burnham, who stepped down as mayor to run in the Makerfield by-election. The two appeared together at a Labour rally in Manchester following the result, where Burnham offered his support and urged Craig to go further in delivering change across the city region.
“For a government two weeks in, to start devolving powers out of Whitehall and putting them in the places that can make a difference — that can change our lives,” Craig said. “I will rise to the challenge of using the powers that are offered to mayors like me to make our regions better.”
The national government has proposed a package of devolution measures, including giving city-region mayors in England a share of income tax revenue. Supporters say the move would shift decision-making closer to communities; opposition parties have warned the plans lack detail and risk leaving weaker local economies worse off.
Craig, pictured with her partner Tracy, on polling day on Thursday [PA Media]
What Craig Promises
Craig said she is "excited" to take on the role and pledged a series of headline measures aimed at improving transport, housing and town centres across Greater Manchester:
- Freeze Bee Network fares — a cap on Metrolink and bus fares on the integrated Bee Network;
- Extend Free Bus Travel — expand the current scheme from 16–18 year olds to 11–18 year olds;
- Housing Target — deliver 50,000 new homes over 15 years, including council and genuinely affordable housing;
- High Street Fund — a new £20 million package to support small businesses, revive empty units and invest in town-centre regeneration.
Craig, who grew up on a council estate in Belfast and moved to Manchester in 2003 to study Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester, said she wants every child in Greater Manchester to feel they can succeed.
Turnout in the mayoral contest was reported at just under 25% of more than two million eligible voters across Greater Manchester’s ten boroughs. After the result, Sian Astley congratulated Craig and said Reform would watch to ensure campaign pledges are delivered.
Outlook: Craig inherits a high-profile platform for local change. The immediate tests will be translating national devolution promises into concrete funding and powers for the region and delivering on transport, housing and high-street commitments while addressing concerns about fairness between richer and poorer areas.
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