Bev Craig Holds Greater Manchester: Labour Secures Crucial Mayoral By-Election Win

Bev Craig has held the Greater Manchester mayoralty for Labour in a by-election that closes a turbulent six months of repeated votes across the region. Her victory brings relief to the party after a period of damaging local results and intense scrutiny of Labour's performance in parts of the north.

Low Turnout, Clear Result

Turnout was low at just over a quarter of eligible voters — higher than the inaugural 2017 contest but below the roughly one-third participation seen in recent full mayoral elections. Craig won 47% of first-preference votes, narrowly missing the 50% threshold to win on first preferences alone. Once second preferences were counted she surged to 66%, delivering a decisive victory.

Green MP Hannah Spencer's by election win prompted soul-searching for Labour after they were beaten into third place [PA Media]

Context And Significance

Craig, who has been Manchester city council leader and deputy mayor since 2021, was the most experienced candidate on the ballot. Her campaign emphasised continuity with the region's recent transport and economic programmes — including the Bee Network — while promising fresh priorities of her own.

The result is widely seen as important for Labour's northern strategy. Earlier this year the Green Party won the Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election, pushing Labour into third place there, and Reform UK made strong showings in May local elections. Craig's strong performance helped allay fears that Labour's red wall support was collapsing.

Bev Craig joined Andy Burnham at a Labour rally on Saturday [BBC]

Policy Promises

Key commitments from Craig include expanding the free bus pass scheme from 16–18 year-olds to 11–18 year-olds, and a target to build 50,000 new homes across Greater Manchester over the next 15 years. She also pledged a £20m grant fund to support high-street businesses and said she will champion the area-wide 'Good Growth' strategy, which aims to deliver local projects across all ten boroughs.

How Other Parties Fared

Reform UK polled about 21% on first preferences, a result some campaigners saw as underwhelming given their momentum at the local level. The Greens finished third with roughly 12%, Restore Britain took nearly 9%, the Conservatives polled almost 8%, the Liberal Democrats fell below 3% and lost their deposit, and an independent candidate finished with 0.6%.

Looking Ahead

Craig has said she admires Andy Burnham's record but intends to make her own mark as mayor. She will serve until the next scheduled mayoral election in two years, when voters will again judge her delivery on transport, housing and local economic pledges.

Despite low turnout and a fragmented field, Craig's decisive second-preference surge underlines the continuing strength of Labour's appeal in Greater Manchester — while also highlighting the challenges opposition parties face in converting local momentum into a mayoral win.

For ongoing coverage and analysis of regional politics and the mayoral programme, follow local and national outlets for updates.