Andy Burnham has encouraged his successor as Mayor of Greater Manchester to push boundaries and take more action following her victory in the recent by-election.
Bev Craig, the Labour candidate, achieved a historic win in the largest by-election in British history, taking over from Mr. Burnham who stepped down to become Prime Minister.
The election outcome, announced late on Friday, marked another setback for Nigel Farage’s Reform party.
During a celebratory event in Manchester with Ms. Craig, Burnham praised her as the “queen of the north” and expressed confidence in her ability to lead the city region to new heights in the upcoming decade.
The 41-year-old leader of Manchester City Council secured victory after a run-off with Reform’s Sian Astley due to no candidate reaching over 50% of the vote.
The voter turnout was slightly over 25%, lower than the previous mayoral election in the region, with more than 500,000 votes cast out of a potential two million voters. Following the run-off, with consideration of second preferences, Ms. Craig garnered 309,525 votes.
Addressing her supporters, Ms. Craig emphasized the public’s desire for commitment from those in power who understand their needs and are dedicated to improving their lives.
She pledged to continue the progress made in Greater Manchester while rejecting divisive forces that seek to create rifts within communities.
Analysis of the voting data revealed that Ms. Craig led in all 10 local authority areas comprising Greater Manchester in the initial voting round. Ms. Astley secured second place in eight areas, with Green candidate Geraldine Coggins and Conservative candidate Phil Eckersley coming second in Manchester and Trafford, respectively.