Bev Craig, representing the Labour Party, has won the Greater Manchester mayoral election, securing a significant victory over Reform UK. The election followed the resignation of former mayor Andy Burnham earlier this year.
Craig received 309,525 votes, while Sian Astley of Reform UK garnered 157,178 votes after a second round of counting. This contest, described as the largest by-election in UK history with over two million eligible voters, was triggered when Burnham stepped down from the mayoral role.
The cost of the election is anticipated to be in the millions of pounds. For comparison, the 2024 Greater Manchester mayoral election, won by Burnham, incurred a cost of £4.7 million for taxpayers.