Voters in Manchester are electing a new mayor on Thursday to replace Andy Burnham, who stepped down from the position to become the United Kingdom's prime minister.
The election offers approximately 2 million voters an opportunity to assess the performance of the governing Labour Party, whose current popularity has been lagging. Burnham, who held the position of mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years, won a special election for a seat in Parliament last month with the stated intention of challenging then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer for Labour's leadership. His momentum led Starmer to announce his resignation, after which Burnham became the sole candidate and subsequently prime minister on July 20.
Burnham has established a branch of the prime minister's office in Manchester, referred to as "No. 10 North." This initiative is part of his commitment to decentralizing power and fostering economic growth across the nation.
The Greater Manchester region, with a population of about 3 million, encompasses the city of Manchester and surrounding towns. Burnham had secured victory in three consecutive mayoral elections in 2017, 2021, and 2024. The Labour candidate seeking to retain the mayoralty for the party is Bev Craig, the current leader of Manchester City Council.
Burnham expressed that his tenure as mayor was an "immense privilege" and encouraged voters to support Craig, stating it would help "build on the progress we’ve all made together." Craig is competing against six other candidates, including Sian Astley of the anti-immigration party Reform UK. Reform UK saw significant gains in many areas of Greater Manchester during the local elections held in May.
The Labour Party has also faced a decline in voter support, with some voters shifting to the Green Party. The Green Party secured a special parliamentary election victory in the Gorton and Denton district of Greater Manchester in February, pushing Labour into third place. This outcome intensified concerns within the Labour Party regarding Starmer's leadership, which culminated in his resignation following the May election results and Burnham's subsequent rise.
Professor of politics at the University of Manchester, Rob Ford, noted that "Labour want a show of strength in a city region where the party has long been politically dominant." He added in a blog post for the U.K. in a Changing Europe think tank that "a big win in his former stomping ground will provide a significant boost for Andy Burnham."