Bev Craig is elected as Manchester’s new Labour mayor

Bev Craig will succeed Andy Burnham, whose departure for Westminster triggered the special election.

Andy Burnham became the city region’s first elected mayor in 2017, but his return to parliament last month to become prime minister has triggered the largest by-election in British history.

Labour’s Bev Craig, the Manchester city council leader, will now succeed Andy Burnham and hold one of the most powerful political positions outside Westminster.

After no candidate secured more than half of the vote in the first round of voting, Craig beat Reform UK's Sian Astley by 309,525 to 157,178 after second-preference votes were added.