New Greater Manchester mayor touts prime minister's devolution push as life-changing

In a closely watched by-election, Labour’s Bev Craig won the Greater Manchester mayoralty with 309,525 votes, defeating Reform candidate Sian Astley. She will take over from Andy Burnham, who stepped down to run in the Makerfield parliamentary contest. At a post-vote rally, Craig hailed the prime minister’s decision, made only two weeks into office, to transfer powers from central government to regional leaders, describing it as a potential life-changing shift.

She outlined a platform that includes freezing Metrolink and Bee Network bus fares, expanding free bus travel to 11- to 18-year-olds, and building 50,000 affordable homes over the next 15 years. A new £20 million scheme to revitalize high streets and support small firms was also unveiled. Voter participation was low, with just under 25% of the region’s two-million electorate casting ballots. Craig, originally from Belfast and a University of Manchester alumna, emphasized her commitment to giving every child in the area a chance to succeed.