Bev Craig’s Victory and the Setback for Reform UK
The election of Bev Craig as the new Mayor of Greater Manchester represents an important moment in British politics. Craig, described as a political “protégé” of Andy Burnham, defeated Reform UK candidate Sian Astley in the second round of voting. Her victory allowed Labour to retain control of Greater Manchester after Burnham left the mayoral position to become Prime Minister. The result was significant not only for Labour but also for Reform UK, which had hoped to make a breakthrough in an area where it had recently gained considerable support. {“fallbackMarkdown”:”(inkl)”,”reference”:{“matched_text”:””,”prefix”:null,”start_idx”:648,”end_idx”:680,”safe_urls”:[“https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election”,”https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”https://www.inkl.com/news/labours-bev-craig-secures-big-victory-in-greater-manchester-mayoral-elections-results-in-full”,”https://www.inkl.com/news/labours-bev-craig-secures-big-victory-in-greater-manchester-mayoral-elections-results-in-full?utm_source=chatgpt.com”],”refs”:[],”alt”:”(inkl)”,”prompt_text”:null,”type”:”grouped_webpages”,”status”:”done”,”error”:null,”style”:null,”fallback_items”:null,”items”:[{“title”:”Labour’s Bev Craig secures big victory in Greater…”,”url”:”https://www.inkl.com/news/labours-bev-craig-secures-big-victory-in-greater-manchester-mayoral-elections-results-in-full?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”attribution”:”inkl”,”pub_date”:null,”snippet”:””,”attribution_segments”:null,”supporting_websites”:[{“title”:”Greater Manchester mayoral results in full: Bev Craig…”,”url”:”https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”pub_date”:null,”snippet”:””,”attribution”:”inkl”}],”refs”:[{“turn_index”:0,”ref_type”:”search”,”ref_index”:0},{“turn_index”:0,”ref_type”:”search”,”ref_index”:2}],”hue”:null,”attributions”:null}]},”showLoginRequiredCard”:false}
Bev Craig entered the election with an important advantage: her close political relationship with Andy Burnham. Before becoming mayor, Craig had served as leader of Manchester City Council since 2021 and had worked closely with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Her experience in local government gave her a strong understanding of the region and allowed her to present herself as a candidate capable of continuing Burnham’s political legacy. {“fallbackMarkdown”:”(inkl)”,”reference”:{“matched_text”:””,”prefix”:null,”start_idx”:1134,”end_idx”:1153,”safe_urls”:[“https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election”,”https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election?utm_source=chatgpt.com”],”refs”:[],”alt”:”(inkl)”,”prompt_text”:null,”type”:”grouped_webpages”,”status”:”done”,”error”:null,”style”:null,”fallback_items”:null,”items”:[{“title”:”Greater Manchester mayoral results in full: Bev Craig…”,”url”:”https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”attribution”:”inkl”,”pub_date”:null,”snippet”:””,”attribution_segments”:null,”supporting_websites”:[],”refs”:[{“turn_index”:0,”ref_type”:”search”,”ref_index”:2}],”hue”:null,”attributions”:null}]},”showLoginRequiredCard”:false}
Burnham himself had been an extremely popular mayor. He won his previous three mayoral elections with more than 60 percent of the vote, establishing a strong personal connection with voters across Greater Manchester. His decision to leave the mayoral office created uncertainty about whether Labour could maintain its control of the region. Reform UK saw the by-election as an opportunity to challenge Labour and demonstrate that its growing national popularity could translate into victories in traditionally Labour areas.
The first-round result initially suggested that Reform UK had made a serious challenge. Craig received 47.15 percent of the vote, while Reform UK’s Sian Astley gained 20.99 percent. Although Craig was clearly ahead, she did not reach the 50 percent threshold required to win immediately under the voting system used in the election. The contest therefore proceeded to a second round. In the final count, Craig received 309,525 votes compared with 157,178 for Astley, giving Labour a decisive victory. {“fallbackMarkdown”:”(inkl)”,”reference”:{“matched_text”:””,”prefix”:null,”start_idx”:2181,”end_idx”:2213,”safe_urls”:[“https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election”,”https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”https://www.inkl.com/news/labours-bev-craig-secures-big-victory-in-greater-manchester-mayoral-elections-results-in-full”,”https://www.inkl.com/news/labours-bev-craig-secures-big-victory-in-greater-manchester-mayoral-elections-results-in-full?utm_source=chatgpt.com”],”refs”:[],”alt”:”(inkl)”,”prompt_text”:null,”type”:”grouped_webpages”,”status”:”done”,”error”:null,”style”:null,”fallback_items”:null,”items”:[{“title”:”Labour’s Bev Craig secures big victory in Greater…”,”url”:”https://www.inkl.com/news/labours-bev-craig-secures-big-victory-in-greater-manchester-mayoral-elections-results-in-full?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”attribution”:”inkl”,”pub_date”:null,”snippet”:””,”attribution_segments”:null,”supporting_websites”:[{“title”:”Greater Manchester mayoral results in full: Bev Craig…”,”url”:”https://www.inkl.com/news/greater-manchester-mayoral-results-in-full-bev-craig-secures-dominant-win-over-reform-in-key-by-election?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”pub_date”:null,”snippet”:””,”attribution”:”inkl”}],”refs”:[{“turn_index”:0,”ref_type”:”search”,”ref_index”:0},{“turn_index”:0,”ref_type”:”search”,”ref_index”:2}],”hue”:null,”attributions”:null}]},”showLoginRequiredCard”:false}
The result is particularly interesting because Reform UK had entered the contest with significant expectations. Nigel Farage’s party had performed strongly in parts of Greater Manchester during earlier local elections. Its supporters hoped that this momentum could help Reform win the mayoralty. Instead, the party finished well behind Labour. This suggests that national popularity does not necessarily translate into success in every region.
One explanation for Craig’s victory is the strength of Labour’s local political organisation. Greater Manchester has developed a distinctive political identity, and Burnham has played an important role in creating it. His focus on regional government, public transport, housing and economic development has helped Labour maintain strong support in the area. Craig was able to campaign on the idea of continuity, promising to protect and develop the policies associated with Burnham’s administration.
Her personal connection to Manchester was also important. Craig was born in Belfast but built her political career in Manchester. Her experience as leader of Manchester City Council gave her credibility among voters who wanted someone familiar with the region. Instead of presenting herself simply as a Labour politician, she could argue that she understood the practical challenges facing Greater Manchester.
Reform UK faced a different challenge. The party’s national campaign has focused heavily on issues such as immigration, government spending, taxation and dissatisfaction with traditional politics. These issues can be powerful nationally, but a mayoral election also involves local concerns. Voters may judge candidates according to their plans for transport, housing, employment, public services and economic development. Reform therefore had to persuade voters that its national political message