Labour's Bev Craig has been elected as the new mayor of Greater Manchester, succeeding now-PM Andy Burnham
Speaking after her win, Craig says she is "honoured" and "humbled" to be voted mayor
The contest went to a second round of votes to determine the winner, with Craig facing off against Reform UK's Sian Astley
Bev Craig took a combined total of 309,525 votes, once first and second preferences are taken into account, with Sian Astley getting a combined total of 157,178
Voters in all 10 boroughs of the ceremonial county took to the polls on Thursday to decide who will replace now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who stood down from the role following his election as an MP last month
It represented the first electoral test for Labour under Burnham – and in the prime minister's own back yard, our reporter at the count writes
Voter turnout for this by-election was just over 25% – the lowest since Burnham became the first mayor elected to the role in 2017
Edited by Caitlin Doherty, with reporters at the count in Manchester
Bev Craig with Andy Burnham as her campaign launch
Labour's Bev Craig has been elected Mayor of Greater Manchester, after a vote triggered by Andy Burnham's resignation.
Craig won with a combined total of more than 300,000 votes, taking into account first and second preferences.
Reform UK's candidate, Sian Astley, came in second with just over 157,000 votes.The final result didn’t come in until close to 23:00, but in the end it was decisive.
Craig easily defeated her nearest rival with two-thirds of the votes in the final run off. In her acceptance speech she said every decision she took as mayor would be about making life better for the region’s residents.
The role comes with a budget of £3bn and powers over transport, policing, planning and economic development.
We're ending this live coverage now, but our story will continue to be updated with the latest news and reaction.
As Craig mentioned in her victory speech, she grew up on a council estate in Belfast.
She moved to Manchester in 2003 at the age of 18 to study politics and modern history at the University of Manchester. After graduating, she began her career in local government.
She went on to work in higher education and then at a national trade union, leading on social care.
Craig was first elected as a councillor for the Burnage ward on Manchester City Council in 2011. She was executive member for adult social care and health throughout the Covid-19 global pandemic, before becoming deputy council leader in 2021.
She soon took over as leader when Sir Richard Leese stood down after 25 years in the role, making her the local authority's first female boss and the council's first openly gay leader.
The 41-year-old has also held the role of deputy mayor for economy, business and inclusive growth on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
You can read more about the newly elected mayor here.
While Andy Burnham has yet to react to his party's victory, Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell, the MP for Manchester Central, posted on X: "Huge congratulations to [Bev Craig] our fantastic new Mayor of Greater Manchester.
"Thank you to our tireless activists who have worked so hard to help deliver this win."
Michaela Howard
North of England senior producer, at the count
Labour supporters celebrate after Bev Craig is declared winner
There were whoops and cheers in the arena as Labour's Bev Craig was announced as the new mayor for Greater Manchester – a post made vacant by Andy Burnham when he took up his Parliamentary seat of Makerfield in June.
It had taken 25 hours since the polls closed for the result to be announced just before 23:00 BST. Supporters were tired as they waited until the end but they were jubilant. The mood all day from them had been of quiet confidence.
Craig had not won the required 50% of the votes to avoid a second round count. This was between the top two candidates – Bev Craig and Reform UK's Sian Astley. But she came out top with two thirds of the vote.
A meeting of the National Economic Council, including regional mayors, at No 10 North last Friday
The Greater Manchester mayoral election comes as the city gets to grips with its position as a new centre of power for the government.
Since becoming prime minister, Andy Burnham has opened a northern branch of No 10 Downing Street, located in Heron House, central Manchester.
The prime minister will work there at least once a week, as will several senior Cabinet members, including Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Education Secretary Lucy Powell.
No 10 North will regularly welcome regional mayors – including the new mayor of Greater Manchester – to take part in meetings of the National Economic Council, a cabinet committee first launched in 2008 to respond to economic challenges around the UK.
Craig goes on to say life is hard for the people of Manchester and she will try to make sure every decision she makes is aimed at putting "more money in your pocket".
"Everyone deserves a quality home in a good neighbourhood," she says, adding that people should be able to plan for their future and for their childrens' future.
What makes Manchester so special, she says, is the people who do such incredible things, "rejecting the politics of hate" and looking out for each.
She wraps up by promising to work for everyone, whether they voted for her or not.
"We have to move away from divisive politics, and we’ll do it together," she says.
"I am honoured, I am humbled, and I stand ready to serve the three million people that live across this fantastic city region," says Labour's Bev Craig as she addresses the count centre after being declared the new mayor of Greater Manchester.
"I never believed as a girl growing up on a council estate that one day I would have a chance to stand for the place that I love," she says.
Labour's Bev Craig wins the Greater Manchester mayoral election with a combined total of 309,525 votes, once first and second preferences are taken into account.
Reform UK's Sian Astley comes in second with a combined total of 157,178.
Labour's Bev Craig has been elected as the next Mayor of Greater Manchester, succeeding Andy Burnham.
The result is about to be announced at the count centre in Manchester, with a group gathered in front of the stage.
It follows two counts of votes through Friday.
Stick with us, and you can watch live at the top of the page.
Reform UK candidate Sian Astley is also at the Manchester count.
She walked past the camera waving at someone a short while ago, as the two remaining candidates – Astley and Labour's Bev Craig who was spotted earlier – wait for the result of the second count to be announced.
Cameras have been at the count at the Co-Op live Arena all day as votes have been counted in the mayoral election.
After a first count earlier, it was announced that no candidate had received more than 50% of the vote.
As we've been reporting, a second count will now determine whether Labour's Bev Craig or Reform UK's Sian Astley is the winner.
This video can not be played
Suspense as second round of Manchester mayor votes counted
Ian Shoesmith
North West
Andy Burnham secured three terms as Greater Manchester's mayor. In both the inaugural election of 2017 and in 2024 he secured 63% of the vote. In 2021 he did even better, with 67%.
The Supplementary Vote system used this year was also in operation in 2017 and 2021, with the more familiar First Past The Post system used in 2024.
The fact we're now counting second-preference votes means no candidate earned a majority of first-preference votes.
Therefore, whatever happens this evening, neither of the top-two candidates has matched Burnham's vote.
Rowan Bridge
North of England reporter at Manchester's Co-op Live arena
There's no word on when the next Mayor of Greater Manchester will be declared.
I'm told we're here until the bitter end, whenever that is.
Ballots are sorted for the second count of votes in the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election
In short, because no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote first time around – and because a system known as "supplementary voting" is being used in this by-election.
Under the supplementary voting system, voters get a first and second choice on their ballot paper.
You vote once for your first choice, and once for your second choice.
If nobody secures more than 50% of the vote – as happened today – the two candidates with the highest number of votes remain in the running, with other candidates eliminated.
The second preferences of voters who voted for eliminated candidates are then counted.
This system was used in Greater Manchester's mayoral contests in 2017 and 2021, but not in 2024.
The Green Party candidate for Greater Manchester Mayor, Geraldine Coggins, says she's "really pleased to have had our best results ever" in the contest, despite being knocked out in the first round tonight.
Speaking to broadcasters at the Co-op Live Arena, Coggins says the results – which haven't yet been published – were a "record result" for her party, adding the fact the contest had gone to a second round was "actually quite devastating news for Labour".
Votes are currently being counted in a run-off between Labour's Bev Craig and Reform UK's Sian Astley.
"What we're seeing is not a ringing endorsement of this candidate [Craig] or this Labour government… even though we've been fighting this in the honeymoon period of a new prime minister," Coggins says.
Asked whether recent focus on Zack Polanski's social media use had "took the shine off" the Green Party leader, Coggins says her party had been "really clear we stand against all forms of antisemitism and prejudice".
"I've been championing and supporting all of our communities in this campaign, celebrating the amazing diversity in our city region," she adds.
Labour's candidate for Greater Manchester mayor has arrived at the Co-op Live Arena to find out if she will succeed her former boss, Andy Burnham.
Craig is currently the leader of Manchester City Council and deputy mayor for economy, business and inclusive growth on the region's combined authority.Rowan Bridge
North of England reporter at Manchester's Co-op Live arena
The question everyone wants to know, but nobody knows the answer to, is when we will have a final result tonight.
In the Manchester count, it looks like the counting of second preferences has happened, and they’re now adjudicating on some of the ballots – to decide if and who they should be counted for.
That same counting and checking will be taking place in all ten boroughs. Only when they are all done will we have a final result.
While we know no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in first preferences, we don't know how many votes – or what percentage – any of them received.
We reported earlier that there were 538,659 verified ballots cast across Greater Manchester, meaning the top candidates – Sian Astley and Bev Craig – received less than half that figure each.
Five candidates have now been eliminated from the contest: Geraldine Coggins (Green Party), Phil Eckersley (Conservative Party), Marcus Farmer (Independent), Richard Kilpatrick (Liberal Democrats) and Marlon West (Restore Britain).
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