A council by-election in Burnage will be held on Thursday, September 10, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands.
There’s a vacant seat in the ward after former Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig, who was a Councillor in Burnage, was elected as Greater Manchester mayor on Friday. The Burnage by-election was triggered automatically at the moment Bev Craig became mayor, because she is not allowed to hold both roles.
Fourth vote of the year
It means voters in the south Manchester suburb will go to the polls for the fourth time this year, after the Gorton and Denton by-election, local elections in May, and the mayoral election last week.
It could be an unpredictable race - the Green Party won a seat in the Burnage ward in the local elections this May when Councillor Asma Alam was elected. Burnage also falls into the Gorton and Denton constituency which voted for Green Party MP Hannah Spencer in February.
Ward details
The Burnage ward boundary falls on both sides of the ever-busy Kingsway (A34), between Cringle Park and Ladybarn Park. With an electorate of nearly 14,000 voters, the area is a popular place for families and young professionals commuting into central Manchester, and is close to the city’s universities.
Local issues in Burnage include access to work and qualifications, and the need for activities for young people. According to a council report from 2025 on inequalities, 22.7 per cent of people aged 16+ in Burnage have no qualifications, which is higher than other areas of the city such as Hulme (9.3pc), but not as high as nearby Longsight (29.3pc).
Resident concerns
The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to people in Burnage in February ahead of the Gorton and Denton by-election. Paul Hickie, 40, said at the time: “There’s nothing for kids to do so that’s why they go around causing trouble.”
Including the vacant Burnage seat, there are currently 63 Labour councillors in Manchester, the Greens have 21 seats, Reform seven, and there are four Lib Dems.
Political context
Following the local election results in May, where the Greens won swathes of seats around the city, Green group leader Astrid Johnson said Manchester was becoming a ‘Green wall’ in northern England. Manchester Green group said it could soon take over running the council if its success in May can be repeated in future local elections.
A lot has changed since then though, with Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister and former Manchester council leader becoming the region’s new mayor. The question is whether places like Burnage have turned their back on Labour for good, or if voters feel they can trust the party once again. All will be answered on September 10.
