Reform UK has announced a former star of BBC property television shows as its candidate to replace Andy Burnham as Mayor of Greater Manchester. Sian Astley, a city councillor elected just weeks ago, will contest the July 30 by-election triggered by Burnham's victory in the Makerfield parliamentary contest.
From Property Expert to Political Candidate
Astley, whose first name is pronounced 'cyan', appeared on the BBC's DIY SOS and Getting the Builders In, and worked behind the scenes as a project manager on the first two series of Your Home Made Perfect. In 2012, she hosted her own Channel 5 show called Half Built Home in her role as a property and renovation expert. Since being voted onto Manchester City Council on May 1, however, she has focused on politics as leader of the local authority's Reform UK group. She won a seat that Labour had held for 50 years.
Campaign Promises and Controversies
Astley said one of her first acts as mayor would be to 'open up the books on contracts Andy Burnham awarded during his time as Labour's Mayor'. She claimed these included 'at least one' given to a company 'which made substantial donations to his Mayoral campaign'. This appears to refer to a story in the Times earlier in June, which reported that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority awarded contracts to a media company that donated to Burnham's 2021 campaign. The GMCA responded at the time that it has 'rigorous procurement processes in place to ensure transparency and fairness when awarding these contracts', and 'at no point' was the then-mayor involved in the decisions.
The Field of Candidates
Astley will face Labour candidate Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, as well as Geraldine Coggins for the Green Party, Phil Eckersley for the Conservatives, Richard Kilpatrick for the Liberal Democrats, and Marlon West for Restore. Other candidates may be announced later. The election will use the 'supplementary vote' system, which allows voters to express a first and second choice, potentially posing an additional challenge for Astley.
Reform UK's Recent Electoral Performance
Reform UK will be hoping to reverse its poor recent record in by-elections. The party lost to the Green Party in Gorton and Denton, to Plaid Cymru in Caerphilly, and to Labour in Makerfield. The Greater Manchester mayoral by-election takes place on July 30.
