Labour's Bev Craig has won the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election, defeating Reform UK's Sian Astley after a second round of counting. Craig was declared the winner just after 11pm, with around 25% of eligible voters turning out across the ten boroughs.
Polling took place on Thursday, July 30, 2026, with stations open from 7am to 10pm, followed by counting on Friday, July 31.
Seven candidates stood
The ballot featured seven candidates: Sian Niamh Astley for Reform UK, Geraldine Coggins for the Green Party, Bev Craig for Labour, Phil Eckersley for the Conservatives, Marcus Jonathan Farmer as an independent, Richard Kilpatrick for the Liberal Democrats and Marlon West for Restore Britain.
Supplementary voting led to a second round
The result was delayed by the supplementary voting system, which was used in the 2017 and 2021 mayoral elections but not in 2024, when first past the post was used. Under this system, voters choose first and second preferences. A candidate who wins more than 50% of first-choice votes is elected outright; otherwise the top two go to a second count.
Since no one passed 50% in the first round, the contest came down to Labour's Bev Craig and Reform's Sian Astley.
Vote totals for Reform and Labour
In the first round, Astley received 21% of the vote, or 111,928 votes. After the second round, her total reached 157,178 votes, giving her 34%.
Craig took 47% in the first round, with 251,449 votes, just under the 50% threshold. After the second round, she had 309,525 votes, or 66%.
