Reform UK candidate Sian Astley, known for her TV appearances on DIY SOS, is bidding to become the next mayor of Greater Manchester in what is the biggest by-election in UK history, with over two million eligible voters. She faces an uphill battle against Labour's Bev Craig, who leads in the polls following Andy Burnham's departure.
Background and political novice
Astley, 56, leads Reform UK’s group on Manchester City Council but only became a councillor in May. She studied law at the University of Manchester and later worked in property, appearing on DIY SOS: The Big Build, BBC’s Your Home Made Perfect, and Channel 4’s Property Ladder. Her partner is a retired firefighter.
Controversial comments
In May, Astley wrote on Facebook: “Personally I’d just ensure the Green voters, uniparty MPs (present or past) and Cllrs house the illegal criminals, rapists and economic chancers, so it’s nice of Reform UK to offer to build accommodation instead.” This followed Reform UK’s announcement that immigration detention centres would not be placed in seats held by the party’s MPs or areas it controls.
This month, she stood by her comments, telling the Manchester Evening News: “If you are an advocate for open borders then you are opening up this country to exactly that - criminals, economic chancers, rapists.” She added: “So if you are a voter, or a councillor or a politician who advocates for open borders then maybe you should put your money where your mouth is and put those people in your constituency or your region or your house.”
Manifesto and campaign
Her manifesto includes pledges to “stop illegal migrants being dumped in our towns”, “create the toughest police force in Britain”, and “stop penalising drivers”. Ex-Labour voter Astley told the Telegraph she plans to run Greater Manchester like a home renovation project, saying: “If you need to go backwards a little bit and start revealing and start stripping back before you move forward, then that’s what you do to achieve the best possible outcome.”
YouGov polling earlier this month suggested Astley is second in first-preference votes but falls further behind in projected second-round voting. The full list of candidates includes Astley (Reform UK), Geraldine Coggins (Green), Bev Craig (Labour and Co-operative), Phil Eckersley (Conservative), Marcus Jonathan Farmer (Independent), Richard Martin Kilpatrick (Liberal Democrats), and Marlon Scott West (Restore Britain).
