Andy Burnham passes his first test

Andy Burnham was elected Prime Minister after serving as mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years.

Labour candidate Bev Craig won the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election on July 30, 2026, with 47% of first-preference votes.

Reform UK and the Greens finished second and third with 21% and 12% respectively; the Conservatives came fifth with 8%.

Labour's victory marked a significant improvement from its ~24% in May's local elections, and Labour drew level with Reform UK in national polls.

The by-election was seen as a test for populist parties, which struggled to counter Burnham's popularity.