Bev Craig becomes Greater Manchester’s new mayor, pledging housing boosts and fare freezes
Bev Craig has been elected as Greater Manchester’s new mayor, succeeding Andy Burnham after he became prime minister. The Labour candidate won with 309,525 votes to Reform’s Sian Astley’s 157,178. Craig, a longtime Manchester City Council leader and former deputy mayor, vows to deliver the region’s next chapter, including 50,000 new homes over 15 years, freezing Metrolink and Bee Network fares, extending free bus travel to 11–18-year-olds, and backing town-centre regeneration and social care improvements.