工党候选人贝芙·克雷格在大曼彻斯特市长补选中获得压倒性胜利。[1][2] 克雷格在首选投票中获得47%的支持率，[1] 经过第二轮计票后最终获得66.3%的得票率，[2] 战胜改革英国党候选人西恩·阿斯特利。[2] 她将接替因于7月20日成为英国首相而离职的安迪·伯纳姆，[2] 掌控除伦敦外最具权力的地方政治职位之一。[1]
这次补选规模庞大，有超过200万符合投票资格的选民，[1] 创下英国政治史上同类竞选的新高。[1] 然而，投票率仅为25%，[2] 是2017年该地区开始直选市长以来的最低水平。[2] 克雷格曾任曼彻斯特市议会领导人，[2] 她承诺将"用全力捍卫这个城市区域，为我们所有人争取更好的生活"。[2]
工党在这次补选中的胜利表明该党能够重新赢回在凯尔·斯塔默领导下流失的左右翼选民，[1] 同时对改革英国党构成打击。[1]
Labour candidate Bev Craig has secured a decisive victory in the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection, winning 47% of first-preference votes [1] and 66.3% following second-preference transfers [2]. Craig will succeed Andy Burnham, who departed the role after becoming Prime Minister on July 20 [2]. The byelection was triggered after Burnham won a separate Makerfield seat on June 18 [1].
This contest represented the largest mayoral byelection in British political history, with over two million eligible voters across the region [1]. Despite the scale of the election, turnout remained modest at just 25%, marking the lowest participation rate for a Greater Manchester mayoral election since direct elections began in 2017 [2]. No candidate reached the 50% threshold on first preferences, necessitating a second-round runoff [2]. In the decisive second round, Craig defeated Reform UK candidate Sean Astley, whose party secured 33% after second-preference allocations [1].
As current leader of Manchester City Council [2], Craig pledged to champion the region's interests, stating: "I will defend this city region with everything I have got and fight for better lives for us all" [2]. Labour's commanding victory demonstrates the party's capacity to reclaim voters across the political spectrum under leader Keir Starmer's direction [1], while simultaneously dealing a setback to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party [1].