2024 Greater Manchester mayoral election

The mayor of Greater Manchester serves as the directly elected leader of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The mayor has power over an investment directly to the combined authority from the government of £30 million a year for 30 years from 2017. The post of mayor also incorporates that of police and crime commissioner of the Greater Manchester Police. In addition to these functions, the mayor has authority over strategic housing planning, transport, adult education and skills, social care, and other matters. The first election for the position was held in 2017. The Labour candidate Andy Burnham was elected as the inaugural mayor; he was successful in his bid for re-election in 2021 with 67% of the vote in the first round. As mayor, Burnham introduced the Bee Network, a transport network involving franchising all buses in Greater Manchester, with pricing capped and integrated with trams and plans to include local trains. He also developed a "Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter", with plans to let tenants request council inspections and more funding for enforcement. == Electoral system ==

This election was the first in Manchester to use first-past-the-post to elect the mayor, as a result of the changes made by the Elections Act 2022; previous elections in 2017 and 2021 had used the supplementary vote system. Voters were able to vote for a single candidate, with the candidate receiving the most votes being elected mayor. All registered electors living in Greater Manchester aged 18 or over on 2 May 2024 were entitled to vote in the mayoral election. Those who were temporarily away from Greater Manchester (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) were also be entitled to vote in the mayoral election. The deadline to register to vote in the election was Tuesday 16 April 2024. == Campaign ==

The incumbent mayor Andy Burnham said he would never introduce a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), instead seeking funding for electric buses and taxis. He said he would retain cameras that had been installed for a previously proposed CAZ to give footage to police. Dan Barker, the former Conservative candidate, said he would remove the cameras. The Liberal Democrat candidate Jake Austin said he would reverse cuts to local bus services. == Candidates ==

Labour Party Andy Burnham has been the mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017 and before that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leigh from 2001 to 2017. There was speculation that Burnham might stand for election to become an MP so he could become a candidate in a future Labour leadership election. Burnham repeatedly stated that he would complete a full second term of the mayoralty but did not specify beyond that point. Before becoming mayor, he had been a candidate for Labour Party leadership in 2010 and 2015. In early 2023, Burnham confirmed his intent to run for a third term as mayor. Conservative Party On 22 March 2024, the Conservatives selected Laura Evans as their candidate after their prior candidate, Dan Barker, defected to Reform UK. Evans also stood for the Conservatives in the 2021 election and previously served as a Councillor on Trafford Council for Village Ward. While ultimately unsuccessful, Spencer later won the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election after Burnham's own candidacy was controversially blocked. Liberal Democrats On 1 March 2024, the Liberal Democrats announced that they had selected Jake Austin, a councillor for Hazel Grove in Stockport since 2023, as their candidate for mayor. Reform UK The original Conservative candidate Dan Barker, a former Conservative Party activist from Sale who has worked as a project manager, defected to Reform UK on 21 March 2024 and stood as its candidate. Independent and other candidates Nick Buckley, a charity worker who ran as the Reform UK candidate in the 2021 mayoral election, announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate. He said he wanted Bolton to secede from Greater Manchester and become administratively part of Lancashire. Don Prof Reis Abraham Halliwell Prf attempted to register as an independent candidate, however his nomination was invalid as it was not subscribed as required by law. George Galloway was reported as considering standing in the election. He denied that he would run, instead stating his ambition to run in 2028. == Opinion polling ==

• Including total rejected ballots. ==References==