Counting is under way in the Greater Manchester mayoral election, with more than two million people across the region's 10 boroughs eligible to vote in what has been described as the largest by-election in British history. The result is expected to be announced later on Friday.
The election will determine who succeeds Andy Burnham as Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Labour's Bev Craig is the favourite to be named to the office. The contest is being closely watched as the first big test against Reform UK, the party led by Nigel Farage, as the region prepares for a change at the top. Attention has centred on the strength of Reform's challenge to Labour and whether the party can deliver a strong result in the region.
The scale of the vote is without precedent in a British by-election. More than two million electors were eligible to take part in the 10 boroughs that make up Greater Manchester, and that record-breaking electorate has focused national attention on the race. Because of the size of the vote, the outcome is expected to offer an early indication of how the main parties are faring with voters and is being treated as a significant test of the political mood.
Voting has now closed and the count is under way, with ballots from across the boroughs being tallied. Officials are expected to declare the result later on Friday, bringing the largest by-election ever held in Britain to an end and confirming who will lead Greater Manchester for the next term. Until the declaration is made, the counting process will remain the focus of attention.
For Labour, the election is a test of whether the party can keep the mayoralty in its hands. Craig has been the favourite throughout the contest, and victory would see her succeed Burnham, the outgoing mayor. The result will show whether Labour can maintain its position in the region as it faces a growing challenge from Reform.
For Reform UK, the election has been framed as a crucial measure of its electoral appeal. The party, led by Nigel Farage, has been looking to prove that it can challenge Labour outside Westminster, and its performance in Greater Manchester will be scrutinised as an indicator of whether it is making headway with voters. The result will be read as an early verdict on both Labour's strength in the region and Reform's ability to break through.
Burnham's departure marks the end of a significant chapter for Greater Manchester, and the race to succeed him has drawn widespread interest because of its record-breaking scale. The next mayor will take charge of a region with an electorate of more than two million people across 10 boroughs, with the declaration on Friday set to determine the area's political direction.
When the result is announced, it will bring the largest by-election in British history to a close. The outcome will not only settle who leads Greater Manchester, but will also provide the clearest signal yet of the balance between Labour and Reform UK in one of the country's biggest electoral battlegrounds.
