Date set for Greater Manchester mayoral election
Greater Manchester will vote for a new Mayor on Thursday, 30th July
Last updated 8 hours ago
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has announced the election date for a new Mayor, following Andy Burnham's success in the Makerfield by-election.
As of today, the office of the Mayor for Greater Manchester is officially vacant - due to Andy Burnham being elected as Member of Parliament for Makerfield, which disqualifies him from keeping the mayoral role.
The election to replace Burnham will take place on Thursday, 30th July 2026.
A new Mayor legally has to have been picked within 35 working days of the role becoming vacant.
Anyone wanting to vote for a new mayor must register by midnight on 14th July, 2026.
All major parties are expected to stand a candidate in the election.
Mr Burnham gave up the Greater Manchester mayoralty by becoming Makerfield MP, winning the seat that was vacated by Josh Simons in order to allow him the chance of returning to Westminster and seek to become prime minister.
In an attempt at addressing the assertion that he was only seeking to become Makerfield’s MP to further his own ambitions, he said: “It will never be a stepping stone to me, but instead will be my touchstone.
“A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness.”
Burnham defeated Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon by 9,231 votes, up from 5,399 in 2024, and Labour’s vote share increased by 9.61%.