Metro Mayor of Manchester election: Andy Burnham hopes to be re-elected for Labour

The current Metro Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has announced he will be standing once again in the Mayoral election this May.

Mr Burnham was voted Greater Manchester’s first metro mayor in 2017 with a landslide 63% of the vote (359,352 votes). The total turnout that year was 29%.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/109874/andy-burnham-is-the-new-greater-manchester-mayor

Inviting people across Greater Manchester to help write his manifesto, Mr Burnham has pledged to make Greater Manchester zero-carbon by 2038, to continue to donate 15% of his salary every month to the mission to end rough sleeping in the region, plus a new Care Leavers Guarantee providing more support for young people in or leaving the care system - on transport, housing, employment and one-to-one mentoring support.

Mr Burnham’s ‘Our Manifesto 2’ also proposes transforming the Older People’s Concessionary Travel Pass into an Our Pass for Older People with free travel.

He said: “Devolution has given Greater Manchester the chance to do politics differently - and we are. 

“Back in 2017, when I asked people to help me write ‘Our Manifesto 1’, they said they wanted something done to help people sleeping rough, more support for young people and more focus on climate change.

“These were some of the people’s priorities and so they became my priorities. And we have seen real action in each of these areas.

“Our A Bed Every Night scheme has reduced rough sleeping across Greater Manchester by almost 50%. Young lives are being changed for the better by free bus travel. And we have set the date of 2038 to make Greater Manchester zero carbon.

“Now we need to build on that successful start and take Greater Manchester to the next level.

“To meet our climate targets, we need a plan for a London-style public transport system that is reliable and affordable. If I win the election, I pledge to introduce an integrated ticketing system across Metrolink and bus within my second term.

“And to deal with the housing crisis, we need a credible plan for how we will build 30,000 homes for social rent over the decade. We will seek to build more of the homes we need in town centres and on brownfield land.

“I have been listening to local communities and will soon confirm further reductions in the Green Belt take across Greater Manchester.”

So far, the current standing Labour Metro Mayor joins local councillor and leader of the Rochdale Liberal Democrats, Andy Kelly, and Green Party candidate Melanie Horrocks in announcing his candidacy.

Councillor Kelly announced last summer that he will be running as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Metro Mayor of Manchester in the forthcoming election.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/129793/councillor-andy-kelly-throws-hat-in-ring-for-lib-dems-ahead-of-may-2020-metro-mayor-elections