Andy Burnham re-elected as mayor of Greater Manchester

Labour’s Andy Burnham has been re-elected as mayor of Greater Manchester after securing two thirds of the vote and declaring it ‘the best job in the world’.

The former health secretary bucked the national trend to increase his vote share since his first election in 2017, eclipsing Conservative candidate Laura Evans by 335,271 votes.

Making an emotional victory speech at Manchester Central Convention Centre, the new mayor’s voice cracked as he thanked his family for all their guidance and support.

Creating better jobs, housing and transport will be Mr Burnham’s top priorities in his second term, while he has vowed to stand up to the government and ‘challenge them as forcefully as I can’ when needed.

He said: “This vote sends a clear message to all Westminster parties – people are buying into English devolution. They are telling you to deliver more of it, not less.

“They value the stronger voice that is given to the north of England, and they expect us to use it.

“Don’t give us devolution and be surprised if we answer you back.”

In an emotional victory speech Mr Burnham also said that his victory showed a ‘resounding mandate’ for bringing buses back under public control.

The £134.5m bus franchising scheme will form one part of the wider Bee Network, which will connect cycle and walking routes to an integrated London-style public transport system.

Mr Burnham wants the government to listen to the need for functioning, affordable public transport in Greater Manchester as part of its ‘levelling up’ agenda.

He said: “Catching a bus in Harpurhey in Greater Manchester should cost the same as catching the bus in Haringey, in London.”

The former costs around £4, he said, while in London the fare would be £1.50. Government needed to work with areas to solve that, or ‘levelling up’ would not happen, he added.

In a direct message to prime minister Boris Johnson, the mayor said: “Work with us, make it happen more quickly.

“Show us you’re serious about levelling us up with London. It’s in your interest and it’s in ours.”

The result had fuelled speculation that Burnham should be next Labour leader long before it had even been declared.

But when asked whether he held such ambitions, he insisted that he would ‘serve a full second term’ as mayor.

The results in full:

Candidate - Party - Number of first preference votes given for each candidate

BUCKLEY, Nick - Reform UK - 18,910
BURNHAM, Andy - Labour and Co-operative Party - 473,024
EVANS, Laura  - Conservative Party - 137,753
FARMER, Marcus - Independent - 6,448
HORROCKS, Melanie - Green Party- 30,699
LEPORI, Simon - Liberal Democrats- 22,373
MARVEL, Alec - Independent - 1,907
MORRIS, Stephen - English Democrats "Putting England First!" - 9,488
SUTCLIFFE, David - Independent - 2,182

Niall Griffiths, Local Democracy Reporter