Overview
- The by‑election, which opens to voters on Thursday, July 30, will cover all ten boroughs and use the two‑preference Supplementary Vote with counting due the following day.
- Seven candidates are standing: Bev Craig for Labour, Geraldine Coggins for the Greens, Phil Eckersley for the Conservatives, Sian Astley for Reform UK, Richard Kilpatrick for the Liberal Democrats, Marlon West for Restore Britain and independent Marcus Farmer.
- A mid‑July Findoutnow poll of 1,505 people put Labour's Bev Craig on about 38% of first preferences but short of a majority, making second‑choice transfers under SV potentially decisive.
- The mayoralty controls devolved powers over transport, policing, planning and a regional budget, so the result will shape housing, travel and public‑safety decisions across Greater Manchester.
- Campaigning in the final days has included Green criticism of Labour development policies and organisers warn that turnout levels and how voters use their second preference could determine the winner; the contest is also the first by‑election to fill an England combined‑authority mayoralty and will cost several million pounds.