2021 Greater Manchester mayoral election

The 2021 Greater Manchester mayoral election will be held on 6 May 2021 to elect the mayor of Greater Manchester. This election, alongside other local and mayoral elections across England and Wales, was originally scheduled to take place on 7 May 2020, but was delayed by the UK Government on 13 March 2020 due to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. [1][2] The election will take place the same day as council elections within the city-region, including the election for the mayor of Salford, as well as elections across England and Wales. It will be the second election to the position of mayor. It will use the supplementary vote as its electoral system.

2021 Greater Manchester mayoral election
6 May 2021

For details of all candidates see the article
 
Candidate Andy Burnham Laura Evans Simon Lepori
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester

1.City of Manchester 2.Stockport 3.Tameside 4.Oldham 5.Rochdale 6.Bury 7.Bolton 8.Wigan 9.City of Salford 10.Trafford

Incumbent Mayor

Andy Burnham
Labour

Background

The mayor of Greater Manchester serves as the directly elected leader of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The mayor has power over investment directly to the combined authority from the government of £30 million a year for 30 years from 2017. The mayor also incorporates the Police and Crime Commissioner role of the Greater Manchester Police into the post. In addition to these, the mayor has authority over strategic housing planning, transport, adult education and skills, social care and others.[3][4][5]

The first election for the role was held in 2017, Labour candidate Andy Burnham won with 63% of the vote in the first round.[6]

As a result of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United Kingdom the government announced on the 13 March 2020 that it would postpone the mayoral election, along with all other scheduled local government elections across the UK, for one year.[7][8] The Coronavirus Act 2020 received royal assent 12 days later on the 25 March 2020 giving legal effect to the government's announcement. This was the first such postponement of elections since the foot-and-mouth outbreak caused a one-month delay of the 2001 local elections.[9]

Events prior to the election

In August, Burnham and the Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotherham pushed the government to pay workers asked to self-isolate by the contact tracing system during the COVID-19 pandemic,[10] Burnham had also used the Mayors and Combined Authority resources to run a local contact tracing system where the national system had deficits.[11] As the pandemic entered a period of increase in the Autumn the British government created a three tiered system for what local social and economic restrictions would be implemented. Greater Manchester was initially placed at tier 2 restrictions, however the government went into talks with the Mayor and the council leaders to put Greater Manchester into tier 3 restrictions. Burnham cited inadequate financial support for businesses and workers in the city-region as he wanted 80% furlough support of employee wages, the same as the first wave response.[12] He had also stated he preferred a short, nation-wide lockdown known as a "circuit breaker".[13][14] Following these negotiations, Burnham was angered by the government's implementation of stronger financial support in London for their tier 2 restrictions.[15] Burnham's role in the negotiations led to him being described by various media sources as "King of the North", due to him using his position to not just fight for Greater Manchester but the wider North of England.[16][17][18][19][20] Polling company YouGov asked people in Britain why they believed Burnham was negotiating- similar levels believed it was "party politics" and "the interests of Manchester", though the latter was more popular nationally and more significant in the North.[21]

The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) is a cooperative agreement between the mayor and the leaders of the ten councils on the use of land in Greater Manchester, such as housing development and use of the green belt. The final draft was prepared for late 2020, however fears that the Conservative-run borough of Stockport may reject the GMSF, which would force it to be rewritten, receiving criticism from Burnham and other council leaders due to the length of the process.[22] The draft was signed by council leaders on 1 November 2020,[23] a public consultation will run during December 2020 to finalise the plans.[24]

Electoral system

The election will use a supplementary vote system, in which voters express a first and a second preference for candidates.[6]

  • If a candidate receives more than 50% of the first preference vote, that candidate wins.
  • If no candidate receives more than 50% of first preference votes, the top two candidates proceed to a second round and all other candidates are eliminated.
  • The first preference votes for the remaining two candidates stand in the final count.
  • Voters' ballots whose first and second preference candidates are eliminated are discarded.
  • Voters whose first preference candidates have been eliminated and whose second preference candidate is one of the top two have their second preference votes added to that candidate's count.

This means that the winning candidate has the support of a majority of voters who expressed a preference among the top two.[25]

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Greater Manchester aged 18 or over on 6 May 2021 will be entitled to vote in the mayoral election. Those who are temporarily away from Greater Manchester (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) will also be entitled to vote in the mayoral election. The deadline to register to vote in the election will be announced nearer the election.

Candidates

Conservative Party

Laura Evans, a former Trafford councillor and parliamentary candidate, was selected as the Conservative candidate in February 2020.[26] As an executive member on Trafford Council, Evans received the 'Employer Supported Policing Award' for generous changes to officers' paid leave and, in 2014, received a Hero's award for community work.[27]

Green Party

Melanie Horrocks was selected as the Green Party candidate in 2019.[28]

Labour Party

Andy Burnham, the incumbent mayor and former shadow home secretary, announced his intention to seek re-election as mayor of Greater Manchester for the Labour Party in January 2020.[29]

Liberal Democrats

Simon Lepori was announced as the Liberal Democrats's candidate on the 19 January 2021.

Previously, Andy Kelly, councillor and leader of the Liberal Democrats group in Rochdale, was confirmed as the first Liberal Democrat candidate on 17 August 2019 following a vote by Liberal Democrat members in Greater Manchester.[29] However, on 11 August 2020 Kelly stood down, stating that the delay in the election for a year has impacted his employment.[30]

Other candidates
  • Michael Elston is standing as an independent.[31]
  • Marcus J Farmer is standing as an independent.

Campaign

The incumbent mayor Andy Burnham pledged to take the bus services of Greater Manchester into public ownership, establish an integrated ticket system for all buses and Metrolink trams, make the city-region carbon neutral by 2038 and build 30,000 social homes over the next decade.[29] The BBC has noted that should the metro mayor take the buses back into public ownership it would be the first place outside of London to do so.[32]

Laura Evans is critical of Burnham's plans to build on sparser parts of the city-region and the implementation of a Clean Air Zone.[33] One of Laura Evans' campaigns is to help smaller businesses to receive additional funding in response to COVID-19; this fund is particularly "aimed at small and micro businesses who were not eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Grant Fund".[34] There are caveats to this however: you "cannot apply if you’re already claiming under another government grant scheme" which includes but is not limited to, the Small Business Grant Fund, Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme, Zoos Support Fund and Dairy Hardship Fund.

References
  1. Department for Communities and Local Government (1 February 2016). "Date proposed for Manchester mayoral elections". gov.uk. GOV.UK.
  2. Combined Authority Returning Officer (CARO). "Greater Manchester elects: Next election". gmelects.org.uk. Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  3. "Directly elected mayors". www.local.gov.uk. Local Government Association. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  4. "Greater Manchester". Centre for Cities. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  5. Dudman, Jane (3 November 2014). "What powers will the new mayor of Greater Manchester have?". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  6. "Mayor of Greater Manchester". BBC News. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  7. "Local elections postponed for a year over coronavirus". BBC News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  8. "May's local and mayoral elections postponed for a year due to coronavirus". ITV News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  9. Busby, Mattha (1 March 2020). "Local elections could be delayed by coronavirus outbreak". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  10. "Regional mayors demand pay for self-isolating workers". BBC News. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  11. Charara, Sophie (5 October 2020). "England's Covid-19 strategy is all about London. Sorry, northerners". Wired UK. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  12. "In full: Andy Burnham on his ten day Covid support battle with Boris Johnson". YouTube. ITV. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham spoke to ITV News about why talks on coronavirus business support broke down after ten days of negotiations.
  13. Walker, Peter; Pidd, Helen; Elliott, Larry; Stewart, Heather (15 October 2020). "Boris Johnson's Covid plan in turmoil after north-west leaders refuse tier 3". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  14. Pidd, Helen (15 October 2020). "Manchester united: ministers' tier 3 talks enrage both Labour and Tories". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  15. Stone, Jon (22 October 2020). "Andy Burnham 'open-mouthed' after government unveils tier 2 support 'to help London'". The Independent. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  16. Rigby, Beth. "Coronavirus: Andy Burnham is the 'King of the North' - a crown the PM believed he'd won". Sky News. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  17. Forsey, Zoe (20 October 2020). "'King of the North' Andy Burnham fights against Tories - 'this is leadership'". Daily Mirror. Reach plc. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  18. Evans, Rhiannon. "'Discussing Andy Burnham's Eyelashes On The Group Chat' Why Everyone On The Internet Fancies The Mayor Of Manchester". Grazia. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  19. Bland, Archie (23 October 2020). "Andy Burnham: former New Labour high flyer cast as 'king of the north'". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  20. "In praise of Andy Burnham, the new King of the North". NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  21. "Daily Question | 21/10/2020 | YouGov". YouGov. Retrieved 3 November 2020. When it comes to Andy Burnham’s approach to the negotiations for the coronavirus aid package for greater Manchester, do you think it is driven more by...
  22. Statham, Nick (30 October 2020). "Andy Burnham hints region's 'spatial framework' masterplan could be redrawn". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  23. "Greater Manchester's Spatial Framework plan has been supported by region's leaders". Rochdale Online. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  24. "Spatial framework published in Greater Manchester | The Planner". The Planner. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  25. Elledge, Jonnk (2 May 2012). "London Elections: How The Voting System Works". The Londonist. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  26. "Laura Evans selected as the Conservative Greater Manchester Mayoral candidate". Manchester Gazette. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  27. Trafford, Council. "Hero's Award".
  28. Williams, Jennifer (25 February 2020). "Why is there still no Tory contender for the Greater Manchester mayoral race?". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  29. "Metro Mayor of Manchester election: Andy Burnham hopes to be re-elected for Labour". www.rochdaleonline.co.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  30. "Andy Kelly withdraws as Liberal Democrat candidate for mayor of GM". Rochdaleonline. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  31. Gee, Chris; McDonnell, Seamus (30 September 2020). "Prestwich businessman to run against mayor Andy Burnham". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  32. "Campaigners march for public control of buses". BBC News. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  33. Baxter, Trevor (24 July 2020). "Clean air charge could kill businesses, claims councillor". Saddleworth Independent. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  34. Evans, Laura. "Discretionary Grant Fund to support businesses and traders during COVID-19". Laura Evans for Greater Manchester Mayor. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
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