The inaugural Greater Manchester mayoral election was held on 4 May 2017 to elect the Mayor of Greater Manchester. The next successive election was due to be held on 7 May 2020, but due to that year's outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, the election was postponed until May 2021. Subsequent elections are legislatively required to be held every four years thereafter. The electoral system used for the election is the supplementary vote (SV).
The mayor leads the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, sitting alongside the leaders of the ten metropolitan borough councils who form the mayor's cabinet. The creation of the position was part of a devolution deal giving local government additional powers and funding, enacted via the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016. The interim mayor was Tony Lloyd, the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner. The office of police and crime commissioner was subsumed into the mayor's role.
Nominations for candidates wishing to stand in the election closed on 4 April 2017, after which the final list of candidates was published.
Electoral system The election used the supplementary vote system, in which voters express a first and a second preference of candidates. If a candidate receives over 50% of the first preference vote the candidate wins. If no candidate receives an overall majority, i.e., over 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 in the top two have their second preference votes added to the count.
All registered electors (British, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Greater Manchester aged 18 or over on 4 May 2017 were entitled to vote in the mayoral election. The deadline to register to vote in the election was midnight on 13 April 2017.
Candidates
Conservative Party
Sean Anstee, Trafford Council Leader and Councillor for Bowdon.
English Democrats
Stephen Morris, General Secretary of the Workers of England Union and North West Chairman of the English Democrats.
Green Party
Deyika Nzeribe was selected as the Green Party candidate. However, he died of a heart attack on 1 January 2017. Will Patterson was selected as the Green Party's new mayoral candidate.
Independents
Mohammad Aslam, property developer who has lived in the area for 17 years. Became notable for doing his manifesto video entirely in Urdu. Marcus Farmer – local businessman. Stood as Independent candidate in MP elections for Manchester Withington in 2010 and 2015.
Labour and Co-operative Party
Andy Burnham, MP for Leigh since 2001, Shadow Home Secretary 2015–16, former Shadow Secretary of State for Health from 2011 to 2015, former Secretary of State for Health from 2009 to 2010, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 2008–2009 and Candidate for Leader of the Labour Party in 2010 and 2015. Burnham was also selected by the Co-operative Party and stood for election as a joint Labour and Co-operative Party candidate. On 5 May 2016, a spokesperson for Burnham confirmed that he had been approached by party officials in Greater Manchester, asking him to consider resigning from the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn in order to run in the upcoming mayoral election in 2017. On 18 May 2016, he confirmed that he was standing for mayorship. Burnham was selected as the Labour candidate in August 2016. In September 2016, Burnham said that he would resign as Shadow Home Secretary once a replacement had been found, in order to concentrate on his mayoral bid. He was succeeded by Diane Abbott in October. Burnham said, if elected as Greater Manchester's mayor, he would resign his seat as the member of parliament for Leigh. However, the 2017 general election was declared a fortnight before the mayoral election; Burnham did not stand as a candidate.
Liberal Democrats
Jane Brophy is a Trafford councillor representing Timperley. Stood as a Liberal Democrat in parliamentary elections for Altrincham and Sale West in 2010, 2015 and 2017, and a by-election in Oldham West and Royton in 2015.
UKIP
Shneur Odze, former North West England European Parliament candidate.
Former candidates
Communist League Peter Clifford was selected as the Communist League candidate. In March he withdrew his candidacy citing the cost of the deposit.
Results :
1st Preference Results by Local Authority
Local authority Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats Green English Democrats UKIP Independents # % # % # % # % # % # % # % Bolton 34,650 60.28 16,068 27.96 2,248 3.91 868 1.51 1,158 2.01 1,378 2.40 1,107 1.92 Bury 24,114 53.70 14,783 32.92 1,942 4.32 846 1.88 1,403 3.12 741 1.65 1,079 2.20 Manchester 73,044 72.70 10,435 10.39 7,485 7.45 3,991 3.97 1,330 1.32 1,503 1.50 2,258 2.25 Oldham 26,768 65.84 8,343 20.52 2,227 5.48 619 1.52 984 2.42 940 2.31 777 2.24 Rochdale 24,646 62.05 9,445 23.78 2,187 5.51 706 1.78 1,085 2.73 871 2.19 780 1.96 Salford 27,595 64.15 9,622 22.37 1,928 4.48 1,232 2.86 884 2.06 1,271 2.95 484 1.13 Stockport 38,668 55.17 19,720 28.10 7,678 10.95 1,496 2.13 1,135 1.62 796 1.14 598 0.86 Tameside 27,109 62.78 10,486 24.28 1,774 4.11 959 2.22 1,201 2.78 1,033 2.39 733 1.43 Trafford 35,492 55.77 19,262 30.27 5,359 8.42 1,412 2.22 845 1.33 629 0.99 637 1.00 Wigan 47,266 74.34 10,588 16.65 1,506 2.37 1,295 2.04 1,090 1.71 1,421 2.24 409 0.64 Totals 359,352 63.41 128,752 22.72 34,334 6.06 13,424 2.37 11,115 1.96 10,583 1.87 9,175 1.62Source: Greater Manchester Elects
Results by local authority Bolton
Bury
Manchester
Oldham
Rochdale
Salford
Stockport
Tameside
Trafford
Wigan
References
External links
Home page of the interim mayor via Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The Greater Manchester Elects website