Bev Craig has become the new mayor of Greater Manchester after Labour retained the post in the region's mayoral election, defeating Reform. Craig, previously the leader of Manchester City Council, takes over from Andy Burnham following a result that was confirmed after a long day of counting.
The victory leaves Craig in charge of a £3 billion budget and, by some assessments, makes her the most powerful Labour woman in British politics outside Westminster. She takes office at a time of renewed focus on the powers of regional leaders and on how those powers are held to account.
Craig has been described as a « diehard Corbynista », a label that places her on the left of the Labour Party. She has already said she wants Burnham to introduce a wealth tax, putting her at the centre of questions about how to raise money for public services and address imbalances between different parts of the country.
The handover comes as devolution moves higher up the national agenda. Burnham has championed the idea of transferring significant powers from Whitehall to local leaders, and the next phase of those plans would give mayors and combined authorities more responsibility over areas that directly affect their communities.
Regional publishers have broadly welcomed the direction of travel but have warned that the devolution settlement will only succeed if local journalism is properly supported. They describe the proposed shift as a « massive transfer of power » into local government, and say the public needs strong local reporting to hold new and more powerful leaders to account.
The pressures on regional media are considerable. Publishers point to the difficulty of making money from digital content, falling revenues in print, competition from large technology platforms and the rise of « news deserts », places where local reporting has become thin or disappeared altogether. Some have also highlighted the role of the BBC and barriers created by populist politicians as issues that need to be addressed.
Without action, they argue, the growth of local political power could be accompanied by a weakening of local scrutiny. The outcome, they say, could be more powerful mayors but fewer reporters with the resources to examine their decisions.
News industry figures have therefore called for greater support for regional outlets, including ways to make digital journalism financially sustainable. They have also said support for local news should be built into the devolution package. The success of devolution, they argue, will be measured not only by the powers given to local leaders but by whether residents have the information they need to judge how those leaders perform.
For Reform, the contest ended in defeat, leaving Labour in control of one of the most prominent elected positions in the North of England.
Burnham sent a message to people across Greater Manchester after the result, as attention turned to the incoming administration. The focus now shifts to how Craig will use her mandate and her £3 billion budget.
