Andy Burnham re-elected as Greater Manchester Mayor for third term

Good afternoon everybody and thank you for your patience. We’re now going to declare the results of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayoral Election for Thursday the 2nd of May 2024. I Amon Boyl and Combined Authority Returning Officer for Greater Manchester Combined Authority Election held on Thursday the 2nd of May 2024 Hereby certify and declare that the total number of Verified Ballot Papers was 669,494 and the total number of votes given for each candidate was as follows. Austin Jake. Liberal Democrats 28,195 Barker, Daniel Commonly known as Dan Barker Reform UK 49,532 Buckley, Brendan Nicholas Commonly known as Nick Buckley Independent 50,304 votes Burnham, Andrew Murray Commonly known as Andy Burnham Labour and Cooperative Party 420,749 votes Thank You. Evans, Laura Catherine Commonly known as Laura Evans The Conservative Party candidate 68,946 Spencer, Hannah Hannah, Catherine The Green Party 45,905 The total number of valid votes is 663,631. The number of ballot papers rejected was as follows, One of official mark. 41 Voting for more than one candidate 751 Writing or mark by which voter could be identified 104 Unmarked or void for uncertainty. 5004 The total number of rejected ballot papers was 5863. Therefore I declare that Andy Burnham is duly elected as the Mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Thank you very much, Eamon, and through you if I could ask you to thank the staff of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and in the Districts who’ve worked very long hours to make this this result possible. Today to thank my fellow candidates for a a good straight election debate and of course my family all here today for putting up with me again in an election campaign. When it comes to the decency and warmth of the people, there is no better city region on earth than this one that we live in. And that is why being elected to represent it for the third time means absolutely everything to me. I can honestly say I have never given anything less than my all to this job, and I’ve tried to be there for all communities and for everyone who lives here. And I promise to do so again. For centuries, Greater Manchester has prided itself on the solidarity between its people. I have tried to be true to that tradition, rejecting the politics of division and culture wars, and that will always remain my approach. I know people who usually support other parties have lent me their support again in this election. In return, I will always respect that and I will continue to adopt A place first rather than party first approach, which is the foundation of Greater Manchester’s success. This is the new politics we are pioneering and this result is an endorsement, an emphatic endorsement of the change we are bringing. I will take it as an instruction to complete the building of a public transport system that benefits a city region of our stature and I will do it within this new mayoral term, uniting bike, bus, tram and train in a single integrated system. It has been hard to keep Greater Manchester moving forward when the country has been going backwards, but we have managed it and our economy is growing faster than the UK’s. Yet we still need change and that is why it is so good to see the country voting for it at these elections. Britain desperately needs a new government and a fresh start, and from here we will work hard to bring that change about. Speaking to people in Greater Manchester over the last few weeks though, I have also heard a call for more profound change from parents in Harper Hay. Trapped in debt because of the pernicious combination of the housing and the benefit systems from communities suffering the after effects of youth violence and struggling to make sense of it. The Westminster one-size-fits-all approach to policy hasn’t worked for them, and the truth is this. If you have an education system overly focused on the university route, you will leave some young people growing up without hope. If you have a benefit system overly focused on sanctions rather than support, you will end up with a growing mental health crisis. And if housing policy is exclusively focused on promoting home ownership, you will leave millions trapped in a housing crisis. Greater Manchester is ready to break out of this. Devolution in England is working and these elections show voters are buying into it and it is time now to go much further. My new mission will be to give everyone growing up here an equal alternative to the university route, so all our young people have a path in life and hope in their heart. And my new plea to Westminster is to give us the powers to free ourselves from the grip of the housing crisis and let us build a benefit system that helps people move forward rather than holds them back. After these elections and all the dust has settled, what will stay with me are the words from one of those parents in the neighbourhood centre in Harper, Hay Joe, who spoke at a debt justice, a debt justice event that Dan was at too. She made the best speech that I heard in this election campaign. We looked to politicians, she said, to make difficult decisions which will ultimately benefit the whole of our country, both now and in the future. We need you to speak as our voice and never give up challenging the inadequate benefit system and the punitive sanctions from the DWP fighting for better wages and fairer living costs. This is your debt to us. This is the price of your power. Those were Joe’s words, and I recognize and accept that price. Joe, as I said to you, I’m going to put your words on my office wall, and perhaps everyone who has stood in these elections around the country should do the same. We all need to reconnect power with the promotion of the common good rather than what we have seen in recent times, the association of power with corruption and lies. And with that nod to the great new order, I will close by just saying this. I am ready to fight harder than I have ever fought for anything before. For a Greater Manchester where people can live free from the fear of debt, hunger and eviction, and where everyone is set up to be a part of the growing success story that is our city region today, Greater Manchester will continue to lead the way and we will do it together. Thank you so much for your support. I look forward to getting on with the job again immediately and I won’t let you down. Thank you very much everybody.