# Manchester votes for mayor to replace new PM Burnham 2026-08-08T13:50:43+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Voters in Greater Manchester are electing a new mayor on Thursday to replace Andy Burnham, who quit the post to become Prime Minister. Polling stations opened at 7 am and close at 10 pm, with counting from Friday. Burnham served as mayor for nine years until winning a special parliamentary election last month, prompting then-PM Keir Starmer to resign. Labour candidate Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, faces six rivals including Reform UK’s Sian Astley and a Green Party that won a February by-election here. The vote is seen as a test of Labour’s flagging popularity under Burnham’s new leadership. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: Andy Burnham, Bev Craig, Labour Party, Manchester, mayoral election, Reform UK Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/manchester-votes-for-mayor-to-replace-new-pm-burnham/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/manchester-votes-for-mayor-to-replace-new-pm-burnham/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.