Bev Craig

Bev Craig

OBE
Official portrait, 2025
Mayor of Greater Manchester
Assumed office
3 August 2026
DeputyPaul Dennett
Preceded byAndy Burnham
Leader of Manchester City Council
In office
1 December 2021 – 3 August 2026
Preceded bySir Richard Leese
Succeeded byGarry Bridges (interim)
Member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for Economy, Business and Inclusive Growth
In office
December 2021 – 3 August 2026
Preceded bySir Richard Leese
Succeeded byGarry Bridges (interim)
Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council
In office
19 May 2021 – 1 December 2021
Serving with Luthfur Rahman
Member of Manchester City Council for Burnage
In office
5 May 2011 – 3 August 2026
Serving with Azra Ali and Murtaza Iqbal
Preceded byJohn Cameron
Succeeded byTBD
Personal details
Born
Beverley Anne Craig

(1985-01-27) 27 January 1985 (age 41)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Political partyLabour Co-op
EducationUniversity of Manchester
University of Warwick

Beverley Anne Craig (born 27 January 1985) is a British Labour Co-op politician who has been the Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2026.

She was a councillor in Burnage, Manchester, England, having been elected in 2011. In 2021, she was elected Leader of Manchester City Council, becoming the first female and first LGBT leader.

Craig was elected mayor of Greater Manchester in the 2026 by-election to replace Andy Burnham. She is the first woman elected as mayor of the city.

Early life

Craig was born on 27 January 1985 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She grew up on a council estate just outside Belfast and moved to Manchester in 2003.

She graduated from Manchester University in 2007 with a degree in politics and modern history and later gaining a postgraduate in Local Government Management from Warwick Business School and a MA in public policy and governance from Manchester University, both while she had a full-time job. She has had jobs across local government, higher education and working for the trade union UNISON.

Political career

Craig was elected Leader of Manchester City Council by the ruling Labour group of councillors in October 2021, and took over from Sir Richard Leese at a full meeting of the council when he retired on 1 December 2021. She is the city council’s first female and first LGBT leader.

As leader she is also a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and is the combined authority's portfolio lead for Economy, Business and Inclusive Growth.

Mayor of Greater Manchester

After Andy Burnham's resignation as Mayor of Greater Manchester after his election to Parliament, Craig was picked as the Labour and Co-operative Party candidate in the 2026 by-election. She ran against six other candidates, including Reform UK candidate Sian Niamh Astley. She was elected in a landslide on 31 July after winning 66.3% of the final-round vote against the 33.7% of the vote Astley got in the run-off. The result made Craig the first woman elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Personal life

Craig is a lesbian.

References

  1. ↑ ""I don't want to be pigeonholed": Manchester's new town hall leader on who she is and what comes next". Manchester Evening News. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Halliday, Josh (31 July 2026). "Labour wins decisive victory in Greater Manchester mayoral byelection". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Bev Craig elected first female leader of Manchester City Council". BBC. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Bardsley, Andrew (5 October 2021). "Bev Craig announced as new leader of Manchester council, the first woman to take on the role". Manchester Evening News. Reach plc. Retrieved 6 October 2021. She will take over from Sir Richard on December 1.
  5. ↑ "Councillor Bev Craig". Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Archived from the original on 14 May 2026. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Halliday, Josh (23 June 2026). "Bev Craig to stand as Labour candidate for Greater Manchester mayor". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Statement of persons nominated: Combined Authority Mayoral Election for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority". Manchester City Council. 6 July 2026. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Fisher, Charlotte (22 July 2026). "'I get told to grow my hair and be less gay': Bev Craig speaks out in LGBTQ+ mayoral hustings as Reform and Restore are no-shows". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.