Is Andy Burnham still Mayor of Greater Manchester, and who could replace him?
Labour, Reform, Conservatives, Lib Dems and Greens set to fight for another Manchester by-election
Paul Dennett has become the interim Mayor of Greater Manchester after Andy Burnham left the post to become MP for Makerfield.
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While the new MP is set to challenge Sir Keir Starmer's Labour leadership, the former deputy mayor has stepped up to take the role before a by-election is held.
Mr Burnham won the seat by almost 10,000 votes on Thursday and used his victory speech to talk about "bringing change" to the country.
Read in full: Andy Burnham's victory speech after winning Makerfield by-election
Is Andy Burnham still Mayor of Greater Manchester?
No, Andy Burnham relinquished his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester with immediate effect, as the rules of the mayorship mean that he cannot hold that role and also be a Member of Parliament.
The law also states that a mayoral by-election must be held within 35 working days of the post becoming vacant, which means that a vote must be held before August 6. The most likely date is July 30.
Around two million voters can elect the Mayor of Greater Manchester, which has been Mr Burnham since 2017.
Paul Dennett, the current deputy mayor, has become interim Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Who could replace him?
Labour is yet to choose its candidate for a Greater Manchester Mayorship election.
The party won every Manchester ward in the most recent locality election, including the Makerfield zone of Wigan.
Mr Dennett, who is also the Mayor of Salford, might be well positioned to be the Labour candidate.
A more left field suggestion is the former footballer Gary Neville, who is a Labour member and has spoken out on social issues affecting the area.
Other potential candidates include: Robert Kenyon, a Wigan Councillor who stood for Reform in the Makerfield by-election, and Conservative Laura Evans, who came second in the 2024 Greater Manchester Mayoral election.
Mr Burnham had stood down as an MP for Leigh to take the role in 2017. Should another Greater Manchester MP consider this a route towards greater exposure, the full list of MPs is:
- Connor Rand: Altrincham and Sale West (Labour
- Angela Rayner: Ashton-under-Lyne (Labour)
- Graham Stringer: Blackley and Middleton South (Labour)
- Kirith Entwistle: Bolton North East (Labour)
- Yasmin Qureshi: Bolton South and Walkden (Labour)
- Phil Brickell: Bolton West (Labour)
- James Frith: Bury North (Labour)
- Christian Wakeford: Bury South (Labour)
- Tom Morrison: Cheadle (Liberal Democrats)
- Hannah Spencer: Gorton and Denton (Green Party)
- Lisa Smart: Hazel Grove (Liberal Democrats)
- Elsie Blundell: Heywood and Middleton North (Labour)
- Jo Platt: Leigh and Atherton (Labour Co-op)
- Lucy Powell: Manchester Central (Labour Co-op)
- Afzal Khan: Manchester Rusholme (Labour)
- Jeff Smith: Manchester Withington (Labour)
- Debbie Abrahams: Oldham East and Saddleworth (Labour)
- Jim McMahon: Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton (Labour Co-op)
- Paul Waugh: Rochdale (Labour)
- Rebecca Long-Bailey: Salford (Labour)
- Jonathan Reynolds: Stalybridge and Hyde (Labour Co-op)
- Navendu Mishra: Stockport (Labour)
- Andrew Western: Stretford and Urmston (Labour)
- Lisa Nandy: Wigan (Labour)
- Michael Wheeler: Worsley and Eccles (Labour)
- Mike Kane: Wythenshawe and Sale East (Labour)