Voting begins in Greater Manchester Mayoral election
Andy Burnham's departure has opened a vacancy, and seven parties have fielded candidates
Voting has started in Greater Manchester, where seven parties are standing candidates to replace Andy Burnham.
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The Prime Minister stepped down as Mayor of Greater Manchester in June after he was elected MP for Makerfield, with rules prohibiting him from continuing in the role.
Polls opened at 7am on Thursday, July 30, in the race to succeed him, and stations will be open until 10pm, with a result expected on Friday.
Mr Burnham was the inaugural holder of the role when he was elected in 2017 and Paul Dennett, his deputy, has been the mayor on an interim basis for the past month.
After re-entering the Commons, Mr Burnham put himself forward to lead the Labour Party, following the resignation of previous Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
No other candidates reached the required number of votes to challenge Mr Burnham, so the 56-year-old was allowed a clear passage to No 10. He became Prime Minister on July 20.
Read also: Who is Andy Burnham's wife Marie-France van Heel?