Labour holds Burnage as 'Burnham bounce' credited with bringing voters back after May losses
Carl Austin-Behan won 1,365 votes to the Green Party's 1,037 in a race both sides called "very close." Council leader Garry Bridges said Labour voters who "deserted the party in May" are "coming back."
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Labour have held onto Bev Craig's former council seat in Burnage after a close and crucial by-election fight against the Green Party.
Carl Austin-Behan won 1,365 votes, beating the Greens' Daoud Nawaz on 1,037. Turnout was just 23.5%.
The seat had been tipped as a "huge" moment for Manchester politics, with the Greens gunning to take the former council leader's ward after winning the other Burnage seat by more than 800 votes in May's local elections. In the end, Labour held on with a margin of 328.
What did the winner say?
Austin-Behan said: "We were in a different place in May, especially with what had happened in the Gorton and Denton by-election and what we saw across Greater Manchester and the country. Andy's now become Prime Minister and is making changes from day one. I think people are getting faith back in Labour."
Has the 'Burnham bounce' made a difference?
Manchester council leader Garry Bridges said the "Burnham bounce" was "definitely a factor" and that Labour voters who "deserted the party in May" are "coming back."
Bridges had been keeping a close eye on the result, with his own seat in nearby Old Moat also up for election in 2027 in a ward that voted in a Green councillor in May.
What does this mean for Manchester politics?
The result will not change overall control of the council, which Labour holds comfortably with 63 seats against the Greens' 21, seven Reform UK councillors and four Lib Dems.
But with May 2027 just eight months away, the result will be seen as an important indicator of whether the Burnham effect can sustain Labour's position across the city. The Greens had been confident of making a statement, and sources were "starting to look slightly worried" as the count progressed.
Mayor Craig said she was "absolutely over the moon" that the seat had been retained.
The other candidates were Bhupinder Kumar (Conservative), Heather McDonagh (Reform UK), Gaz Ranjha (Workers Party) and Abdullah Vavdiwala (Liberal Democrats).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who won the Burnage by-election?
- Labour candidate Carl Austin-Behan won the Burnage by-election with 1,365 votes, defeating the Green Party's Daoud Nawaz.
- Why was a by-election held in Burnage?
- The by-election was triggered when the sitting councillor, former council leader Bev Craig, stepped down after being elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.
- What are the new councillor's main priorities?
- Carl Austin-Behan has stated his top priorities for Burnage include tackling fly-tipping, addressing speeding cars, and bringing back the 169 bus route.