Votes are being counted in the Burnage council by-election after polls closed at 10pm on Thursday.
Labour is defending the seat previously held by former Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig, with the Green Party hoping to make another gain in the city.
Labour candidate Carl Austin-Behan is standing against Green candidate Daoud Nawaz, Reform UK's Heather McDonagh, Conservative Bhupinder Kumar, Workers Party candidate Gaz Ranjha and Liberal Democrat Abdullah Vavdiwala.
The by-election was called after Bev Craig was elected mayor of Greater Manchester in July.
Reported by
David Murphy
News Editor
Declan Carey
Local Democracy Reporter
Manchester council leader Garry Bridges said this is a ‘really big moment’. He adds: “This sends a really powerful message that people who were thinking about not voting Labour and looking elsewhere are coming back to the party and supporting us again.”
I've just spoken to Cllr Carl Austin-Behan who said he feels 'honoured' that people in Burnage have put their trust in him. His top priorities include bringing back the 169 bus route and tackling speeding and fly-tipping in the ward
Labour: 1,365
Conservative: 27
Reform: 315
Green: 1,037
Workers Party: 466
Lib Dems: 31
Total votes: 3,254
Turnout: 23.55%
Counting is still taking place at the Burnage by-election. The Greens are starting to look slightly worried at the piles of Labour votes on the table. Have Labour edged it? Shouldn’t be long now till we get a result
Counting is still taking place at the Burnage by-election. The Greens are starting to look slightly worried at the piles of Labour votes on the table. Have Labour edged it? Shouldn’t be long now till we get a result
Hearing a bit more now about how the Burnage by-election could go. Both Labour and Greens are saying it is going to be ‘very close’ and could come down to just a few hundred votes. I’m hearing the Workers Party are getting decent numbers of votes too.
Postal votes: 933
Polling booth votes: 2,321
Total votes: 3,254
Electorate: 13,815
Turnout : 23.55%
A Green source at the Burnage by-election count said it’s looking ‘tight’ at the moment, as vote verification continues. We’ll have a turnout figure soon but it is expected to be low. Greens say they knocked on 10,000 doors across Burnage in their campaign
Really tense atmosphere here at Central Library for the Burnage by-election count. Here’s the latest as vote verification has started
The Burnage by-election count will soon get started in Manchester. Candidates from Reform and Labour have already arrived, and we’re expecting ballot boxes to start arriving any minute now