Reform UK has unveiled its candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoral election, with businesswoman Sian Astley set to contest the race on July 30. The party, led by Nigel Farage, aims to replace outgoing Labour Mayor Andy Burnham, who recently won the Makerfield by-election and is anticipated to enter Downing Street within weeks.
Sian Astley’s Background and Platform
Ms Astley, a Reform councillor and the party’s leader on Manchester City Council, is a graduate of Manchester University. She runs a design and property business and lives in Fallowfield. In her announcement, she pledged to revitalise local communities and scrutinise contracts awarded by Andy Burnham. “Over the years, we have all seen our towns and areas across Greater Manchester decline, with high streets left unattended, unfunded and unloved,” she said. “One of my first acts as Mayor will be to open up the books on contracts Andy Burnham awarded during his time as Labour’s Mayor, at least one of which was to a company which made substantial donations to his Mayoral campaign.”
Election Context and Other Candidates
The election comes as Burnham’s departure creates a vacancy. Ms Astley will face Labour’s Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council; Conservative Trafford councillor Phil Eckersley; and Green Party candidate Geraldine Coggins, also a Trafford councillor. Reform UK’s entry adds a new dynamic to the race, with Astley emphasising her outsider status: “Politics needs real people with real life experience. People like me.”
