The newly elected councillor, Sian Astley, has vowed to shed light on contracts awarded during the tenure of Andy Burnham, Labour's former Mayor. One of her first actions in office will be to 'open up the books on contracts' granted by Burnham during his time as Mayor.
Astley has specifically mentioned that at least one contract was given to a company that made substantial donations to Burnham's Mayoral campaign. This reference appears to be linked to a recent story about the awarding of contracts by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to a media company that donated to Burnham's 2021 campaign.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has stated that it has rigorous procurement processes in place to ensure transparency and fairness when awarding contracts, and that the then-Mayor was not involved in the decision-making process at any point.
Astley's upcoming election will be a closely watched contest, as she faces off against Labour candidate Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, as well as candidates from the Green Party, Conservatives, Lib Dems, and Restore.
The Reform Party, of which Astley is a member, will be hoping to reverse its poor recent record in by-elections, having lost to the Green Party in Gorton and Denton, to Plaid Cymru in Caerphilly, and to Labour in Makerfield.
The election will use the 'supplementary vote' system, which allows voters to select both a first and second choice. The Greater Manchester by-election is set to take place on July 30, following the vacancy created by Andy Burnham's election in Makerfield.
