Paul Dennett
Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester who held the office between Andy Burnham and Bev Craig.
Dennett, Greater Manchester's statutory deputy mayor, ran the combined authority between Andy Burnham's departure and Bev Craig's election on 30 July 2026.
Last refreshed: 3 August 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Who ran Greater Manchester in the gap between Burnham leaving and Craig's election?
Timeline for Paul Dennett
Ran Greater Manchester as statutory deputy between Burnham and Craig
UK Local Elections 2026: Craig wins Manchester in its first second roundBackground
Paul Dennett is Greater Manchester's statutory deputy mayor, the office named in law to run the combined authority when a mayor leaves mid-term.
He held the mayoralty on an interim basis between Andy Burnham's departure for Downing Street and Bev Craig's election on 30 July 2026, the mayoralty's first contest to require a second round under the restored Supplementary Vote.
The deputy mayoralty exists precisely for this kind of gap: it keeps the Greater Manchester Combined Authority functioning between an elected mayor's departure and a by-election result, without itself carrying an electoral mandate of its own.
Dennett handed the office on to Craig once the second-round count on 30 July confirmed her win over Reform UK's Sian Astley, closing the interim period without incident.
Who was acting Mayor of Greater Manchester before Bev Craig?
Who is Paul Dennett?
Why was Paul Dennett acting mayor of Greater Manchester?
When did Paul Dennett stop being acting mayor of Greater Manchester?
