Mayoral election MCR

ZenNudist · 2026-07-26T23:07:04+00:00

Thinking of not voting for mayor in Manchester. I feel like "Bev" is going to get it anyway. I obviously don't want reform or restore and I can't quite bring myself to put green first even though their platform seems reasonable amd the candidate more experienced than the rest of them. I'm really hacked off. Burnham was a great mayor. Starmer was doing his best as PM. I don't want a new mayor. Manchester deserved to be taken seriously and Starmer should have actually been allowed to implement his manifesto.

AnOldCynic · 27/07/2026 06:02

Why is Bev in quotation marks?

Original poster

ZenNudist · 27/07/2026 08:32

@AnOldCynic I got a campaign leaflet where they just called her Bev, no surname. It really irritated me. Like she's a household name already.

its dangerous to give people the impression Labour are a shoe in as it won't encourage people who are pro labour to vote.

I don't think she'd do an awful job as such. I'd like to debate coggins vs Craig. I'm leaning towards Coggins first Craig second but that may be in protest. I'm really tempted to not vote but I'd hate a reform or restore mayor. So I'm going to vote. Need to encourage DH to do same.

OP posts:

Violetparis · 27/07/2026 08:37

I'm voting Bev Craig to ensure Reform or the Green Party don't win.

Original poster

ZenNudist · 27/07/2026 09:06

I wouldn't normally consider voting green but she's the only other candidate that has the experience and her platform is reasonable (I was put off by reference to gaza, how is that relevant). I suppose Craig is the continuity candidate

OP posts:

patooties · 27/07/2026 09:13

If you do not vote against reform they will win. You have two votes. Use them in whatever order you like green and Labour or Labour and Green to stop reform. Thats it.

Original poster

ZenNudist · 27/07/2026 09:17

I don't think everything is going brilliantly in Manchester. We've been made a lot more like London without the infrastructure. Flash flats for Eastern investors. Homelessness a problem. Traffic system is a nightmare. Social care a time bomb. They reduced services at my local hospital. Fares on tram still expensive and overcrowding ridiculous. The buses don't turn up and disappear off the app. Best way to get about is uber as it's cheaper than parking. It's £30 for the day in my work car park. Gridlock on the central streets where I work. Planning for cycle lanes is a joke. Its not safe for my teens to cycle around. In fact I worry about them getting stabbed. It has happened to teens in my not too awful but not brilliant wider area. So many problems maybe not all on the mayor but nome of those candidates are right for the job.

OP posts:

Greenleavesandsunshine · 27/07/2026 09:35

The rationalisation of busses has made my life easier as has the cheaper fares. There has been lots going on behind the scenes with education, especially post 16. FE colleges which are often ignored have been fully engaged in discussions. I’m putting Bev first.
My second vote was up for grabs but the Green person was banging on about Gaza in a Manchester council election so lost my vote. The others are all right wing so I think my second vote is going to have to be Lib Dem.

patooties · 27/07/2026 12:10

ZenNudist · 27/07/2026 09:17

I don't think everything is going brilliantly in Manchester. We've been made a lot more like London without the infrastructure. Flash flats for Eastern investors. Homelessness a problem. Traffic system is a nightmare. Social care a time bomb. They reduced services at my local hospital. Fares on tram still expensive and overcrowding ridiculous. The buses don't turn up and disappear off the app. Best way to get about is uber as it's cheaper than parking. It's £30 for the day in my work car park. Gridlock on the central streets where I work. Planning for cycle lanes is a joke. Its not safe for my teens to cycle around. In fact I worry about them getting stabbed. It has happened to teens in my not too awful but not brilliant wider area. So many problems maybe not all on the mayor but nome of those candidates are right for the job.

I think you need to step off the internet for a bit. The whole point of the investment in transport is to stop people driving into town - if you want to you pay for it.

the flats it’s really easy to suggest they are empty / not lived in ‘try getting a flat and see how much demand there is’

NotPennysBoat · 27/07/2026 12:29

I don’t really care for any of them, but I too have used my two votes to keep out Reform & Green (mentioning Gaza when running for Mchr mayor said enough for me).
We are in danger of people feeling too indifferent to vote and allowing the Reform lunatics to get in. Please use your votes!!