Greater Manchester Mayoral Race Turns on Trans Rights Dispute 2026

Key Points

• Labour’s candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoralty, Bev Craig, risks a split with Andy Burnham after standing by her past remarks on trans issues.
• Andy Burnham, the prime minister in waiting, backtracked on his support for trans rights last month, saying “the time has come” to protect single-sex spaces for biological women.
• Bev Craig, who hopes to succeed him as mayor later this month, has refused to go back on her previous claim that “trans women are women, trans men are men”.
• Voters in Greater Manchester will elect Mr Burnham’s successor as combined authority mayor on July 30 after his Makerfield by-election victory and return to Westminster.
• Ms Craig is the narrow front-runner in what many expect to be a close fight between Labour and Reform UK, with the Green Party also in contention.
• She has been the leader of Manchester city council since December 2021, and the local authority has adopted a staunchly pro-trans set of policies on her watch.
• During a talk at the Pride in Leadership campaign group in May 2023, Ms Craig said she was proud to hold the belief that transgender women – biological men who identify as female – are women.
• In a statement to The Telegraph, she refused to disown her previous comments on gender, appearing to dismiss concerns around trans issues as “culture wars”.
• Ms Craig said: “Greater Manchester has a proud history of being a welcoming home for everyone. As I said at the time, and it is my long-standing position, trans rights are human rights.”
• Labour’s mayoral candidate said: “It’s time for a more grown-up conversation about how we unite people and stop being divided over culture wars or identity politics.”
• Mr Burnham changed course on the issue to support last year’s Supreme Court transgender ruling, which ruled that “sex” in equality law is determined by biology.
• Ms Craig did not express a view on the ruling, which formed the basis of updated guidance from the equalities watchdog that confirmed single-sex space facilities in businesses and public buildings must be used based on biological sex.
• Sir Keir Starmer, the outgoing Prime Minister, shifted his position significantly on gender issues during his time as Labour leader.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) July 04, 2026 – Labour’s candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoralty, Bev Craig, risks a split with Andy Burnham after standing by her past remarks on trans issues. Andy Burnham, the prime minister in waiting, backtracked on his support for trans rights last month, saying “the time has come” to protect single-sex spaces for biological women. He used his Makerfield by-election campaign launch to support the Supreme Court judgment, which ruled that “sex” in equality law is determined by biology. As reported by Anthony Devlin of Getty Images, Mr Burnham went on to say Britain should take a more “live and let live” approach to social issues, adding:

“Let’s implement the guidance, but do it in the fairest and most compassionate way possible.”

However, Bev Craig, who hopes to succeed him as mayor later this month, has refused to go back on her previous claim that “trans women are women, trans men are men”. Voters in Greater Manchester will elect Mr Burnham’s successor as combined authority mayor on July 30 after his Makerfield by-election victory and return to Westminster. Ms Craig is the narrow front-runner in what many expect to be a close fight between Labour and Reform UK, with the Green Party also in contention.

How has Bev Craig defended her position on trans rights?

Ms Craig has been the leader of Manchester city council since December 2021, and the local authority has adopted a staunchly pro-trans set of policies on her watch. During a talk at the Pride in Leadership campaign group in May 2023, Ms Craig said she was proud to hold the belief that transgender women biological men who identify as female are women. As reported by Anthony Devlin of Getty Images, she said:

“I’m really clear, actually, that yes I’m part of a national party, and yes, there will always be things that nationally we’ll have to have a clear position on.”

She added:

“But this is one of the only councils in the entire country that’s passed a unanimously passed motion at our city council reaffirming what we think to be fairly basic truths: that trans women are women, trans men are men and that actually everybody deserves to have human rights.”

She concluded:

“So I will always support my national party, I will always talk up the benefits of a Labour Government … but that doesn’t mean that, when we run a city, we have to be able to buy into some of that. And that’s probably one of the best things [that] I like about my job.”

What statement did Bev Craig issue to The Telegraph?

In a statement to The Telegraph, she refused to disown her previous comments on gender, appearing to dismiss concerns around trans issues as “culture wars”. As reported by Christopher Furlong of Getty Images, Ms Craig said: “Greater Manchester has a proud history of being a welcoming home for everyone. As I said at the time, and it is my long-standing position, trans rights are human rights.” She added: “Throughout my life I’ve fought for both women’s rights and the rights of LGBT+ people – to tackle discrimination and make their lives better. You can protect single-sex spaces like women’s refuges, which I’ve done, and still stand up for trans people.”

Ms Craig said that as a gay woman, she did not “need lectures” on misogyny or the rights of women, adding that Manchester had one of Europe’s most inclusive LGBT communities.

“It’s time for a more grown-up conversation about how we unite people and stop being divided over culture wars or identity politics,”

she said.

“If I’m lucky enough to be elected as mayor of this region, I want to bring everyone together and help them to succeed. Those are the values which Greater Manchester stands for, and it’s what I stand for.”

How has Andy Burnham’s position on trans issues changed?

Labour’s mayoral candidate says: ‘Greater Manchester has a proud history of being a welcoming home for everyone’. Ms Craig’s remarks are likely to be seized on by her opponents, not least after Mr Burnham changed course on the issue to support last year’s Supreme Court transgender ruling. While Greater Manchester mayor in 2022, Mr Burnham suggested that transgender women who are biologically male should be allowed to use women’s lavatories. Last month, however, he used his Makerfield by-election campaign launch to support the Supreme Court judgment, which ruled that “sex” in equality law is determined by biology.

He said: “I think the time has come to take the Supreme Court ruling and the guidance and implement it, but to do it in a way that protects those spaces but does not marginalise already marginalised communities, that’s my view.” Ms Craig did not express a view on the ruling, which formed the basis of updated guidance from the equalities watchdog that confirmed single-sex space facilities in businesses and public buildings must be used based on biological sex. On becoming prime minister as soon as this month, Mr Burnham will have to decide between either continuing to support the guidelines or appeasing more than 100 Labour MPs who have claimed that it will not work.

What broader shifts in Labour’s gender stance are relevant?

Sir Keir Starmer, the outgoing Prime Minister, shifted his position significantly on gender issues during his time as Labour leader. He claimed in 2021 it was “not right” to say that only biological women could have a cervix, declaring that “99.9 per cent” of women did not have a penis. By the 2024 general election, however, he agreed with Sir Tony Blair that a man has a penis and a woman has a vagina, before supporting the Supreme Court ruling in April last year.

Background of the development

The dispute between Bev Craig and Andy Burnham reflects a wider tension within Labour over how to balance trans rights with protections for single-sex spaces. Andy Burnham, formerly the Greater Manchester mayor, has moved from a more inclusive stance on trans access to facilities to backing the Supreme Court’s biological definition of sex. Bev Craig, as Manchester city council leader since 2021, has championed pro-trans policies locally, including a unanimous council motion affirming that “trans women are women, trans men are men”.

The timing is critical: Burnham’s Makerfield by-election victory returns him to Westminster and sets up July 30 for the election of his successor as combined authority mayor. Craig is the narrow front-runner in a contest that many expect to be closely fought between Labour and Reform UK, with the Green Party also in contention. Her refusal to disown her 2023 remarks has reopened questions about whether Labour’s local and national positions can be reconciled on trans issues.

Prediction: how this development can affect Greater Manchester voters

This development can affect Greater Manchester voters in several ways. First, it may polarise the electorate along lines of identity politics, with some voters prioritising trans rights and others prioritising protection of single-sex spaces. Second, it could strengthen Reform UK’s appeal if they frame the Labour split as evidence of ideological confusion, potentially swinging moderate voters who want clearer, more “live and let live” policies. Third, it may energise LGBT+ communities and progressive voters who see Craig’s stance as a defence of inclusivity, possibly boosting Labour turnout in areas with strong LGBT+ presence.

Overall, the dispute risks turning the mayoral contest into a referendum on Labour’s coherency on gender and identity. If voters perceive the split as a sign of instability, it could undermine confidence in Labour’s local leadership. Conversely, if Craig successfully frames the issue as one of human rights and inclusivity, she may consolidate support among those who value Greater Manchester’s reputation as a welcoming region.