Greater Manchester Mayoral Candidates Clash Over Immigration 2026

Key Points

• Seven candidates are running to replace Andy Burnham as Mayor of Greater Manchester in a by-election on 30 July 2026.
• Voters across the ten Greater Manchester boroughs will use a preferential system, selecting both their favourite and second-favourite candidates.
• Immigration was a central topic at a Manchester Evening News–hosted hustings on 8 July 2026.
• Reform UK candidate Sian Astley argued that uncontrolled immigration is a genuine concern for many voters, denying her party has an “agenda of hatred and division”.
• Astley said people worried about immigration are not “nasty people or rampant racists” and highlighted pressures on housing, education and health services.
• Green Party candidate Geraldine Coggins agreed public services are under pressure but said this is due to austerity, not migration.
• Labour candidate Bev Craig stressed that the mayor cannot control migration and urged discussions that do not pit communities against one another.
• Conservative candidate Phil Eckersley distinguished between legal and illegal immigration and called for comfortable, affordable housing for those who arrive legally.
• Liberal Democrat candidate Richard Kilpatrick advocated allowing asylum seekers to work and praised the region’s diversity as a strength.
• Marlon West of Restore Britain cited his daughter’s grooming and rape case, linking concerns to illegal immigration and unregulated HMOs and calling for mass deportation.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) July 10, 2026 – Immigration has erupted as the defining issue in the campaign to replace Andy Burnham as Mayor of Greater Manchester, with seven candidates clashing over whether current levels of uncontrolled immigration are undermining housing, education and health services and whether politicians must be “honest” about the problem.

At a mayoral election hustings hosted by the Manchester Evening News on 8 July 2026, candidates from Reform UK, Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Restore Britain offered sharply different narratives about the role of immigration in pressures on public services, the treatment of asylum seekers and the safety of communities. The debate came amid a wider political context in which uncontrolled immigration has repeatedly surfaced as a concern for voters across the UK, with debates about asylum accommodation, housing waits and the impact on local services becoming increasingly prominent in election campaigns.

What Did Reform UK’s Sian Astley Say About Uncontrolled Immigration?

As reported by a Manchester Evening News journalist covering the hustings, Reform UK’s candidate Sian Astley denied that her party had an “agenda of hatred and division” and argued that uncontrolled immigration had emerged repeatedly on the doorstep during conversations with voters.

Ms Astley said: “Uncontrolled immigration came up on the doorstep over and over and over again and it didn’t come up from people who were nasty people or rampant racists”. She explained that many people were concerned about immigration’s impact on housing, education and health services, and while she acknowledged that Manchester was “built on fantastic immigration”, she warned that current levels were putting pressure on the city’s 20,000-household waiting list.

According to Ms Astley, the issue was “the elephant in the room” and politicians had to be honest about it rather than avoid the topic. Her comments reflected a broader Reform UK narrative that immigration policy must be significantly tightened and that local leaders should speak plainly about the challenges associated with high levels of migration, even when that risks being misunderstood as hostile to migrants themselves.

How Did the Green Party Respond to Claims That Migration Is Straining Public Services?

Following a question on immigration, Green Party candidate Geraldine Coggins said she agreed there was pressure on public services but argued that this pressure was “not down to migration”.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Ms Coggins said: “That is down to 15 years of Tory austerity cutting all our services and then we all had so much hope in 2024 this new Labour government would turn this back and instead they doubled down”. She said she would always “champion all our diverse communities” and emphasised that the city region was “so much better for that” legacy of communities that had come before.

Ms Coggins’ response reflected the Green Party’s broader stance that underinvestment and austerity, rather than migration itself, were the root causes of strain on housing, health and education, and that diversity should be celebrated rather than treated as a problem.

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Why Did Labour’s Bev Craig Say the Mayor Cannot Control Migration?

Labour candidate Bev Craig said she was proud of a Greater Manchester that had been built by people who came from elsewhere, but she also stressed the limits of the mayor’s powers over migration policy.

As reported at the hustings, Ms Craig said:

“As Mayor you are not in charge of migration, you are in charge of keeping this place together, not pitted or divided against one another”. She argued that while honest discussions about difficult issues were possible, they should not be conducted by “fighting amongst each other” or “pitting one group against another”.

Her remarks aligned with the Labour Party’s national emphasis on maintaining social cohesion and avoiding rhetoric that could be seen as divisive or hostile to minority communities, while also acknowledging that migration policy is a matter for the central government rather than the mayor.

What Was the Conservative Position on Legal and Illegal Immigration in Trafford?

For the Conservatives in Trafford, immigration has been a particularly prominent issue, with the party long campaigning for the government to stop housing asylum seekers in two Trafford hotels. The Tories in Trafford had argued that the use of these hotels had created “safety concerns” in local communities, and asylum seekers have since been moved out of one of the hotels while the campaign continues.

Tory candidate Phil Eckersley said that people were mainly concerned about illegal immigration and that there were “nuances” to the issue, pointing to schemes that had welcomed Hong Kong, Afghan and Ukrainian refugees. He added: “What I would say is that people who come to Greater Manchester legally should be given the opportunity to be able to have comfortable and affordable housing”.

Mr Eckersley’s position echoed a national Conservative narrative that distinguishes between legal and illegal migration, emphasising the need to support those who arrive through formal routes while seeking stricter controls on irregular entry and asylum accommodation.

How Did the Liberal Democrats Frame Diversity and Asylum Seekers’ Right to Work?

Echoing his national party’s policy, Liberal Democrat candidate Richard Kilpatrick said the government needed to allow asylum seekers the ability to work, arguing that “they would work incredibly hard and they’re desperate”. He said politicians needed to show leadership and avoid rhetoric that could deepen divisions.

Addressing the audience, Mr Kilpatrick said: “The best thing about the city region is its diversity. If we could bottle up the diversity of this region and give it to the rest of the country, maybe we might be a little less divided and get on with each other more”. His comments reflected the Liberal Democrats’ emphasis on multiculturalism, integration and the economic benefits of allowing asylum seekers to work while their cases are processed.

Why Did Marlon West Link Immigration Concerns to Grooming Gangs and HMOs?

A few boos erupted when Marlon West of Restore Britain took to the stage, as he pointed to his party’s platform of mass deportation and an inquiry into grooming gangs. His daughter Scarlett was a victim of grooming gangs and had previously waived her right to anonymity; her case featured in the Baird Inquiry, which examined the experiences of women and girls arrested and taken into police custody in Greater Manchester.

The inquiry found that Scarlett “went missing and was raped” in 2019 by a man referred to as Adult 4, and that another man, known as Adult 5, groomed her, with Scarlett describing being driven to hotels to take drugs and have sex. Referencing these experiences, Mr West said: “What I’d say is live my life for four years while your daughter is being raped. Go to Piccadilly Gardens because I have gone to Piccadilly Gardens at 12 at night. It’s terrifying”.

He said the country had seen so many illegal immigrants as well as HMOs where “businessmen are making massive profits”, adding:

“This needs to stop and for the safety of women and children, has to stop now”.

His comments linked concerns about immigration, unregulated housing and the safety of women and children in a way that resonated with some voters but also drew audible disapproval from parts of the audience.

What Are the Background Facts Behind the Greater Manchester Mayoral By-Election?

The mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester is being held to replace Andy Burnham, who has served as the region’s mayor since the office was created. Seven candidates are running in the contest, with voters across the ten Greater Manchester boroughs heading to the polls on 30 July 2026.

Voters will use a preferential system, selecting both their favourite and second-favourite candidates, meaning that the final result will depend not only on first-choice votes but also on how second preferences are distributed across the field. The hustings on 8 July 2026, hosted by the Manchester Evening News, provided one of the first direct confrontations between the candidates on key issues, with immigration emerging as the most contentious topic.

The wider political backdrop includes ongoing national debates about uncontrolled immigration, asylum accommodation in hotels, pressure on housing and public services, and the role of local leaders in addressing community concerns without exacerbating divisions.

How Could This Development Affect Greater Manchester Voters and Communities?

The way immigration is framed in this mayoral campaign could have significant effects on how different groups in Greater Manchester perceive politics, each other and the mayor’s role in the region. For voters who feel that public services are under strain and that immigration levels are too high, candidates like Sian Astley and Marlon West may appear to offer straightforward, honest answers that other parties have avoided. Their emphasis on uncontrolled immigration, safety concerns, and the need for mass deportation or stricter controls could mobilise support among those who feel that traditional parties have not listened to their concerns.

For communities that have benefited from diversity and long-settled migrant populations, the rhetoric around immigration and the linking of migration to crime or unsafe housing could create anxiety and a sense of being targeted or misunderstood. Candidates such as Geraldine Coggins, Bev Craig and Richard Kilpatrick, who emphasise cohesion, diversity and the structural causes of pressure on services, may appeal to voters worried about division and racism, but they risk being seen by some as not taking immigration concerns seriously enough.

In practical terms, the outcome of the by-election could influence how the mayor engages with communities, whether they prioritise dialogue that avoids “pitting one group against another” or whether they adopt a more confrontational approach that emphasises immigration as a core problem. This could shape the tone of local debates, the level of trust between different communities and the region’s reputation as a place that is either open and inclusive or increasingly divided over migration.