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29 July 2026

Long Read

Meet the Greater Manchester mayoral hopefuls: what have they said about FE and skills?

Voters go to the polls tomorrow, with the winner set to inherit a £421 million skills and employment pot

Anviksha Patel

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8 min read
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Greater Manchester mayoral candidates: left to right Bev Craig, Geraldine Coggins, Sian Astley

Greater Manchester voters go to the polls tomorrow to elect a new mayor after Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, automatically disqualifying him from the mayoralty. He has since become prime minister.

Seven candidates have made it onto the ballot. Whoever wins will inherit some of the country’s most significant devolved powers over adult education, skills and employment.

The incoming mayor will oversee a total skills and employment pot of nearly £421 million across three years, including £140 million of adult skills revenue funding for 2026-27, supporting nearly 50,000 residents.

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