The Mayor

About Andy

Andy Burnham was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017, and was re-elected for a second term in May 2021.

The Mayor joins Greater Manchester’s Combined Authority as its chair and eleventh member. He is also the lead for Policy & Reform and Transport. The Mayor is also supported by Deputy Mayor Kate Green who leads on Safer and Stronger Communities.

View more information about GMCA leaders and portfolios

Prior to being Mayor, Andy was MP for Leigh from 2001. In Government, Andy has held Ministerial positions at the Home Office, Department of Health and the Treasury. In 2008 he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, before returning to Health as Secretary of State in 2009.

In opposition, Andy has served as Shadow Education Secretary, Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary.

Andy lives in Leigh, Greater Manchester, with his wife and three children. He is a keen supporter of Everton FC.

What the Mayor does

Accountable to and representing the people of all 10 boroughs in Greater Manchester, Andy steers the work of Greater Manchester’s Combined Authority, leading on issues such as the economy, transport, police and fire services, to ensure Greater Manchester is one of the best places in the world.  

Responsible for transforming public services and shaping the future of our region, the Mayor represents Greater Manchester people, making the case for our region at the heart of government and on the world stage.

Andy is the chair and eleventh member of Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The leaders of the 10 councils form the Mayor’s Cabinet. He is also supported by a Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, and a Deputy Mayor for Economic Growth and Business.

The job of the Mayor ranges from setting budgets and priorities for Greater Manchester’s public services to acting as an ambassador for the region.

• He is responsible for the transport budget our region receives from Government, as well as the future of bus services in Greater Manchester.
• The Mayor is the public’s voice on policing matters, taking on the responsibilities of the Police and Crime Commissioner. 
• He makes strategic decisions about the fire service and set its budget, taking on the responsibilities of the Fire & Rescue Authority.
• The Mayor is also responsible for a £300 million housing investment fund and the creation of a spatial framework for the whole of Greater Manchester. The spatial framework must be approved by the 10 councils.

Andy is able to make some decisions independently, but others involve consultation with, and approval of, all 11 members of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Some decisions need unanimous support, others need a majority.

The local picture

The Greater Manchester region has existed for over 40 years, but is built on a history of centuries of close local ties between our interlinked – but independent – towns and cities. 

This way of working isn’t easy to get right and we’re one of the only regions to make it work so well. We recognise that our strength lies in successful partnership – not only with each other, but with other public services, businesses, local communities and the voluntary sector.

Having an elected Mayor and working together will not mean sacrificing local priorities or the unique identities that make up Greater Manchester’s diverse cities and towns. Bury is still Bury, and Salford is still Salford, but together we’re be better placed to tackle some of the bigger issues that we all have in common, such as transport improvements and growing the economy.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester will help us all benefit from the bigger picture, but local councils will still be best placed to meet the day-to-day needs of its residents – for example bin collections, housing, street cleaning, and licensing.

The 10 leaders continue to lead their own councils. The Mayor and Combined Authority do not replace, nor can they overrule Greater Manchester’s 10 local councils.

Why do we need a mayor?

In exchange for more powers and control over local budgets, Greater Manchester agreed to elect a regional mayor who would act as a single point of accountability – to both local people and central government.

Devolution means having more control over how and where we spend the money we have.

It means we can design services and find ways of working that better meet the needs of Greater Manchester and the people that live, work and invest here. It means we can boost our economy and reinvest money back into the region to where it is needed most.

Our plans for devolution are bold, radical and ambitious. Greater Manchester is set to become a major economic and political power, capable of fully supporting the people who live here without the need to rely on central government funding.

More information

Information about the Mayor - Meetings, Papers and Committees

Mayor's Music Artist of the Month

Follow the Mayor of Greater Manchester on Twitter (opens in a new tab)

Visit the Mayor's account on Facebook (opens in a new tab)

Mayor's Question Time - Eventbrite Privacy Notice (PDF, 164kb)