Greater Manchester mayoral election counting underway as Andy Burnham faces first big test of premiership

Counting is underway for the Greater Manchester mayoralty by-election, after two million people had the chance to cast their vote yesterday.

Triggered by Andy Burnham's decision to step down and rapidly become both MP for Makerfield and Prime Minister, yesterday's vote for the Greater Manchester mayor has been carried out via a supplementary vote system.

It means voters select a candidate as their first choice, and then another as their second choice, where the top two candidates progress to a two horse race if no candidate surpasses 50 per cent from priority votes cast.

The final result is expected into the late afternoon to early evening, with Labour and Reform UK widely considered frontrunners.

Going into the by-election, polls put Andy Burnham's former colleague Bev Craig ahead - currently serving as the leader of Manchester City Council, and is a staunch ally of Mr Burnham.

Her main rival is likely to be either Reform UK’s Sian Astley or the Green Party’s Geraldine Coggins, who are likely to battle it out for second place.

Mr Burnham himself voted at a polling station in Golborne, near Wigan, late last night, casting his ballot less than an hour before polls closed.

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Home Office launches review into policing standards to challenge oversight and misconduct

The Home Office have launched an end-to-end review into oversight of misconduct procedures within the police as part of an overhaul of policing standards.

Chaired by Dame Lynne Owens and Jason Beer KC, the review will look at how police officers are held to account, identify barriers that can delay outcomes, and consider how the system can be made "faster, fairer and more effective".

The review will assess how police misconduct cases are handled across different parts of the misconduct and wider justice system, to help create a speedier, simpler and more effective accountability regime.

It follows calls from policing leaders, the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s director general and others to go further in reforming the systems and thresholds used to hold the police to account for their actions.

Recent high-profile cases have also brought to light the significant impact of lengthy investigations on officers, who can wait years for internal resolutions.

Reforming the police accountability system will ensure victims receive swifter justice, while officers who have done nothing wrong avoid unnecessary delays and can get back on the beat faster.

Andy Burnham's top Cabinet ministers say Labour's 'devolution revolution' will bring an end to 'begging-bowl culture'

Speaking on the newly announced tax share to regional mayors, Chancellor John Healey said: "The people who best understand what skills employers want, what transport an area needs and where investment can make the biggest difference are those who live there.

"For the first time we’re giving Mayors a share of income tax so communities directly benefit when their economy grows - passing power out of Westminster and driving growth in every postcode.

"This is the way we start to build new hope and advance the working people of this country."

Meanwhile, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "This is the first step in our plan to rewire this country and build a better future, where power is no longer hoarded in Westminster but is put back in the hands of local people - where it belongs.

"Our devolution revolution is about bringing an end to the begging-bowl culture of the past, and instead making sure our local leaders have the tools they need to drive the change that communities have been crying out for.

"We need every region to be firing on all cylinders if we want good growth in every postcode, and we will do everything in our power to make that a reality."

Andy Burnham promises tax share to regional mayors will ensure 'no one will be ignored'

The Prime Minister said: "I said we’d take power out of Westminster and carry it into every postcode in the country. Today, we make good on that promise.

"Under our plans, more of the taxes raised in a community will stay in that community. Soon, every local leader will have the power and resources to improve public transport, build homes and create jobs.

"I know what it’s like to be ignored by politicians in Westminster. I’m not going to make that same mistake now I’m PM.

"The whole of government will now pull together behind the people and places that desperately need our support. This is how we’ll bring back hope and bring power home to you."

Counting to commence for Greater Manchester Mayor with results expected this afternoon

Counting is set to begin in the Greater Manchester mayoralty by-election, after two million people had the chance to vote yesterday.

Triggered by Andy Burnham's decision to step down, yesterday's vote for the Greater Manchester mayor has been carried out with a supplementary vote system.

It means voters select a candidate as their first choice, and then another as their second choice, where the top two candidates progress to a two horse race if no candidate surpasses 50 per cent from priority votes cast.

The final result is expected into the late afternoon to early evening, with Labour and Reform UK widely considered frontrunners.

Going into the by-election, polls put Andy Burnham's former colleague Bev Craig ahead.

First Secretary of State says it is 'not possible at the moment' for mayors to give local residents tax rebates

It is “not possible at the moment” for English mayors to give their local residents tax rebates under the Government’s devolution plans, according to First Secretary of State Louise Haigh.

Amid the announced plans, several mayors said they would create schemes to put money back into the pockets of taxpayers instead of investing in public services, including Conservative Tees Valley mayor Lord Houchen of High Leven.

However, Ms Haigh, who is also Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said she is “not convinced it would be possible” for Lord Houchen to set up a rebate scheme.

She said: “We’d have to see the details of that, but it certainly isn’t possible at the moment. Those kind of schemes necessitate HMRC to set up full schemes, that’s just not possible at the moment.

“The way that the mayors are set up and work is to reinvest the money into their public services, into their local economies. It’s not possible at the moment.

“We’d have to see, obviously, plans and a scheme put forward by Ben Houchen, but that’s not how these powers and resources are intended to be used.”

MP married to alleged Chinese spy readmitted to Labour after investigation, amid calls for 'full transparency'

Parliamentary colleagues have called for full transparency over the investigation relating to Joani Reid “in the interests of national security”, as she is readmitted to the Labour party.

The Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven was suspended from the party while an internal investigation took place, after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.

In March, she said she had “voluntarily” suspended herself from the Labour whip “until internal investigations are concluded”.

In April, further concerns were raised as reports emerged that Ms Reid was alleged to have been involved in inappropriate behaviour with two naval officers - which the Ministry of Defence is said to have no security concerns over.

SNP MP Kirsty Blackman called for the findings of the investigation to be made public to offer “reassurance” to the public over the allegations.

She said: “This was a scandal of unparalleled proportions and it is simply not good enough for Joani Reid to be readmitted to the Labour Party with no reassurance given to the public on the national security of these islands.

“This is a Labour MP - married to a man under investigation for Chinese spying - that caused the resignation of a captain of one of the UK’s four nuclear-armed submarines while her behaviour with a second senior naval officer prompted a report to parliamentary authorities amid fears that intelligence relating to the UK’s nuclear deterrent could end up in enemy hands.

“We need to know exactly what the findings of the investigation were, including into the financial arrangements and the bizarre transgressions conducted at Faslane nuclear base.

“In the interests of national security, these answers cannot wait - Andy Burnham promised a new kind of politics, but for too long the Labour Party has protected one of their own with the public kept in the dark.”

In a statement on social media, Ms Reid said: “I have never been part of a police investigation, as a suspect or as a witness, and I am pleased that this has now been recognised.”

Ex-Labour advisor questions details and logistics of Andy Burnham's tax share to regional mayors

A former Labour Party aide has noted the scarcity of details on Andy Burnham's plans to allow English mayors to retain a share of income tax.

Andrew Fisher, a former policy advisor to Jeremy Corbyn, told Sky News that while it's a "big announcement, there's a lot of questions being asked".

He said: "How much of this is going to be additional revenue? Will it be additional revenue for some areas, but actually will it be a cut for some areas? Is it being completely offset against the grant they currently get? There's a lot of questions around that.

"What powers come with it? Could this result in a postcode lottery? You know, will we have some areas that do things completely differently to others, and how does that fit with kind of what the government wants to do nationally?"

Mr Fisher expects there to be a "diversity of thought on what to do about these areas like skills and housing", given the cross-party interests of Conservative, Labour, and Reform UK regional mayors.

Andy Burnham's devolution plans 'only benefit those with the right postcode', say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats have suggested granting regional mayors powers to retain a share of national taxes could usher in a "two-tier system" within England.

Ed Davey said the need for devolution is "undeniable", but warned that "this must benefit communities right across the country - not just those with the right postcode".

He said: "The Government's own figures show areas without a strategic mayor are already receiving a fraction of the funding available to mayoral authorities, and adding income tax powers on top of that would make a bad situation worse."

The party's local government spokesman Zoe Franklin added: "Councils across England serve millions of people who deserve the same powers and resources as any city region.

"Devolution cannot become a two-tier system where you only get real powers and access to extra income tax revenues if you have a metro mayor.

"We will analyse the detail carefully when it is published and continue to fight for every community across England to benefit from devolution."

James Cleverly slams Andy Burnham's 'Manchesterism' amid devolution plans

The Conservatives have warned that Andy Burnham's plans to give regional mayors a share of income tax will simply "lead to higher taxes".

Shadow Local Government Secretary Sir James Cleverly said: "Andy Burnham is right to want to encourage growth in all communities. But his top-down Manchesterism will lead to higher taxes, with no guarantee of better outcomes for local people.

"Devolution cannot be imposed from above - it can only work if it's done in cooperation with local people. But Labour's regionalist approach takes power away from local communities, sidelining local councils and ignoring local identities.

"What works in Manchester won't be the same for Essex, Cornwall or Cumbria."

London to RETAIN more money under tax devolution plans

London will be able to retain more money under the Government’s tax devolution plans, First Secretary of State Louise Haigh has confirmed.

Asked whether the scheme will enable rich areas to get richer, while poorer areas get poorer, Ms Haigh told Times Radio: “There is already a way that the business rates retention is distributed to correspond with central funding formula to correct for that.

“Because you wouldn’t want to have it that places like London and Manchester and Bristol were able to retain more of theirs whilst other areas that weren’t growing at the same rate, were falling behind.

“So there will be a formula and funding position set out in the budget that that corrects this, but really, we are the most centralised nation in the G7, and that has held back our growth and our productivity outside London and the South East for too long.

“That has disadvantaged London and the South East as well, which has been overheated.”

Asked whether London will be able to retain more money than it has done previously, Ms Haigh said: “Yes, that’s right, and it will have more powers devolved, 16-19 funding, employment support budgets and the ability to tailor their own vocational routes.

“This will be an important part of developing their own local regional growth strategy as well.”

Zia Yusuf says Andy Burnham's devolution plans should tackle the migrant crisis

Reform UK home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said the Prime Minister should "fully devolve the power to stop the housing of illegal migrants in local communities by the Home Office".

It comes as Andy Burnham announced plans to devolve power to regional mayors, via filtering a share of income tax to boost funding and power into communities.

Mr Yusuf added: "Andy Burnham says he wants to devolve power and actually listen to local people.

"If he was listening, he would know that they do not want unvetted illegal migrants dumped in their areas."