Greens target race for Greater Manchester mayor amid two-horse race against Reform

By SAM MERRIMAN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 23:00, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 23:14, 19 June 2026 The battle to replace Andy Burnham as Greater Manchester mayor will be a two-horse race between the Green Party and Reform UK, according to Zack Polanski. After the Greens held their fire in Makerfield, winning just 0.7 per cent of the vote, they have vowed to 'throw the kitchen sink' at the mayoral election and Mr Polanski will announce his candidate for the contest. He said: 'The race for Greater Manchester mayor starts today and it's Greens versus Reform.'  But Labour – as it did in February's Gorton and Denton by-election, in which it finished third – said the election will be a 'two-horse race between Labour and Reform'. The Greens' candidate is thought to be Geraldine Coggins, the party's leader on Trafford Council. The battle to replace Andy Burnham as Greater Manchester mayor will be a two-horse race between the Green Party and Reform UK, according to Zack Polanski (Pictured on May 30) Labour opened applications for the contest yesterday and is due to announce its candidate next Friday. Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig is thought to be the favourite. Picking a high-profile novice, such as former footballer Gary Neville, is not being considered, it is understood. Reform UK's candidate selection for the mayoral contest will be key to its chances of success and it is said that Dan Barker, who ran for the position in 2024, is the front-runner. The contest will be a tough battle for Labour, which lost more than 100 seats in Greater Manchester to the Greens on the Left and Nigel Farage's Reform on the Right at May's local elections. But Labour pointed out that the Greens' vote share fell behind Labour and Reform in Greater Manchester in those elections. The party also highlighted that Hannah Spencer – Mr Polanski's newest MP – finished fifth when she ran for Manchester mayor in 2024. 'The Greens can't win,' a Labour source said. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.