Four councillors running to be city's new deputy leader named

The four councillors in the running to be Manchester’s new joint-deputy leader have been revealed.

The city’s ruling Labour group will be electing a new deputy leader to sit alongside Coun Joanna Midgeley on Thursday (May 9) evening, it’s understood. The winner will serve under Coun Bev Craig, who successfully defended her Burnage seat in last week’s local elections.

She did so by fending off a challenge from George Galloway’s Workers Party — something that former deputy leader, Luthfur Rahman, failed to do. He lost by 185 votes to Shahbaz Sarwar, now his party’s only representative on the council.

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In the days since his defeat, four Labour councillors have put themselves forward to replace Mr Rahman, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has been told. Whoever takes the job will be near the peak of the largest ruling party in the country, holding 86 of 96 seats.

A Labour source has now confirmed that Coun Garry Bridges, current executive member for children who represents Old Moat, is in the running. So too is his deputy, Coun Shazia Butt, representing Cheetham.

Rounding out the list are Moston’s Coun Yasmine Dar, the outgoing Lord Mayor, and Coun Basil Curley, who represents Charlestown.

“It’s an open contest,” the source added. “It would be hard to say who the favourite is.”

The race isn’t the only position up for grabs, as the group will also select its deputy Lord Mayor for the upcoming municipal year, who will then become Lord Mayor in 2025-26 — the person who oversees full council meetings, and performs ceremonial duties.

In that race are Miles Platting and Newton Heath’s Coun Carmine Grimshaw,