Bev Craig elected first female leader of Manchester City Council

Bev Craig has been elected as the new leader of Manchester City Council, becoming the local authority's first female chief.

She will take over from Sir Richard Leese, who is standing down after 25 years, in December.

The Burnage councillor, who will also be the first openly gay leader for the council, was chosen by Labour.

She said she would be a leader for "all Mancunians" and wanted everyone to share in the city's successes.

Ms Craig, who is the current deputy leader, played a prominent role in Manchester's response to the coronavirus pandemic as executive member for adult health and wellbeing.

She told BBC Radio Manchester running the council was about getting "the things that matter to ordinary people absolutely right... from cleaning your street to having high quality services".

"But it's also about having ambition for the city" and Sir Richard's achievements mean there are "big shoes to fill", she added.

Sir Richard oversaw a landmark period in the city's history, including the 2002 Commonwealth Games, signing up to the devolution deal, and the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.

Ms Craig tweeted she was "humbled to have the privilege to lead our fantastic city", adding: "Manchester- We won't let you down."

She said she wanted to build more genuinely affordable housing.

"I grew up in social housing and my family still rely on it. I know the value of [what] the safety net of a good quality home can give you when times are tough," she said.

Ms Craig said she wanted "to reach a point where me being a woman and being gay is entirely uninteresting and unremarkable".

"We're not quite there yet but I think it's a step in the right direction".

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