ANDY BURNHAM told his successor as Greater Manchester mayor to “go further and do more,” dubbing her the “queen of the north” after her by-election win.

Labour’s Bev Craig won the largest by-election in British history to succeed Mr Burnham after he became prime minister.

The result, announced late on Friday, saw her secure 47.15 per cent in the first round, narrowly missing the 50 per cent needed to win outright, before beating Reform UK’s Sian Astley in the second round with 309,525 votes to 157,178.

Turnout was just under 25 per cent.

Speaking at a victory event, Mr Burnham said: “Here’s my challenge to you today: on the back of that, I’m afraid you’re just going to have to go further and do more.”

He challenged Ms Craig to build more affordable homes and boost technical education.

Ms Craig said people had been crying out for leaders “that want to put more money in their pockets, that want to make life easier, that are on their side,” adding that voters had rejected “the division and the dividing lines that people put in our communities.”