UK News

Andy Burnham wins 2021 Greater Manchester mayoral election

The Labour candidate won 67.3% of the vote and will serve a second term as leader of the GM region.

The Manc The Manc - 8th May 2021

Andy Burnham will continue his reign as regional mayor after being voted in for a second term by the people of Greater Manchester.

Residents went to the polls on Thursday (May 6) and the results were confirmed two days later on Saturday (May 8) – with Burnham winning 473,024 votes – 67.3% overall. 

The Labour mayor fought off competition from eight other candidates to triumph – including The Conservative Party’s Laura Evans; The Liberal Democrat Party’s Simon Lepori; and The Green Party’s Melanie Horrocks.

Burnham will now hold his position as leader until 2024.

The former cabinet minister and Leigh MP became the first directly-elected Mayor of Greater Manchester back in 2017 – taking over from interim leader Tony Lloyd. 

ADVERTISEMENT

During his four years in the hot seat, Burnham has focused on reducing the number of rough sleepers in the city-region, introducing schemes such as ‘A Bed Every Night’ and the ‘GM Homes Partnership’ – which has become one of the UK’s most successful homelessness projects after giving hundreds of people a roof over their heads.

But the mayor’s most iconic moment arrived as recently as October 2020 – when he was captured roaring a message of defiance from the steps of Bridgewater Hall as the government attempted to impose tougher sanctions on Greater Manchester during the pandemic.

ADVERTISEMENT

But Burnham has also come under scrutiny in recent months due to failures of the region’s police force – which entered special measures and had its Chief Constable replaced after failing to record more than 80,000 crimes in the space of a year. 

During his re-election campaign for 2021, Burnham said his ‘big ticket item’ was a plan to revolutionise Greater Manchester with an integrated London-style transport system – offering a single pass for buses and trams. 

In March, the mayor confirmed that a decision had been made to bring the city’s buses under regional control.

ADVERTISEMENT

Earlier in the afternoon, The Labour Party’s Paul Dennett was re-elected as Salford mayor with a comfortable victory – winning 59% of the vote.

“It’s emotional this,” he declared in his victory speech.

“We smashed it.”

Dennett also urged Labour leader Keir Starmer and the national party to look to Salford and Greater Manchester for inspiration moving ahead.

UK News

People are finally discovering this super easy money-saving food hack

Danny Jones Danny Jones itsu half price offer Manchester

These days, pinching the pennies and protecting the pounds wherever you can is more important than ever, so we have no intention of gatekeeping this game-changing itsu food hack.

For the longest time, we’ll admit that we thought itsu was just another good place to grab some fresh sushi, Asian-inspired meals and groceries, but after learning of this clever little loophole, it’s probably up there with one of our very favourite chains.

Starting out in London back in the late 90s, itsu has gone on to become a huge franchise with nearly 80 locations nationwide and, naturally, the risk that comes with a food brand getting this big is the almost unavoidable problem of waste.

However, what was once just a conveyor belt in Chelsea has turned into a super-efficient restaurant and fully established food brand that has also come up with a great way to not only help stop food from going to waste but save you money in the process too.

itsu Manchester on 1 Hardman Blvd, Spinningfields.
itsu prices aren’t pretty decent to start with given the quality.
We’re all about food hacks and cutting back the budget wherever we can. (Credit: The Manc Group)

Put quite simply, because itsu would quite rightly rather see food go in your gob than in the bin, they have a discount policy on their products that are about to go out of date.

Think Too Good To Go only more specific and with even more money off guaranteed.

Once the clock hits a certain time towards the end of trading hours, sushi, salad boxes and other cold food items can be purchased at 50% off their usual price to help save money and on food spoiling.

No, we’re not having you on: each and EVERY single day you can get highly-quality itsu sushi selection platters, rice and salad boxes, poke bowls and more at literally half-price. You can see the full details in their FAQs.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a random work night or a peckish walk home from the pub on the weekend, provided you go after 8:30pm and get there before they shut, you can grab some of your favourites at essentially a two-for-one rate. Sensational stuff.

You don’t even have to download an app, go up to the counter and have any kind of awkward conversation or anything like that: the digital pay screens will automatically update once the click strikes cha-ching and you can saunter out of the gaff with your scran.

Half price itsu? Don’t mind if we do.
50% off itsu every night.
Always leave looking this happy.
Get your hands on half-price itsu whenever you can with this simple hack. (Credit: The Manc Group)

We’ll be honest, we often end up getting double the amount we came for but who can blame us with a value-for-money offer like that? There’s also a 15% discount for students and NHS workers, by the way.

We know that might sound counter-intuitive when we’ve pitched this as a money-saving life hack, but it’s actually come in handy when grabbing not just a last-minute tea for ourselves but hungry flatmates too; plus we go home knowing we’ve done our little bit to help reduce waste.

Eating out can get super expensive, especially in Manchester city centre during a cost of living crisis, but let’s face it, we all fancy a treat sometimes and the thought of cooking is too tiring to even think about – that’s what makes stumbling upon little happy discoveries like these makes so great.

Now, we’re not going to pretend you’re the first people to know about this: the ‘secret’ is out and is gradually getting more and more popular, so you’ll almost certainly find a fair few people queuing up with the same idea come 8:30pm, but that’s kind of the idea. The more we spread the news, the less waste.

itsu Spinningfields is currently the only branch in Manchester (the first-ever Northern site to be opened by the brand back in 2016) but if you need some discounted food whilst you’re travelling around, you can find your nearest location HERE. Enjoy!

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

UK News

BBC confirm Gary Lineker will leave Match of the Day at the end of the season

Danny Jones Danny Jones Gary Lineker leaving Match of the Day at the end of the season

Following reports late on Monday evening, the BBC has now officially revealed Gary Lineker is leaving Match of the Day at the end of the current Premier League campaign.

Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day (MotD) since 1999, is set to leave the long-standing British TV and sporting institution after 25 seasons but will still remain associated with the BBC on various other projects moving forward.

Confirming the news on Tuesday, 12 November, the network said that while his MotD tenure will conclude come May 2025, “The BBC and Gary Lineker have agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup”.

The former footballer will also continue to host the MOTD Top Ten podcast and his The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds alongside fellow co-presenters Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

Lineker said: “I’m delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen.”

The ex-Leicester, Everton, Barcelona and Spurs player was famously suspended from the show back in March 2023 after comments made about the previous Conservative government’s “dangerous” rhetoric.

Shearer and Ian Wright (‘Wrighty’ having also announced he will be leaving the show at the end of the season) both walked out in solidarity with their close friend and colleague before being reinstated after issuing an official apology.

Putting the brief separation aside, Lineker has enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with the BBC for more than two and a half decades and when the title race does conclude at the end of next spring, he will have been one of the most recognisable faces in British football for 26 years.

Many have rightly pointed out that he served as the Des Lynam – the former MoTD host for 11 years – for multiple generations of young football fans.

Read more:

This past August marked Match of the Day‘s 60th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running programmes in British TV history, and to say that the household name and ever-entwined Walkers ambassador has made up nearly half of that is no mean feat.

Lineker has yet to issue a personal response via any channels by the official BBC statement, but viewers can expect to address the situation on the likes of The Rest is Football soon enough.

Thanks for the memories, Gary – especially for honouring your promise and hosting in those comically big white undies.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BBC

More UK News

Marcus Rashford pays surprise visit to Didsbury school kids

News

Marcus Rashford pays heartwarming surprise visit to Manchester school

Robbie Williams Manchester gig tickets Live 2025

Affiliate

Robbie Williams announces extra Manchester date next summer following ‘huge demand’

Best Gary Barlow's son memes

Kids & Family

Some of the very best memes about Gary Barlow’s ‘massive’ son

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches