Labour has been accused of changing election rules to prevent Reform UK from winning a possible mayoral race in Greater Manchester.
Lord Hayward, a Conservative peer and former MP, claimed the Government is rushing through changes to the mayoral voting system.
On Tuesday, peers approved the Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026, which would bring back the supplementary vote system. Under this system, voters can choose both a first and second preference candidate.
The move overturns changes made in 2022, when mayoral elections switched to the first-past-the-post system.
Lord Hayward criticised the timing of the law, pointing to the upcoming Makerfield by-election, where Andy Burnham is standing.
If Burnham wins the seat, he would have to step down as mayor, triggering another mayoral by-election.
Lord Hayward said: “Let’s be honest, this order is an attempt to stop Reform from winning a possible Greater Manchester mayoral by-election.
“It might as well be called the Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Stop Reform Winning the Greater Manchester Mayoralty) Order 2026, because that’s effectively what this is.
“There’s no other reason for the speed at which this has been introduced, other than helping Labour solve its political problems and stopping Reform from taking control of a mayoralty.”
He added that the legislation did little to strengthen British democracy, describing the Government’s approach as “blatant.”
Local Government Minister Baroness Taylor defended the move, saying Labour believes the supplementary vote system is better suited to executive roles because it ensures leaders have broader support.
Rejecting Lord Hayward’s claims, she said: “Is this change being rushed through for political advantage? The answer is clearly no.”
She also said that when Labour passed the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, which removed the role of police and crime commissioners, the Government had already planned to implement the changes at the earliest suitable opportunity.
Baroness Taylor acknowledged that a mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester could happen in the coming months, depending on the result of this week’s Makerfield vote.
The legislation will apply to all combined authority mayoral elections in England.
She said the order had been kept narrow because of the possible Greater Manchester contest, with separate legislation expected for other mayoral elections.
Police and crime commissioner powers will be transferred either to mayors or local authorities before the next election cycle.
The Government says the changes could save taxpayers £100 million, noting that two in five people are unaware police and crime commissioners even exist.
Two newly created combined authorities — Cheshire and Warrington, and Cumbria — are expected to hold elections in 2027.
A Greater Manchester mayoral election could cost close to £5 million if Andy Burnham wins in Makerfield, though that depends entirely on Thursday’s result.
Voters will head to the polls to decide the future of the Wigan seat, with polling suggesting Burnham faces a tight race against Reform.
However, Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain could complicate the contest for Labour.
Support for the rising party could prove large enough to affect the result, potentially narrowing or even overturning the gap between Burnham and Reform candidate Robert Kenyon.
