The departing deputy mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Hughes says it's the best job she's had. Baroness Hughes announced she was leaving her role after five years on Wednesday (November 9), with Stretford and Urmston Labour MP Kate Green set to replace her.
She has served as deputy mayor for policing, crime, criminal justice and fire on behalf of mayor Andy Burnham since 2017, taking on formal oversight of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service in 2020.
Two weeks into the job, the Manchester Arena attack happened, with subsequent reports highlighting fire service failings. GMP also came under intense scrutiny during her time in office and was put in special measures by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.
It has now come out of special measures - the fastest of any force to do so. Baroness Hughes told a press conference it was the right time for her to step away.
She will step down in early 2023 after a transitional period, with Kate Green MP to take over. She has officially been nominated by Mr Burnham. This will lead to a by-election in the Stretford and Urmston seat.
"This, by a very long way, has been the very best job," Baroness Hughes told journalists.. She said she 'had to accept [the] fantastic opportunity' back in 2017 and was thrilled at the chance to 'lead on community safety for the people in our fantastic city region'.
"Within two weeks after the election a terrorist attack at Manchester Arena killed 22 people and maimed hundreds more," Baroness Hughes added. "The two of us were immediately faced with the most extreme challenges of our role in their most tragic circumstances. But we were completely united in our focus on the families affected and this has been our watchword on everything ever since.
"The Arena attack and Kerslake Review of emergency response e xposed a dysfunctional fire and rescue service, with many fire fighters complaining directly to the mayor and I about bullying and rigid leadership and the toxic internal culture." She said that since a new Chief Fire Officer has been brought in with a new leadership team, the brigade's culture has significantly changed.
Baroness Hughes added: "The mayor and I said then and I say again now, the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service of today is not that of 2017. We will of course strive to continue for further progress, but the outstanding leadership now in place means Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is already now on the path to excellence."
On the region's police force, she said: "Under Chief Constable Stephen Watson, GMP came out of special measures a couple of weeks ago in record time," she said.
"Nothing given me more satisfaction, difficult though it has been, finally to see a GMP leadership that puts the public first is clear about the standards it needs to achieve, pursues them relentlessly, is committed to openness and transparency, and to working closely and in partnership with local authorities and local organisations and so on. Not just to respond to incidents after they occur but to solve enduring problems in local areas and this is what good modern policing should be.
"It has been an enormous privilege to do this job and work with so many able and committed people to improve community safety across Greater Manchester. I will miss it, but I know for me and for the job now is the right time to move on, I hope to work temporarily on a part time basis for a while to support new deputy mayor."
Mr Burnham, congratulated the deputy on her achievements, adding: "When I first approached Bev to take up the role of deputy mayor, I don’t believe either of us could have predicted the enormity of task we would face in the five and a half years to come. Bev has stayed in post to oversee GMP coming out of special measures, and I thank her for the incredible work she has done in making that possible. The progress made is the achievement of GMP and its staff, but it’s also Bev’s achievement.
"We were also just one week into our time in office when the Three Girls documentary aired on BBC, and we heard that a police investigation into child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester had been dropped for no good reason. When I asked Bev if she would she support an independent review, she didn’t just back it, she led it.
"Bev has given an incredible career of service to the public of Greater Manchester and is a very hard act to follow. However, I’m confident I have found someone with the calibre, character and values to do just that."
Kate Green accepted Mr Burnham's invitation to be put forward for the deputy mayor role after previously announcing she would not stand in Stretford and Urmston at the next General Election. She has been the MP there since replacing Baroness Hughes in 2010. This will lead to a by-election in the safe Labour seat.
She said she was 'very surprised' to have been offered the role, but 'thrilled, excited and honoured'. "Knowing I would be following my very good friend and knowing the solid foundation she has left, I was very confident that even though it is a really big role it had been left in good hands," she added.
"I had no idea I was going to be offered this job. I felt it was time for me to do some different thing, but crime and criminal justice has been a very longstanding policy interest of mine too I was a magistrate long before I was in Parliament.
"I'm very lucky to be taking over from [Baroness Hughes], who has set very solid foundations with Greater Manchester Police and the fire service and under her and Andy's leadership we've seen those services beginning a journey of transformation and great steps taken already.
"It's really important to listen to what communities are saying," she added. "And priorities for families and for communities are now being massively shaped by the cost of living crisis and by a real sense of insecurity that people are feeling about the future. I don't think I'm looking for some radical change of direction, but there definitely some initiatives that I am keen to build on with gender based violence, and that our young people really feel they have a safe community in which to live and a police force which they can trust, that's very important to me."
Mrs Green will now need to be confirmed by the GMCA's Police, Fire and Crime Panel before taking up the role. A by-election will have to be held in the Stretford and Urmston seat. Labour has a 16,417 vote majority, with the leader of Trafford council Andrew Western set to replace Mrs Green as the Labour candidate for the ward.
He tweeted: "Obviously this will have ramifications in terms of by-election, but firstly I just want to pay tribute to @BeverleyHughes1 for her years of service to Trafford locally, regionally and nationally and congratulate my great friend @KateGreenSU on what is a brill opportunity for her!"
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