A reader asks:
Would Burnham be required to resign the post of mayor to fight a byelection. Or only in the event of winning one?
Only if he wins.
For a full answer, here is a note the Greater Manchester combined authority sent out last week explaining the legal situation.
The mayor of a strategic authority – as exists in Greater Manchester – may stand as a candidate in a parliamentary election and be elected as an MP.
There is no legal requirement for the mayor of a strategic authority to resign in order to be a candidate in a parliamentary election.
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 states that a mayor who also has police and crime commissioner functions is disqualified from being a police and crime commissioner upon being elected as a member of the House of Commons.
As the mayor of Greater Manchester has the police and crime commissioner functions, they would – if elected as an MP – become disqualified from being mayor.
At this point a vacancy would arise and a mayoral byelection would take place within 35 working days.
