Paul Dennett: career of deputy mayor of Greater Manchester and Salford City mayor following election win

Results have been confirmed across Greater Manchester following the 2024 local elections. Alongside local council elections, two mayoral votes also took place across the region. 

The big one was of course Andy Burnham’s re-election as Mayor of Greater Manchester, a position he has held since 2017. The man who will continue as deputy mayor of the region is Paul Dennett, who won his own election in May. 

Dennett was once again elected as Salford City mayor, a position that has only existed since 2012 and has always been held by Labour. Dennett himself will now serve his third term following victory. 

The result was significant, with Dennett picking up 30,753 votes. Second was Conservative candidate Jillian Rose Collinson with 10,930 then David Jones of the Green party with 5,623 votes and Sally Griffiths of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition who received 2,681 votes. 

When did Paul Dennett join the Labour Party? 

Born in Warrington, part of Dennett’s education was at Manchester Metropolitan University- this was a masters in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations. He has been part of the Labour Party since 2007. 

When did he first become Salford City mayor? 

Paul Dennett was first elected Salford City mayor in May 2016. He followed in the footsteps of Labour predecessor Ian Stewart, who was the first person to hold the position. 

Dennett was re-elected in 2021, receiving over 24,000 votes and finishing ahead of the second placed Conservative candidate Robin Garrido by almost 12,500 votes. 

What powers does the Salford City mayor have? 

By winning election as Salford City mayor, Dennett has a place on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). The Mayor of Salford is the only directly elected council leader in Greater Manchester and he also serves as deputy mayor of Greater Manchester to Andy Burnham, a position he has held since 2021. 

The role of mayor leads the Salford City Council on the delivery of council services. Paul Dennett works with a group of ‘lead members’, these will appoint other councillors to help in meeting the needs of the people of Salford. 

According to the Salford City Council website, the City Mayor is “ the first citizen of the city and is responsible for developing strong working relationships with partners across the city, including community groups, businesses and the voluntary sector.”