Bev Hughes has announced she is stepping down in the new year as Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester.
After five and a half years of service as Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, Bev Hughes has overseen the transformation of a number of Manchester’s emergency service departments.
Kate Green, the MP for Stretford and Urmston since 2010, is set to be nominated by the Mayor to take her place.
Hughes said: “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.”
Hughes became deputy mayor just two weeks before the Manchester Arena bombing, where 22 people were killed and over one thousand were injured.
She added: “Our focus then was on the victims and families and that has been our continued focus throughout these five years, ensuring that everything possible was done for them and that lessons are learnt.
“I look forward to supporting the new Deputy Mayor into the post and seeing community safety partners and indeed Greater Manchester go from strength to strength.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: ”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.
“Bev has given an incredible career of service to the public of Greater Manchester and is a very hard act to follow.
“I’m confident I have found someone with the calibre, character, and values to do just that.”
