Reform UK's candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, Sian Astley, has publicly admitted she is 'really rubbish with money' and 'not normally very good' at rules and regulations, according to social media posts and a 2019 interview unearthed ahead of this Thursday's election.
Self-described shortcomings revealed
Astley, whose first name is pronounced 'cyan', was unveiled by Nigel Farage's party as its candidate to replace Andy Burnham a week after the Makerfield by-election. She previously worked as a property and renovation expert on BBC shows and hosted Half Built Home for Channel 5 in 2012.
In a video posted on her induction day as a councillor, Astley told viewers: 'Looking forward to hearing all about the rules and regulations – something I'm not normally very good at, rules and regulations.' On May 30, more than three weeks after being elected and becoming leader of the Reform group on Manchester City Council, she wrote that she had just learned it was a legal requirement to fill out paperwork for election expenses. Last month, she admitted she was 'starting to understand how decisions get made' and still 'getting to grips' with committee work, adding: 'It's a lot to take in and I suspect that I'll be watching the training sessions a couple of times, but it's all very interesting!'
Financial admission and Reform's defence
In a 2019 interview with news site LoveMoney, Astley was quoted as saying she was 'really rubbish with money'. A Reform spokesperson pointed to other comments in the article where she described having 'big issues being comfortable around money' as she 'wasn't brought up with much'. The spokesperson said: 'Unlike Labour's Bev Craig, Sian is a successful entrepreneur, turning £1 into a multi-million-pound property and design business. Greater Manchester needs someone like Sian who has spent her life building things, getting things done and cutting waste, not another career politician.'
Election context and opponents
In the election this Thursday, Astley will face Labour's Bev Craig, Green Party candidate Geraldine Coggins, Conservative Phil Eckersley, Lib Dem Richard Kilpatrick, independent Marcus Farmer, and Restore Britain's Marlon West. It marks the first big electoral test for Labour under Andy Burnham, who became party leader and Prime Minister after winning the Makerfield by-election. At May's local elections, Labour lost all but six of the 30 seats it was defending, with 17 going to the Green Party and seven to Reform UK.
Farage's limited support and by-election distraction
Reform leader Nigel Farage has only posted once about Astley to his sizable social media following, with a video highlighting her stance on illegal migration. Earlier this month, it was reported that Reform activists were urged to divert away from the Greater Manchester race to campaign for Farage in his Clacton by-election, where he resigned his seat to rerun. His plan appeared to backfire after all major parties declined to participate, leaving Count Binface as his top opponent.
