Reform’s Manchester mayoral candidate pledges to triple stop and searches but doesn’t know current figures
"How can you say you want to triple something if you don’t know the number in the first place?"
Reform’s Manchester mayoral candidate Sian Astley has vowed to triple police stop and searches in the city region, but doesn’t know how many took place last year.
Astley has said she doesn’t like some of what has happened to the country and Greater Manchester, and has promised to increase the number of stop and searches carried out by police in Greater Manchester.
Asked by a Sky News journalist how many stop and searches took place last year, Astley deflected, and said: “Did you see the Machete attack in Hulme the other day?”.
The journalist responded: “Just let’s start with do you know how many there were last year?”.
Astley admitted “No I don’t.”
The journalist responded: “And you want to triple that – how can you say you want to triple something if you don’t know the number in the first place?”.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) figures, the force conducted 71,118 stop and searches between April 2025 and March 2026. This was a 40% increase compared to the 50,861 searches recorded during the previous 12-month period.
While the Greater Manchester mayor holds the power of a Police and Crime Commissioner and can set regional priorities, the ability to increase stop and search actions lies with the chief constable and GMP.
A study on stop and search from 2024 found that it is one of the less effective tactics to tackle rising violence such as knife crime.
It is also one of the most controversial police powers because it disproportionately targets people from ethnic minorities – in particular young black men – leading to mistrust and trauma.
A YouGov poll published last week indicates that Labour’s Bev Craig is on track to replace Andy Burnham as Manchester mayor, with Labour on 38%, followed by Reform on 24% and the Greens on 17%.
Elsewhere, Astley has come in for criticism for missing a mayoral hustings hosted by The Mill newspaper yesterday.
Astley says she boycotted the hustings because The Mill wouldn’t allow Independent candidate Marcus Farmer to take part. The Mill said Farmer wouldn’t be able to participate because he wasn’t a candidate when they announced the debate.
The newspaper also said: “He didn’t email us until this morning. And his email didn’t ask to join – he wrote “it is your publication that is on trial if you don’t let me in”.”
Astley filmed the interaction between Farmer and The Mill’s founder Joshi Herrmann, which led The Mill to ask: “You were filming from the beginning – was this a stunt?”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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