Radical plans to abolish the Greater Manchester mayor’s role and for Leigh and Atherton to be ‘cut adrift’ from Wigan council control have been put forward by a Conservative candidate. Former Wigan town mayor Michael Winstanley is vying to replace Tory MP James Grundy, who is not seeking re-election in the seat he took from Labour in Leigh and Atherton for the first time ever in 2019.