2026 Manchester City Council election

Last updated
2026 Manchester City Council election
Arms of the City of Manchester.svg
←  2024
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
2027 →
32 out of 96 seats to Manchester City Council
49 seats needed for a majority
  Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council (cropped).jpg John Leech canvassing in south Manchester.png
Leader Bev Craig John Leech Astrid Johnson
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Green
Leader's seat Burnage Didsbury West Woodhouse Park
Last election87 seats, 53.7%4 seats, 10.4%3 seats, 17.5%
Current seats86 [1] 43
 
LeaderShahbaz Sarwar
Party Independent Workers Party
Last election1 seat, 4.5%1 seat, 5.5%
Current seats21
Incumbent Leader

Bev Craig
Labour



The 2026 Manchester City Council election will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom. One third of councillors (32) on Manchester City Council will be elected.

Contents

Background

History

In the previous election in 2024, Labour won 30 of the 33 seats up for election with 53% of the vote, the Green Party won 1 seat with 17% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats won 1 seat with 10% of the vote and the Workers Party won 1 seat with 5% of the vote.

Candidates up for re-election in 2026 are those who were elected in 2022.

Changes since the last election

In September 2024, a by-election was held in Baguley following the resignation of Labour Councillor Phil Brickell due to his election as MP for Bolton West. This election was won by Labour's Munaver Rasul. [2]

Muqaddasah Bano was suspended from the Labour Party in July 2025 following complaints from members. [3]

In September 2025, a by-election was held in Woodhouse Park following the resignation of Green Councillor Anastasia Wiest. This election was won by Zoe Marlow of the Green Party. [4]

Electoral process

The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year. [5] Councillors are elected via first-past-the-post voting, with each ward represented by three councillors, one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Manchester aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters are able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

Summary

Election result

2026 Manchester City Council election
PartyThis electionFull councilThis election
SeatsNetSeats %OtherTotalTotal %VotesVotes %+/−
  Labour 56
  Liberal Democrats 3
  Green 2
  Independent 2
  Workers Party 1
  Conservative 0
  Reform 0

Incumbents

WardIncumbent councillorPartyRe-standing
Ancoats & BeswickIrene Robinson Labour
ArdwickTina Hewitson Labour
BaguleyPaul Andrews Labour
BrooklandsSusan Cooley Labour
BurnageMurtaza Iqbal Labour
CharlestownVeronica Kirkpatrick Labour
CheethamNaeem Hassan Labour
ChorltonJohn Hacking Labour
Clayton & OpenshawThomas Robinson Labour
CrumpsallJawad Amin Labour
DeansgateJoan Davies Labour
Didsbury EastAndrew Simcock Labour
Didsbury West John Leech Liberal Democrats
FallowfieldAli Ilyas Labour
Gorton & Abbey HeyJohn Hughes Labour
HarpurheySandra Collins Labour
Higher BlackleyOlusegun Ogunbambo Labour
HulmeLee-Ann Igbon Labour
LevenshulmeDzidra Noor Labour
LongsightAbid Chohan Labour
Miles Platting &
Newton Heath		Carmine Grimshaw Labour
Moss SideErinma Bell Labour
MostonPaula Appleby Labour
NorthendenAngela Moran Labour
Old MoatSuzannah Reeves Labour
PiccadillyAdele Douglas Labour
RusholmeRabnawaz Akbar Labour
SharstonThomas Judge Labour
Whalley RangeAftab Razaq Labour
WithingtonAngela Gartside Labour
Woodhouse ParkAstrid Johnson Green

Ward results

Ancoats and Beswick

Ancoats and Beswick
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Ardwick

Ardwick
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Baguley

Baguley
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Brooklands

Brooklands
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Burnage

Burnage
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Charlestown

Charlestown
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Cheetham

Cheetham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Chorlton

Chorlton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Chorlton Park

Chorlton Park
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Clayton and Openshaw

Clayton and Openshaw
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Crumpsall

Crumpsall
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Deansgate

Deansgate
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Didsbury East

Didsbury East
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Didsbury West

Didsbury West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Fallowfield

Fallowfield
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Gorton and Abbey Hey

Gorton and Abbey Hey
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Harpurhey

Harpurhey
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Higher Blackley

Higher Blackley
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Hulme

Hulme
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Levenshulme

Levenshulme
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Longsight

Longsight
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Miles Platting and Newton Heath

Miles Platting and Newton Heath
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Moss Side

Moss Side
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Moston

Moston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Northenden

Northenden
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Old Moat

Old Moat
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Piccadilly

Piccadilly
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Rusholme

Rusholme
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Sharston

Sharston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Whalley Range

Whalley Range
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Withington

Withington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

Woodhouse Park

Woodhouse Park
PartyCandidateVotes%±%

References

  1. ↑ "Manchester Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  2. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Baguley Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  3. ↑ Davies, Ethan (30 July 2025). "Manchester councillor suspended from Labour Party following complaints". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Election results - Woodhouse Park ward local by-election - 25 September 2025 | Manchester City Council". www.manchester.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  5. ↑ "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
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