2026 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election

Last updated
2026 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election
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←  2024
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
2027 →
20 out of 60 seats to Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
31 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
 
Leader Neil Emmott Stephen Anstee Andy Kelly
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader's seatWest MiddletonBamfordMilnrow and Newhey
Last election44 seats, 42.1%9 seats, 18.5%3 seats, 11.8%
Seats before4383
 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
LeaderFarooq AhmedKeeley O'MaraJordan Tarrant-Short
Party Workers Party Middleton Ind. Reform
Leader's seatCentral RochdaleNorth MiddletonBalderstone and Kirkholt
Last election2 seats, 13.4%2 seats, 7.4%0 seats, 1.5%
Seats before222
Leader before election

Neil Emmott
Labour

Leader after election

TBD

The 2026 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One third of the 60 members of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester will be elected.

Contents

Background

Like much of Greater Manchester, Labour has historically been strong in Rochdale. The Conservatives briefly held a majority in 1976, [1] and the Liberal Democrats were the largest party from 2004 to 2011 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election; aside from these periods, Labour has formed the administration of the council as either a majority or minority. [2] The 2024 election saw Labour lose two seats to the Workers Party of Britain, following on from George Galloway's victory in the parliamentary by-election earlier in 2024, and retain a seat gained through a defection from the Middleton Independents Party. [3] No other seats changed hands. [4]

A new set of ward boundaries was used for the 2022 election. This election will be for the councillors elected with the highest number of votes in each of the twenty three-member wards. [5] Labour are defending fourteen seats, the Conservatives are defending three, the Middleton Independents are defending two, and the Liberal Democrats are defending one.

Council composition

After 2024 electionBefore 2026 election
PartySeatsPartySeats
Labour 44 Labour 43
Conservative 9 Conservative 8
Liberal Democrats 3 Liberal Democrats 3
Middleton Ind.2Middleton Ind.2
Workers Party 2 Workers Party 2
Reform 0 Reform 2

Changes 2024–2026:

References

  1. ↑ "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Rochdale". BBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Statham, Nick (26 May 2022). "How voters feel about Middleton Independents councillor defecting to Labour". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Clark, Adam (3 May 2024). "Workers Party gain two Rochdale seats as Labour hold onto council control". Roch Valley Radio. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  5. ↑ The Rochdale (Electoral Changes) Order 2021
  6. ↑ Lythgoe, George (16 August 2024). "Ex-Tory leader quits party as he slams colleagues in scathing statement". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Murphy, David (18 September 2024). "Middleton set for by-election after MIP Councillor loses his seat". Roch Valley Radio. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — North Middleton Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  9. ↑ Murphy, David; Clark, Adam (18 March 2025). "Elsie Blundell MP Resigns as Councillor for Balderstone and Kirkholt". Roch Valley Radio. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Balderstone and Kirkholt Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  11. ↑ Lythgoe, George (24 July 2025). "Former Conservative leader in Rochdale joins Reform". Roch Valley Radio. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
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