2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election

2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election

←  2024 7 May 2026 (2026-05-07) 2027 →
20 out of 57 seats to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council 29 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Eleanor Wills Doreen Dickinson Party Labour Conservative Reform Leader's seat Dukinfield Stalybridge Stalybridge South Last election 48 seats, 52.1% 7 seats, 20.3% Did not contest Seats before 38 7 1   Fourth party   Party Independent Last election 2 seats, 8.0% Seats before 10
Leader of the Council before election Eleanor Wills Labour Leader of the Council after election TBD

The 2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One third of the 57 members of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester will be elected; additionally, a second seat in Denton South will be elected on account of a vacancy.

Background

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. Aside from a brief period from 1976 to 1980, Labour have formed majority administrations. ^[1] Each election has since 1980 has returned a Labour administration holding over 70% of the seats with the Conservatives forming the principal opposition for all but three elections. ^[2] The 2024 election saw Labour lose 2 seats to independents and 1 seat to the Conservatives, but retain their majority.

Over the course of the 2024 to 2026 term, Labour fell to its lowest number of councillors in over 50 years. 10 Labour councillors were suspended during an investigation into offensive messages shared to a WhatsApp group, of which Andrew Gwynne MP was also a part. ^[3] 5 of these were reinstated on the conclusion of the investigation, but a further 5 seats were lost through defections or resignations.

The 2023 election used a new set of ward boundaries. As such, this election will be for councillors elected with the second highest number of votes in each of the 57 three-member wards. ^[4] Labour will be defending 17 and the Conservatives will be defending 2. An additional seat will be elected in Denton South to fill a vacancy, which was last held by Labour. ^[5]

Council composition

After 2024 election			Before 2026 election
Party		Seats	Party		Seats
	Labour	48		Labour	38
	Conservative	7		Conservative	7
	Reform	0		Reform	1
	Independent	2		Independent	10
	Vacant	N/A		Vacant	1

Changes 2024–2026:

• February 2025:
  • Jacqueline North (Labour) resigns – by-election held April 2025 ^[6]
  • Ged Cooney, Allison Gwynne, George Jones, Charlotte Martin, Jack Naylor, George Newton, Claire Reid, Vincent Ricci, Denise Ward, and Brenda Warrington (Labour) suspended from party ^{[3] [7]}
• April 2025:
  • Allan Hopwood (Reform) gains by-election from Labour ^[8]
  • Gary Ferguson (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[9]
• August 2025: Allison Gwynne, George Jones, Claire Reid, Denise Ward, and Brenda Warrington (Independent) readmitted to Labour ^{[a] [11]}
• October 2025: Ann Holland (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[12]
• November 2025:
  • Claire Reid (Labour) resigns – seat left vacant until 2026 election ^[13]
  • Barrie Holland (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[14]

References

1. Vincent Ricci was also readmitted but resigned from the party. ^[10]

1. "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Tameside". BBC News. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
2. "Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
3. Lythgoe, George; Carey, Declan (11 February 2025). "The 11 councillors suspended amid the Labour WhatsApp scandal". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
4. The Tameside (Electoral Changes) Order 2022.
5. Lythgoe, George (5 December 2025). "Why by-election WON'T be called to replace outgoing councillor". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
6. Carter, Gary (24 February 2025). "Tameside councillor announces shock resignation". Tameside Correspondent. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
7. Carter, Gemma (15 February 2025). "Former Tameside Council leader suspended amid 'leaks' accusation". Tameside Correspondent. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
8. "Local Elections Archive Project — Longdendale Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
9. Carter, Gary (1 April 2025). "Tameside Labour councillor quits party in protest at welfare cuts". Tameside Correspondent. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
10. Carter, Gary (21 August 2025). "Tameside councillor quits Labour after being 'thrown under the bus'". Tameside Correspondent. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
11. Boothroyd, David. "The Addled Byelections". Localcouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
12. Lythgoe, George (8 October 2025). "'I'm too left wing for them' says Labour politician of 50 years after quitting". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
13. "Notice of Vacancy - Denton South Ward" (PDF). Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
14. Carter, Gary (20 November 2025). "Droylsden councillor 'quits' Labour amid disillusionment at party and Angela Rayner MP". Tameside Correspondent. Retrieved 5 January 2026.