Manchester City Council

Manchester City Council
Coat of arms
Corporate logo
Type
Type	Metropolitan borough council of Manchester
Leadership
Lord Mayor	Paul Andrews, Labour since 15 May 2024 [1]
Leader	Bev Craig, Labour since 1 December 2021 [2]
Chief Executive	Tom Stannard since January 2025
Structure
Seats	96 councillors [3]
Political groups	Administration (86)   Labour (87) Other parties (9)   Liberal Democrats (4)   Green (3)   Workers Party (1)   Independent (1)
Joint committees	Greater Manchester Combined Authority Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Last election	2 May 2024
Next election	7 May 2026
Motto
Latin: Concilio Et Labore, lit.  'By Wisdom and Effort'
Meeting place
Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA
Website
www.manchester.gov.uk

Manchester City Council is the local authority for the city of Manchester in Greater Manchester, England. Manchester has had an elected local authority since 1838, which has been reformed several times. Since 1974 the council has been a metropolitan borough council. It provides the majority of local government services in the city. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.

The council has been under Labour majority control since 1971. It is based at Manchester Town Hall.

History

Further information: History of Manchester

Manchester had been governed as a borough in the 13th and 14th centuries, but its borough status was not supported by a royal charter. An inquiry in 1359 ruled that it was only a market town, not a borough. It was then governed by manorial courts and the parish vestry until the 18th century. ^[4]

Old Town Hall, King Street: Completed 1825 for the Police Commissioners, subsequently served as council's headquarters until 1877

In 1792 a body of improvement commissioners known as the 'Manchester Police Commissioners' was established to provide services in the rapidly growing town. In 1838 the town was incorporated as a municipal borough, after which it was governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Manchester', generally known as the corporation or town council. The police commissioners were disbanded in 1843 and their functions passed to the corporation. ^{[5] [6]}

Manchester was granted city status in 1853, only the second such grant since the Reformation. After that the corporation was also known as the city council. ^[4] When elected county councils were established in 1889, Manchester was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it became a county borough, independent from the new Lancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Lancashire. ^[6]

The city boundaries have been enlarged many times. Notable expansions were in 1885 (Bradford, Harpurhey and Rusholme), 1890 (Blackley, Crumpsall, part of Droylsden, Kirkmanshulme, Moston, Newton Heath, Openshaw, and West Gorton), 1903 (Heaton), 1904 (Burnage, Chorlton cum Hardy, Didsbury, and Moss Side), 1909 (Gorton, and Levenshulme), 1931 (Wythenshawe: Baguley, Northenden, and Northen Etchells), and Ringway in 1974. The mayor was granted the title of lord mayor in 1893. ^[7]

Henry Price (1867–1944) was appointed as the first City Architect of Manchester in 1902. ^[8] He was succeeded in 1932 by George Noel Hill (1893–1985). ^[9]

The county borough was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, being replaced by a metropolitan district of Manchester, covering the area of the old county borough plus the parish of Ringway. The new district was one of ten metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. ^[10] Manchester's borough and city statuses and its lord mayoralty passed to the new district and its council. ^{[11] [12]}

In 1980, Manchester was the first council to declare itself a nuclear-free zone. In 1984 it formed an equal opportunities unit as part of its opposition to Section 28. ^[13]

From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater Manchester County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Manchester City Council, with some services provided through joint committees. ^[14]

Since 2011 the council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Manchester City Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions. ^{[15] [16]}

Governance

Manchester City Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of the city council sits on the combined authority as Manchester's representative. ^[17] There is one civil parish in the city at Ringway, with a parish council; the rest of the city is unparished. ^[18]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 1971.

Political control of the council since 1838 has been as follows: ^[19]

Borough Corporation

Party		Period
	Liberal	1838-1886
	No overall control	1886-1889

County Borough

Party		Period
	No overall control	1889-1908
	Conservative	1908–1919
	No overall control	1919–1921
	Conservative	1921–1926
	No overall control	1926–1932
	Conservative	1932–1934
	No overall control	1934–1946
	Labour	1946–1947
	No overall control	1947–1949
	Conservative	1949–1952
	No overall control	1952–1953
	Labour	1953–1967
	Conservative	1967–1971
	Labour	1971–1974

Metropolitan Borough

Party		Period
	Labour	1974–present

Leadership

The role of Lord Mayor of Manchester is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1930 have been: ^[20]

County Borough

Councillor	Party		From	To
F. J. West		Conservative	11 February 1930	3 November 1933
J. H. Swales		Conservative	3 November 1933	6 October 1937
Samuel Woollam		Conservative	6 Oct 1937	2 November 1945
George Titt		Labour	2 November 1945	8 Nov 1946
Tom Nally		Labour	8 November 1946 [21]	1949
William Jackson		Conservative	1949	1953
Tom Nally		Labour	1953	20 December 1956 [22]
Bob Thomas		Labour	20 December 1956	22 May 1962
Maurice Pariser		Labour	22 May 1962 [23]	8 October 1965 [24]
Bob Thomas		Labour	3 November 1965 [25]	12 May 1967
Robert Rodgers		Conservative	12 May 1967 [26]	21 May 1970 [27]
Arnold Fieldhouse		Conservative	21 May 1970	14 May 1971
Bob Thomas		Labour	14 May 1971 [28]	1972
Joe Dean		Labour	1972	1974
Norman Morris		Labour	1974	1974

Metropolitan Borough

Councillor	Party		From	To
Norman Morris [29]		Labour	1 April 1974	1982
Bill Egerton		Labour	1982	1984
Graham Stringer		Labour	1984	1996
Richard Leese		Labour	1996	1 Dec 2021
Bev Craig		Labour	1 Dec 2021

Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was: ^[30]

Party		Councillors
		After election	Current
	Labour	87	86
	Liberal Democrats	4	4
	Green	3	3
	Workers Party	1	1
	Independent	1	1
Total		96	95

The next election is due in May 2026.

Elections

See also: Manchester City Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2018, the council has comprised 96 councillors representing 32 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. ^[31]

Wards

The council wards are listed under their parliamentary constituency below:

Wards within Manchester City Council

Blackley and Middleton South	Gorton and Denton	Manchester Central
Higher Blackley Crumpsall Charlestown Harpurhey Moston This constituency also contains Rochdale Council wards East Middleton South Middleton	Gorton and Abbey Hey Longsight Levenshulme Burnage This constituency also contains Tameside Council wards Denton North East Denton South Denton West	Cheetham Miles Platting & Newton Heath Deansgate Piccadilly Ancoats and Beswick Clayton and Openshaw This constituency also contains Oldham Council wards Failsworth East Failsworth West
Manchester Rusholme	Manchester Withington	Wythenshawe and Sale East
Hulme Ardwick Moss Side Whalley Range Fallowfield Rusholme	Chorlton Chorlton Park Old Moat Withington Didsbury West Didsbury East	Northenden Brooklands (Manchester) Baguley Sharston Woodhouse Park This constituency also contains Trafford Council wards Brooklands (Trafford) Priory Sale Moor

Councillors

Each ward is represented by three councillors. ^[32]

Parliamentary constituency	Ward	Councillor	Party		Term of office
Blackley and Middleton South constituency	Charlestown	Basil Curley		Labour	2023–27
		Umza Jafri		Labour	2024–28
		Veronica Kirkpatrick		Labour	2022–26
	Crumpsall	Fiaz Riasat		Labour	2023–27
		Nasrin Ali		Labour	2024–28
		Mohammad Amin		Labour	2022–26
	Harpurhey	Pat Karney		Labour	2023–27
		Joanne Green		Labour	2024–28
		Sandra Collins		Labour	2022–26
	Higher Blackley	Paula Sadler		Labour	2023–27
		Julie Connolly		Labour	2024–28
		Olusegun Ogunnambo		Labour	2022–26
	Moston	Yasmine Dar		Labour	2023–27
		Sherita Mandongwe		Labour	2024–28
		Paula Appleby		Labour	2022–26
Gorton and Denton constituency	Burnage	Azra Ali		Labour	2023–27
		Bev Craig		Labour	2024–28
		Murtaza Iqbal		Labour	2022–26
	Gorton and Abbey Hey	Afia Kamal		Labour	2023–27
		Julie Reid		Labour	2024–28
		Louis Hughes		Labour	2022–26
	Levenshulme	Basat Sheikh		Labour	2023–27
		Zahid Hussain		Labour	2024–28
		Dzidra Noor		Labour	2022–26
	Longsight	Suzanne Richards		Labour	2023–27
		Shahbaz Sarwar		Workers Party	2024–28
		Abid Chohan		Labour	2022–26
Manchester Central constituency	Ancoats and Beswick	Chris Northwood		Liberal Democrats	2023–27
		Alan Good		Liberal Democrats	2024–28
		Irene Robinson		Labour	2022–26
	Cheetham	Shazia Butt		Labour	2023–27
		Shaukat Ali		Labour	2024–28
		Naeem-Ul Hassam		Labour	2022–26
	Clayton and Openshaw	Sean McHale		Labour	2023–27
		Donna Ludford		Labour	2024–28
		Thomas Robinson		Labour	2022–26
	Deansgate	Anthony McCaul		Labour Co-op	2023–27
		Marcus Johns		Labour Co-op	2024–28
		Joan Davies		Labour	2022–26
	Miles Platting and Newton Heath	John Flanagan		Labour	2023–27
		June Hitchin		Labour	2024–28
		Carmine Grimshaw		Labour	2022–26
	Piccadilly	Sam Wheeler		Labour	2023–27
		Jon-Connor Lyons		Labour	2024–28
		Adele Douglas		Labour	2022–26
Manchester Rusholme constituency	Ardwick	Amna Abdullatif		Independent [a]	2023–27
		Abdigafar Muse		Labour	2024–28
		Tina Hewitson		Labour	2022–26
	Fallowfield	Jade Doswell		Labour	2023–27
		Ghazala Sadiq		Labour	2024–28
		Ali R. Ilyas		Labour	2022–26
	Hulme	Annette Wright		Labour	2023–27
		Lee Glover		Labour	2024–28
		Lee-Ann Igbon		Labour	2022–26
	Moss Side	Mahadi Hussein Sharif Mahamed		Labour	2023–27
		Esha Mumtaz		Labour	2024–28
		Erinma Bell		Labour	2022–26
	Rusholme	Ahmed Ali		Labour	2023–27
		Jill Lovecy		Labour	2024–28
		Rabnawaz Akbar		Labour	2022–26
	Whalley Range	Angeliki Stogia		Labour Co-op	2023–27
		Muqaddasah Bano		Labour	2024–28
		Aftab Razaq		Labour	2022–26
Manchester Withington constituency	Chorlton	Mathew Benham		Labour	2023–27
		Tina Kirwin-McGinley		Labour	2024–28
		John Hacking		Labour	2022–26
	Chorlton Park	Dave Rawson		Labour	2023–27
		Mandie Shilton-Goodwin		Labour Co-op	2024–28
		Joanna Midgley		Labour	2022–26
	Didsbury East	Leslie Bell		Labour	2024–27 [b]
		Linda Foley		Labour	2024–28
		Andrew Simcock		Labour	2022–26
	Didsbury West	Richard Kilpatrick		Liberal Democrats	2023–27
		Debbie Hilal		Labour	2024–28
		John Leech		Liberal Democrats	2022–26
	Old Moat	Garry Bridges		Labour	2023–27
		Gavin White		Labour	2024–28
		Suzannah Reeves		Labour	2022–26
	Withington	Becky Chambers		Labour	2023–27
		Chris Wills		Labour Co-op	2024–28
		Angela Gartside		Labour	2022–26
Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency	Baguley	vacant			2024–27
		Tracy Rawlins		Labour Co-op	2024–28
		Paul Andrews		Labour Co-op	2022–26
	Brooklands	Glynn Evans		Labour	2023–27
		Dave Marsh		Labour	2024–28
		Sue Cooley		Labour	2022–26
	Northenden	Richard Fletcher		Labour	2023–27
		Sam Lynch		Labour	2024–28
		Angela Moran		Labour	2022–26
	Sharston	Tim Whiston		Labour Co-op	2023–27
		Emma Taylor		Labour	2024–28
		Tommy Judge		Labour Co-op	2022–26
	Woodhouse Park	Anastasia Wiest		Green	2023–27
		Rob Nunney		Green	2024–28
		Astrid Johnson		Green	2022–26

^a Elected as Labour but resigned from the party in the wake of the Labour leadership's stance on the Israeli invasion of Gaza. ^[33]

^b Elected during the 2024 election to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of James Wilson, who was elected in 2023.

Premises

Town Hall Extension

The council is based at Manchester Town Hall on Albert Square, completed in 1877, ^[34] and the adjoining Town Hall Extension on the opposite side of Lloyd Street, which was completed in 1938 and is linked to the older building by first floor bridges. ^[35] The main Town Hall has been under refurbishment since 2020, due to reopen in 2026. The council continues to operate from the Town Hall Extension. ^{[36] [37]}

Coat of arms

Gules, three bendlets enhanced Or; a chief argent, thereon on waves of the sea a ship under sail proper. On a wreath of colours, a terrestrial globe semée of bees volant, all proper. On the dexter side a heraldic antelope argent, attired, and chain reflexed over the back Or, and on the sinister side a lion guardant Or, murally crowned Gules; each charged on the shoulder with a rose of the last. Motto: "Concilio et Labore".

A coat of arms was granted to the Manchester Corporation in 1842, passing on to Manchester City Council when the borough of Manchester was granted the title of city in 1853. ^[38]

• The Shield: red (Gules) with three gold (Or) bands drawn diagonally across to the right-hand side.
• The Chief (the white (Argent) top segment): shows a ship at sea in full sail. This is a reference to the city's trading base.
• The Crest: On a multicoloured wreath stands a terrestrial globe, signifying Manchester's world trade, and covered by a swarm of flying bees. The bee was adopted in the 19th century as a symbol of industrial Manchester being the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
• The Supporters: On the left, a heraldic antelope with a chain attached to a gold (Or) collar, representing engineering industries, and hanging at the shoulder, the red rose of Lancashire, reflecting Manchester's historic position in Lancashire. On the right, a golden lion stands guardant (facing us), crowned with a red (Gules) castle (a reference to the Roman fort at Castlefield from which the city originated). The lion also wears the Red Rose of Lancashire.
• Motto: Concilio et Labore, loosely translated "By wisdom and effort" (or "By counsel and hard work").

In 1954, Manchester Corporation successfully took the Manchester Palace of Varieties to court for improperly using the corporation's arms in its internal decoration and its company seal. The case of Manchester Corporation v Manchester Palace of Varieties Ltd; ^[39] was the first sitting of the Court of Chivalry for two hundred years, and it has not sat since. ^[40]

In April 2013, Manchester City Council threatened to take legal action against The Manchester Gazette, for its use of the city's coat of arms on their website. The News Outlet claimed it already gained permission and continued to use it for a further 8 months in spite of the warnings. Withington MP John Leech described the council's latest move as a "massive over-reaction and waste of money", adding: "Have the council's legal department got nothing better to do?". ^{[41] [42]}

References

1. Sergeant, Emily (16 May 2024). "Manchester welcomes 'proud Mancunian' Paul Andrews as city's new Lord Mayor". The Manc. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
2. "Council minutes, 1 December 2021" (PDF). Manchester City Council. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
4. "Townships: Manchester". A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4. London: Victoria County History. 1911. pp. 230–251. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
5. "Records of the Manchester Police Commissioners". Discovery. The National Archives. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
6. "Manchester Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
7. Frangopulo, Nicholas J. (1969). Rich inheritance: a guide to the history of Manchester. Wakefield: S.R. Publishers. pp. 59–72. ISBN   9780854095506. Reprinted by Manchester Education Committee (1962).
8. Darlington, Neil (2024). "(John) Henry Price". A Biographical Dictionary of the Architects of Greater Manchester, 1800–1940. The Victorian Society . Retrieved 30 December 2024.
9. Darlington, Neil (2024). "George Noel Hill". A Biographical Dictionary of the Architects of Greater Manchester, 1800–1940. The Victorian Society . Retrieved 30 December 2024.
10. "Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (sch.1), retrieved 30 May 2024
11. "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 28 March 1974. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
12. "No. 46255". The London Gazette . 4 April 1974. p. 4400.
13. Citations:
    • Staff writer (13 November 2008). "Supporting lesbian and gay staff in Manchester". Improvement and Development Agency. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011.
    • Staff writer (2008). "LGBT History". Manchester City Council. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008.
14. "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
15. "The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2011/908, retrieved 30 May 2024
16. "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
17. "GMCA Members". Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
18. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
19. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
20. "Council minutes". Manchester City Council. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
21. MANCHESTER LABOUR GROUP'S LEADER, Manchester Guardian, November 9, 1946, p.8
22. TOM NALLY - HOUSING EXPERT DIES, 63, Manchester Evening News, December 20, 1956, p.1
23. NEW LABOUR LEADER, The Guardian, May 23, 1962, p.1
24. Sir Maurice Resigns as Labour's leader, The Guardian, October 9, 1965, p.14
25. Ald. R. E. Thomas Manchester Labour Group Leader, The Guardian, November 4, 1965, p.6
26. Manchester lost by Labour after 16 years in power, Manchester Guardian, May 12, 1967, p.6
27. Tories oust group leader, The Guardian, May 22, 1970, p.7
28. Manchester, The Guardian, May 14, 1971, p.9
29. "Now Britain awaits budget". Liverpool Echo. 15 May 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2 September 2022. ...Norman Morris, who has just begun his sixth year as leader of the Labour controlled Manchester city council...
30. "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
31. "The Manchester (Electoral Changes) Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2017/1068, retrieved 31 May 2024
32. "Your councillors by ward". Manchester City Council. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
33. Abdullatif, Amna (26 October 2023). "I Dedicated My Life to the Labour Party. Keir Starmer's Stance on Gaza Made Me Leave". thenation.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
34. Historic England. "Town Hall, Albert Square (Grade I) (1207469)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
35. Historic England. "Town Hall Extension, Lloyd Street (Grade II*) (1197917)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
36. "Location". Manchester City Council. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
37. Hatmaker, Julia (13 July 2023). "£330m Manchester Town Hall project faces two-year delay, costs rise". Place North West. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
38. Frangopulo, Nicholas J. (1969). Rich inheritance: a guide to the history of Manchester. Wakefield: S.R. Publishers. p. 59. ISBN   9780854095506. p. II (note by W. H. Shercliff) Reprinted by Manchester Education Committee (1962).
39. Manchester Corporation v Manchester Palace of Varieties Ltd, P 133; [1955] 1 All ER 387
40. Squibb, G. D. (1997) [1959]. The High Court of Chivalry: a study of the civil law in England. Oxford New York: Clarendon Press Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780198251408.
41. Williams, Jennifer (30 April 2013). "Manchester council threat to sue website over coat of arms". Manchester Evening News . Retrieved 30 November 2013.
42. News Desk (17 October 2013). "New website header". Manchester Gazette. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.

Further reading

• McKechnie, H. M. (ed.) (1915) Manchester in Nineteen Hundred and Fifteen. Manchester U. P.; "Undertakings of the City Council; Social Amelioration in Manchester; Elementary Education in Manchester; Secondary Schools in Manchester; The Evening School System of Manchester", by E. D. Simon, et al.
• Manchester City Council. "Concilio et Labore" Series. No. 1-11. (Each pamphlet describes part of the council's work, e.g. no. 4: the City Treasurer.
• Redford, Arthur (1939) The History of City Government in Manchester; Vol. 2 & 3: Borough and City; The Last Half Century.
• Simon, Ernest D. (1926) A City Council from Within. London: Longmans, Green
• Simon, Shena D. (1938) A Century of City Government: Manchester 1838–1938. London: G. Allen & Unwin
• Tomlinson, H. E. (1943) "The Heraldry of Manchester" in: Bulletin of the John Rylands Library; vol. XXVIII, pp. 207–27

External links

• Manchester City Council
• Manchester Green Party
• Manchester Labour Party
• Manchester Liberal Democrats