2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
7 May 2026
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 out of 75 seats to Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council 38 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election is to take place on 7 May 2026 to elect one third of the members of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council in England. The election will be held on the same day as other local elections.
Council composition
| After 2024 election | Before 2026 election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Party | Seats | ||
| Labour | 64 | Labour | 62 | ||
| Ind. Network | 4[a] | Ind. Network | 3[a] | ||
| Reform UK | 0 | Reform UK | 2 | ||
| Conservative | 1 | Conservative | 1 | ||
| Independent | 6[b] | Independent | 7[b] | ||
Changes 2024–2026:
- May 2024: John O'Brien (Labour) resigns – by-election held July 2024[2]
- July 2024: Barbara Caren (Labour) wins by-election[3]
- February 2025: Patricia Draper (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[4]
- July 2025: George Davies (Labour) dies – by-election held October 2025[5]
- October 2025: Lee Moffitt (Reform) gains by-election from Labour[6]
- November 2025: Paul Watson (Independent Network) joins Reform[7]
Background
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. Labour have formed majority administrations for the entirety of its existence.[8] The Conservatives formed the principal opposition until 1982, when they were overtaken by the SDP–Liberal Alliance.[9] From 2003 to 2008 the Community Action Party were the second largest party, before being overtaken by the Conservatives.[10] More recently, independents and the Independent Network have served as the principal opposition to Labour. Two independent groups exist; the Community Independent Alliance (consisting of the Independent Network and two independents) and Independents Together (consisting of four councillors elected as independents). The 2024 election saw Labour remain on 64 seats, losing one seat to an independent but gaining one from the Conservatives.[11]
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.[12] Labour will be defending 20 seats, independents will be defending 2, the Conservatives will be defending 1, Reform uk will be defending 1 and the Independent Network will be defending 1.
Summary
Election result
| 2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | This election | Full council | This election | |||||||
| Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− | ||
| Labour | 20 | 62 | ||||||||
| Independent | 2 | 6 | ||||||||
| Ind. Network | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| Reform UK | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| Conservative | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| Green | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
Incumbents
| Ward | Incumbent councillor | Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abram | Eunice Smethurst | Labour | ||
| Ashton-in-Makerfield South | Jenny Bullen | Labour | Retiring | |
| Aspull, New Springs & Whelley | Ronald Conway | Labour | ||
| Astley | Paula Wakefield | Labour | ||
| Atherton North | Jamie Hodgkinson | Ind. Network | ||
| Atherton South & Lilford | Debra Wailes | Labour | Retiring | |
| Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North | Sylvia Wilkinson | Independent | Retiring | |
| Douglas | Pat Draper | Independent | ||
| Golborne & Lowton West | Gena Merrett | Labour | ||
| Hindley | Jim Churton | Labour | ||
| Hindley Green | John Vickers | Labour | ||
| Ince | David Molyneux | Labour | ||
| Leigh Central & Higher Folds | Shelley Guest | Labour | ||
| Leigh South | Barbara Caren | Labour | ||
| Leigh West | Samantha Brown | Labour | ||
| Lowton East | Garry Lloyd | Labour | ||
| Orrell | Jim Nicholson | Labour | ||
| Pemberton | Paul Prescott | Labour | ||
| Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor | Michael Crosby | Labour | ||
| Standish with Langtree | Ray Wittingham | Conservative Party (UK) | Retiring | |
| Tydesley & Mosley Common | Jess Eastoe | Labour | ||
| Wigan Central | Lee Moffitt[c] | Reform | ||
| Wigan West | David Wood | Labour | ||
| Winstanley | Marie Morgan | Labour | ||
| Worsley Mesnes | Helen O'Neill | Labour | ||
References
- ^ a b Sit as part of the Community Independent Alliance group.
- ^ a b Bob Brierley, Steve Jones, Scarlett Myler, and Sylvia Wilkinson sit as part of the Independents Together group. Maureen O'Bern and Tony Whyte sit as part of the Community Independent Alliance group. Pat Draper is not part of a grouping.
- ^ Elected at the 2025 Wigan Central by-election.
- ^ "wigan Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Clarke, Gaynor (29 May 2024). "By-election could be held for Wigan Council seat as former mayor hands in resignation". Wigan Today. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Leigh South Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ Jackson, Nick (27 February 2025). "Councillor quits Labour to become Independent over 'lies and broken promises'". Leigh Journal. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ Jones, Sian (1 August 2025). "'He was Mr Likeable through and through'- Tributes pour in for popular Wigan councillor who died suddenly". Wigan Today. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Wigan Central Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ Boothroyd, David. "Nine out of ten changes". LocalCouncils.co.uk.
- ^ "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Tameside". BBC News. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ MacNamara, Helen (23 June 2004). "Pier pressure". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ Morgan, William; Topping, Stephen (2 May 2024). "Wigan council local election 2024 results in full". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ The Wigan (Electoral Changes) Order 2022.