2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
25 out of 75 seats to Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader David Molyneux Lee Moffitt
Party Labour Reform Independent
Leader's seat Ince
(retiring)		 Wigan Central
Last election 64 seats, 51.7% 0 seats, 3.2% 6 seats, 10.0%
Seats before 62 2 7
Seats won 0 24 0
Seats after 42 25 5
Seat change Decrease 20 Increase 23 Decrease 2
Popular vote 23,760 43,777 3,288
Percentage 25.1% 46.2% 3.5%
Swing Decrease 26.6% Increase 43.0% Decrease 6.5%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Ray Whittingham
Party Ind. Network Conservative
Leader's seat Standish with Langtree
(retiring)
Last election 4 seats, 7.6% 1 seat, 15.1%
Seats before 3 1
Seats won 1 0
Seats after 3 0
Seat change Steady Decrease 1
Popular vote 2,850 7,862
Percentage 3.0% 8.3%
Swing Decrease 4.5% Decrease 6.8%
Winner of each seat at the 2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election.
Leader before election

David Molyneux
Labour

 Leader after election

Nazia Rehman
Labour

The 2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2026 to elect one third of the members of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council in England. The election was held on the same day as other local elections.

Reform UK won 24 out of 25 seats up for election and won the most votes across the Borough. The incumbent Labour Party suffered heavy losses, but kept their majority.

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 0 Reform 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[1]
  • July 2024: Barbara Caren (Labour) wins by-election[2]
  • February 2025: Patricia Draper (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[3]
  • July 2025: George Davies (Labour) dies – by-election held October 2025[4]
  • October 2025: Lee Moffitt (Reform) gains by-election from Labour[5]
  • November 2025: Paul Watson (Independent Network) joins Reform[6]

Background

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. Labour have formed majority administrations for the entirety of its existence.[7] The Conservatives formed the principal opposition until 1982, when they were overtaken by the SDP–Liberal Alliance.[8] From 2003 to 2008 the Community Action Party were the second largest party, before being overtaken by the Conservatives.[9] 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.[10]

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.[11] 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 0 Decrease20 0.0 42 42 56.0 23,760 25.1 –26.6
  Reform 24 Increase23 96.0 1 25 33.3 43,777 46.2 +43.0
  Independent 0 Decrease 2 0.0 5 5 6.7 3,288 3.5 –6.5
  Ind. Network 1 Steady 4.0 2 3 4.0 2,850 3.0 –4.6
  Green 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 10,602 11.2 +8.6
  Conservative 0 Decrease 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 7,862 8.3 –6.8
  Liberal Democrats 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 2,679 2.8 ±0.0
  SDP 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 8 <0.1 N/A

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Abram Eunice Smethurst Labour Yes
Ashton-in-Makerfield South Jenny Bullen Labour No
Aspull, New Springs & Whelley Ronald Conway Labour Yes
Astley Paula Wakefield Labour No
Atherton North Jamie Hodgkinson Ind. Network Yes
Atherton South & Lilford Debra Wailes Labour No
Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North Sylvia Wilkinson Independent No
Douglas Pat Draper Independent Yes
Golborne & Lowton West Gena Merrett Labour Yes
Hindley Jim Churton Labour Yes
Hindley Green John Vickers Labour Yes
Ince David Molyneux Labour No
Leigh Central & Higher Folds Shelley Guest Labour No
Leigh South Barbara Caren Labour Yes
Leigh West Samantha Brown Labour Yes
Lowton East Garry Lloyd Labour Yes
Orrell Jim Nicholson Labour Yes
Pemberton Paul Prescott Labour Yes
Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor Michael Crosby Labour Yes
Standish with Langtree Ray Wittingham Conservative No
Tydesley & Mosley Common Jess Eastoe Labour Yes
Wigan Central Lee Moffitt[c] Reform Yes
Wigan West David Wood Labour Yes
Winstanley Marie Morgan Labour Yes
Worsley Mesnes Helen O'Neill Labour Yes

Ward results

Incumbent councillors standing for re-election are marked with an asterisk (*).

Abram

Abram
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform David Bowker 1,958 56.1 N/A
Labour Eunice Smethurst* 844 24.2 −32.1
Green James Galloway 394 11.3 N/A
Conservative Janet Walch 158 4.5 −3.4
Liberal Democrats Graham Suddick 138 4.0 −0.7
Majority 1,114 31.9 N/A
Turnout 3,492 33.1 +10.2
Registered electors ~10,550
Reform gain from Labour

Ashton-in-Makerfield South

Ashton-in-Makerfield South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Kathy Morrill-Ashford 1,572 46.4 N/A
Labour Anca Condescu 1,100 32.5 −19.6
Green Holly Abbott 432 12.7 N/A
Conservative Paul Chapman 285 8.4 −2.4
Majority 472 13.9 N/A
Turnout 3,389 38.5 +10.9
Registered electors ~8,803
Reform gain from Labour

Aspull, New Springs & Whelley

Aspull, New Springs & Whelley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Jo Meadows 2,050 49.6 N/A
Labour Ron Conway* 1,348 32.6 −32.3
Green Peter Kitts 399 9.6 −5.6
Conservative Luke Marsden 203 4.9 −15.0
Liberal Democrats Donald MacNamara 135 3.3 N/A
Majority 702 17.0 N/A
Turnout 4,135 44.3 +16.4
Registered electors ~9,334
Reform gain from Labour

Astley

Astley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Eileen Strathearn 2,100 45.2 N/A
Labour Adam Hollis 942 20.3 −32.3
Ind. Network Sandra Robinson 703 15.1 −10.2
Green Simeon Rowlands 504 10.9 N/A
Conservative David Stirzaker 392 8.4 −13.7
Majority 1,158 25.0 N/A
Turnout 4,641 43.3 +13.8
Registered electors ~10,718
Reform gain from Labour

Atherton North

Atherton North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Network Jamie Hodgkinson* 1,635 47.5 +8.8
Reform Nigel Taylor[d] 1,010 29.3 N/A
Labour Paul Blinkhorn 407 11.8 −25.6
Green Ellie Kemp 270 7.8 N/A
Conservative Marie Cooper 121 3.5 −1.1
Majority 625 18.2 +16.9
Turnout 3,442 33.7 +7.1
Registered electors ~10,214
Ind. Network hold

Atherton South & Lilford

Atherton South & Lilford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Martin Farrimond 2,027 50.9 N/A
Labour Richard Phelan 868 21.8 −26.5
Independent Michael Livesey 457 11.5 N/A
Green Cobi Hughes 398 10.0 N/A
Conservative Ellis Rowlands 230 5.8 −6.7
Majority 1,159 29.1 N/A
Turnout 3,980 38.3 +11.6
Registered electors ~10,392
Reform gain from Labour

Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North

Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Robert Kenyon 1,770 52.2 N/A
Labour Louis Beckley 816 24.1 −10.1
Green Thompson Michael 400 11.8 N/A
Conservative Judith Atherton 229 6.8 +1.1
Liberal Democrats Christopher Davies 177 5.2 N/A
Majority 954 28.1 N/A
Turnout 3,392 37.8 +10.4
Registered electors ~8,974
Reform gain from Independent

Douglas

Douglas
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Matthew Lambert 1,293 44.2 N/A
Labour Alex Sharples 585 20.0 −49.7
Independent Pat Draper* 515 17.6 N/A
Green David Beddows 307 10.5 −4.9
Conservative Margaret Atherton 124 4.2 −10.8
Liberal Democrats John Burley 103 3.5 N/A
Majority 708 24.2 N/A
Turnout 2,927 30.7 +10.5
Registered electors ~9,534
Reform gain from Independent

Golborne & Lowton West

Golborne & Lowton West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Susan Frame 1,478 43.2 N/A
Labour Gena Merrett* 1,125 32.9 −30.5
Conservative Edward Houlton 310 9.1 −6.5
Green Kathryn Godfrey 281 8.2 N/A
Independent Richard Scott 228 6.7 −10.2
Majority 353 10.3 N/A
Turnout 3,422 37.0 +11.6
Registered electors ~9,249
Reform gain from Labour

Hindley

Hindley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Paul Manniex 1,832 52.3 +39.1
Labour Jim Churton* 750 21.4 −21.0
Green Matthew Baron 374 10.7 +6.6
Independent Jordan Gaskell 282 8.1 −0.3
Conservative Cyril Pendlebury 140 4.0 +0.3
Liberal Democrats John Skipworth 125 3.6 +1.3
Majority 1,082 30.9 N/A
Turnout 3,503 35.3 +11.6
Registered electors ~9,924
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase30.1

Hindley Green

Hindley Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Liam Clarke 1,878 52.3 +36.8
Labour John Vickers* 1,172 32.7 −17.0
Green Nathanael Smith 258 7.2 N/A
Conservative Marie Winstanley 174 4.8 −0.4
Liberal Democrats Gary Skipworth 106 3.0 +0.9
Majority 706 19.6 N/A
Turnout 3,588 38.9 +12.5
Registered electors ~9,224
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase26.9

Ince

Ince
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Gemma Painter 1,809 58.3 N/A
Labour Terence Halliwell 608 19.6 −24.9
Green Gareth Nelson 365 11.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Vincent Holgate 135 4.3 N/A
Conservative Yamini Gupta 115 3.7 −3.4
Independent The Zok 73 2.4 +0.7
Majority 1,201 38.7 N/A
Turnout 3,105 32.9 +10.4
Registered electors ~9,438
Reform gain from Labour

Leigh Central & Higher Folds

Leigh Central & Higher Folds
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Tina Kennedy 1,696 48.3 N/A
Labour Sarah Johnson 886 25.2 −27.0
Green Ashley Trigg 527 15.0 +6.5
Conservative Margaret Winstanley 216 6.2 −5.5
Independent Hannah Sephton 185 5.3 N/A
Majority 810 23.1 N/A
Turnout 3,510 32.7 +11.1
Registered electors ~10,734
Reform gain from Labour

Leigh South

Leigh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Leon Peters 1,827 47.5 N/A
Labour Barbara Caren* 968 25.1 −26.6
Green Jonathon Hughes 333 8.7 +4.0
Conservative Dominic Sutton 290 7.5 −9.9
Independent Jayson Hargreaves 212 5.5 −14.0
Liberal Democrats Christopher Noon 211 5.5 −1.2
SDP Neil Gordon 8 0.2 N/A
Majority 859 22.4 N/A
Turnout 3,849 40.2 +11.9
Registered electors ~9,575
Reform gain from Labour

Leigh West

Leigh West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform David Evans 1,945 47.5 N/A
Labour Samantha Brown* 958 25.1 −26.6
Green Canaan Thomas 401 8.7 +4.0
Conservative Gerard Houlton 251 7.5 −9.9
Liberal Democrats Lorraine Gillon 200 5.5 −1.2
Majority 987 22.4 N/A
Turnout 3,755 33.6 +12.8
Registered electors ~11,176
Reform gain from Labour

Lowton East

Lowton East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Simon Smith 1,817 35.8 N/A
Conservative Kathleen Houlton 1,508 29.7 −16.1
Labour Garry Lloyd* 1,238 24.4 −29.8
Green Julie Shawcross 506 10.0 N/A
Majority 309 6.1 N/A
Turnout 5,069 44.8 +10.8
Registered electors ~11,315
Reform gain from Labour

Orrell

Orrell
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Paul Bannister 1,621 39.9 +26.1
Labour Jim Nicholson* 983 24.2 −28.0
Conservative Michael Winstanley 787 19.4 −10.6
Green Julia Davenport 470 11.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Neil Stevenson 199 4.9 +0.9
Majority 638 15.7 N/A
Turnout 4,060 43.1 +11.7
Registered electors ~9,420
Reform gain from Labour

Pemberton

Pemberton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Simon Silcock 1,623 54.2 N/A
Labour Paul Prescott* 733 24.5 −35.0
Green Olivia Farrimond 358 12.0 N/A
Conservative Jean Peet 146 4.9 −3.7
Liberal Democrats David Burley 133 4.4 −1.2
Majority 890 29.7 N/A
Turnout 2,993 31.1 +11.5
Registered electors ~9,624
Reform gain from Labour

Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor

Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Lilian Rogers 1,916 43.1 N/A
Labour Michael Crosby* 1,147 25.8 −25.6
Green Caeryn Collins 633 14.2 N/A
Conservative Marjorie Clayton 312 7.0 −9.2
Independent Debbie Fairhurst 253 5.7 −16.5
Liberal Democrats Brian Crombie-Fisher 186 4.2 −1.5
Majority 769 17.3 N/A
Turnout 4,447 45.2 +11.8
Registered electors ~9,838
Reform gain from Labour

Standish with Langtree

Standish with Langtree
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Michael Whalley 1,679 32.9 N/A
Labour Margaret Gaffney 1,014 19.9 −23.1
Independent Gareth Fairhurst 811 15.9 −18.7
Green Hayley Pierce 757 14.8 N/A
Conservative Neil Dunlop 732 14.4 −4.9
Liberal Democrats Aimee Laverick 108 2.1 −1.0
Majority 665 13.0 N/A
Turnout 5,101 44.3 +12.7
Registered electors ~11,515
Reform gain from Conservative

Tydesley & Mosley Common

Tydesley & Mosley Common
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Adrian White 1,768 44.7 N/A
Labour Jess Eastoe* 787 19.9 −17.2
Green Paul Binns 560 14.2 N/A
Ind. Network Anthony Waite 512 12.9 −39.5
Conservative Susan Atherton 330 8.3 −2.2
Majority 981 24.8 N/A
Turnout 3,955 39.7 +13.6
Registered electors ~9,962
Reform gain from Labour

Wigan Central

Wigan Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Lee Moffitt* 1,771 44.1 N/A
Labour Navas Beeravu 1,205 30.0 −18.2
Green Jude Scrutton 516 12.9 +6.3
Conservative Paul Martin 292 7.3 −7.2
Liberal Democrats Andrew Holland 229 5.7 +2.2
Majority 566 14.1 N/A
Turnout 4,013 42.6 +12.7
Registered electors ~9,420
Reform hold

Wigan West

Wigan West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Sam Ashton 1,746 47.3 N/A
Labour Dave Wood* 1,037 28.1 −39.8
Green Rosalind Hackett 527 14.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Stuart Thomas 210 5.7 −11.0
Conservative Allan Atherton 173 4.7 −10.7
Majority 709 19.2 N/A
Turnout 3,693 37.2 +11.9
Registered electors ~9,927
Reform gain from Labour

Winstanley

Winstanley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Paul Forbes 1,881 49.7 +29.9
Labour Marie Morgan* 1,174 31.0 −26.0
Green John Logan 312 8.2 +0.1
Conservative William Parkinson 243 6.4 −3.7
Liberal Democrats Robert Stevenson 176 4.6 −0.4
Majority 707 18.7 N/A
Turnout 3,786 42.4 +16.2
Registered electors ~8,929
Reform gain from Labour

Worsley Mesnes

Worsley Mesnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Keith Whalley 1,711 50.9 +27.3
Labour Helen O'Neill* 847 25.2 −28.7
Green Deborah Browne 320 9.5 N/A
Independent Danny Cooke 272 8.1 −5.1
Liberal Democrats Stuart Worthington 108 3.2 +0.6
Conservative Ayodeji Odukoya 101 3.0 −3.8
Majority 864 25.7 N/A
Turnout 3,359 37.4 +13.0
Registered electors ~8,981
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase28.0

References

  1. Sit as part of the Community Independent Alliance group.
  2. 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.
  3. Elected at the 2025 Wigan Central by-election.
  4. Suspended as a Reform UK candidate.
  1. 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.
  2. "Local Elections Archive Project — Leigh South Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  3. Jackson, Nick (27 February 2025). "Councillor quits Labour to become Independent over 'lies and broken promises'". Leigh Journal. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  4. 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.
  5. "Local Elections Archive Project — Wigan Central Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  6. Boothroyd, David. "Nine out of ten changes". LocalCouncils.co.uk.
  7. "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Tameside". BBC News. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  8. "Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  9. MacNamara, Helen (23 June 2004). "Pier pressure". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  10. Morgan, William; Topping, Stephen (2 May 2024). "Wigan council local election 2024 results in full". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  11. The Wigan (Electoral Changes) Order 2022.