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2026 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Main article: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council elections
2026 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election
← 2024
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
2027 →
21 out of 63 seats to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
32 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Mark Roberts Christine Carrigan Gary Lawson
Party Liberal Democrats Labour Green
Last election 31 seats, 34.2% 22 seats, 31.7% 3 seats, 10.9%
Seats before 30[1] 19 3
Seats after 33 15 4
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 4 Increase 1
Popular vote 32,050 12,831 16,788
Percentage 32.2 12.9% 16.9%
Swing Decrease 2.0% Decrease 18.8% Increase 6.0%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Anna Charles-Jones Matt Wynne
Party Independent Heald Green Ratepayers Community Association
Last election 1 seat, 0.4% 3 seats, 2.2% 3 seats, 2.2%
Seats before 4 3 3
Seats after 3 3 3
Seat change Decrease 1 Steady Steady
Popular vote 0 1,780 1,770
Percentage 0 1.8% 1.8
Swing Decrease 0.4% Decrease 0.4%
  Seventh party Eighth party
  Blank Blank
Party Reform Conservative
Last election 0 seats 0 seats, 16.7%
Seats before 0 1
Seats after 2 1
Seat change Increase 2 Steady
Popular vote 24,498 9,576
Percentage 24.6% 9.6%
Swing Increase 24.6% Decrease 7.1%
Results by Ward
Leader before election

Mark Roberts
Liberal Democrats
No overall control[a]

Leader after election

Mark Roberts
Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrat Majority[b]

The 2026 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One third of the 63 members of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester were elected.

Council composition

[edit]
After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Liberal Democrats 31 Liberal Democrats 30
Labour 22 Labour 19
Community Association 3[c] Community Association 3[c]
Green 3 Green 3
Heald Green Ratepayers 3 Heald Green Ratepayers 3
Conservative 0 Conservative 1
Independent 1 Independent 4

Changes 2024–2026:

  • August 2024: Aron Thornley (Independent) joins Labour[3]
  • September 2024: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrats), Ian Powney (Liberal Democrats), and Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrats) resign – by-elections held October 2024[4][5]
  • October 2024: Rachel Bresnahan (Liberal Democrats) and Huma Khan (Liberal Democrats) hold by-elections,[6][7] and Peter Crossen (Conservative) gains by-election from Liberal Democrats[8]
  • February 2025: Holly McCormack (Labour) and David Sedgwick (Labour) suspended from party[c][9]
  • September 2025: Joe Barratt (Labour) and Rosemary Barratt (Labour) leave party to sit as independents[d][10]

Summary

[edit]

Background

[edit]

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. The Conservatives saw early success, controlling the council as a majority from its creation until 1983.[11] 1988 saw the what was then the SLD become the largest party; since then council control has been contested between the Liberal Democrats and Labour.[12] The Liberal Democrats formed their first majority administration in 1999 after a decade of no overall control, which lasted until 2011. The first Labour-led administration was formed in 2016 as a minority.[13] The Liberal Democrats again became the largest group in 2021, but it was not until 2022 that they formed a minority administration.[14][15]

A new set of ward boundaries was used for the 2023 election. As such, this election will be for the councillors elected with the second highest number of votes in each of the 21 three-member wards.[16] The Liberal Democrats will be defending 11 seats, Labour will be defending 7, and the Greens, Heald Green Ratepayers, and Edgeley Community Association will be defending 1 each.

Election result

[edit]
2026 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Liberal Democrats 13 Increase 2 61.9 20 33 52.4 32.2 –2.0
  Labour 2 Decrease 4 9.6 12 14 22.2 12.9 –18.8
  Green 2 Increase 1 9.6 2 4 6.3 16.9 +6.0
  Independent 0 Decrease 1 0.0 3 3 4.8 N/A[e] N/A –0.4
  Heald Green Ratepayers 1 Steady 4.8 2 3 4.8 1,780 1.8 –0.4
  Community Association 1 Steady 4.8 2 3 4.8 1,770 1.8 –0.4
  Reform 2 Increase 2 9.6 0 2 3.2 24.6 +24.6
  Conservative 0 Steady 0.0 1 1 1.6 9.6 –7.1
  Party of Women 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0
  TUSC 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0
  Your Party 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0

Incumbent

[edit]
Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Bramhall North Suzanne Wyatt Liberal Democrats No
Bramhall South & Woodford Dallas Jones Liberal Democrats Yes
Bredbury & Woodley Sue Thorpe Liberal Democrats No
Bredbury Green & Romiley Angie Clark Liberal Democrats Yes
Brinnington & Stockport Central Kerry Waters Labour No
Cheadle East & Cheadle
Hulme North 		Jilly Julian Liberal Democrats Yes
Cheadle Hulme South Helen Foster-Grime Liberal Democrats Yes
Cheadle West & Gatley Ian Hunter Liberal Democrats Yes
Davenport & Cale Green Wendy Wild Labour Yes
Edgeley Leah Taylor Community Association No
Hazel Grove Wendy Meikle Liberal Democrats Yes
Heald Green Anna Charles-Jones Ratepayers Yes
Heatons North John Taylor Labour No
Heatons South Dean Fitzpatrick Labour Yes
Manor Sue Glithero Labour Yes
Marple North Geoff Abell Liberal Democrats No
Marple South & High Lane Aron Thornley[f] Labour No
Norbury & Woodsmoor Dominic Hardwick Liberal Democrats Yes
Offerton Helen Hibbert Labour Yes
Reddish North Holly McCormack[g] Independent No
Reddish South Gary Lawson Green No

Ward results

[edit]

Bramhall North

[edit]
Bramhall North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Taya Clarke 2,188 45.4 −2.4
Reform Rajinder Singh 1,146 23.8 N/A
Conservative Archana Prasad 804 16.7 −19.5
Green Nathaniel Butler 483 10.0 +3.8
Labour Jake Thomas 200 4.1 −5.6
Majority 1,042 21.6
Turnout 4,828 48.9 +5.2
Registered electors 9,874
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Bramhall South & Woodford

[edit]
Bramhall South & Woodford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Dallas Jones* 2,417 41.4 −3.5
Conservative Ste Mulvenna 2,114 36.2 −7.0
Reform Stephen Speakman 776 13.3 N/A
Green Thomas Price 393 6.7 +2.0
Labour Phil Matley 134 2.3 −4.7
Majority 303 5.2
Turnout 5,840 53.5 +6.4
Registered electors 10,915
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Bredbury & Woodley

[edit]
Bredbury & Woodley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Niki Meerman 2,013 43.3 +9.1
Reform Mark Kelly 1,734 37.3 N/A
Green Charlotte Allen 408 8.8 +4.0
Labour Charlie Stewart 252 5.4 −42.0
Conservative William Law 246 5.3 −8.2
Majority 279 6.0
Turnout 4,666 42.4 +8.0
Registered electors 11,011
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing

Bredbury Green & Romiley

[edit]
Bredbury Green & Romiley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Angie Clark* 2,097 45.6 −12.1
Reform Stuart Reeves 1,362 29.6 N/A
Green Matilda Simon 475 10.3 +4.6
Conservative Pat Bentley 430 9.3 −9.3
Labour Aron Thornley 239 5.2 −11.8
Majority 735 16.0
Turnout 4,613 43.5 +7.6
Registered electors 10,611
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Brinnington & Stockport Central

[edit]
Brinnington & Stockport Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Shaun Regan 843 30.8 N/A
Labour Callum Walmsley 784 28.6 −32.4
Green Eli King 662 24.2 +12.2
Liberal Democrats Douglas Greenhalgh 297 10.8 −3.6
Conservative Ros Lloyd 120 4.4 −8.1
TUSC Adil Shaikh 32 1.2 N/A
Majority 59 2.2
Turnout 2,749 28.1 +8.5
Registered electors 9,797
Reform gain from Labour Swing

Cheadle East & Cheadle Hulme North

[edit]
Cheadle East & Cheadle Hulme North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jilly Julian* 2,105 44.0 −0.7
Reform Stacey Knighton 1,291 27.0 N/A
Green Thomas Longden 632 13.2 +7.0
Labour Yvonne Guariento 530 11.1 −29.3
Conservative Naveed Khan 221 4.6 −4.0
Majority 814 17.0
Turnout 4,793 40.9 +3.1
Registered electors 11,705
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Cheadle Hulme South

[edit]
Cheadle Hulme South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Helen Foster-Grime* 3,026 56.0 −0.2
Reform Richard Bloor 1071 19.8 N/A
Green Peter Atkinson 544 10.1 +1.8
Conservative Daniel Yacoubian 492 9.1 −8.6
Labour Barry Hawkins 274 5.1 −12.3
Majority 1,955 36.2 −1.7
Turnout 5,415 45.6 +5.7
Registered electors 11,871
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Cheadle West & Gatley

[edit]
Cheadle West & Gatley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Hunter* 2,299 46.2 −14.9
Reform Denise Fletcher 971 19.5 N/A
Green Stephanie Wyatt 709 14.2 +5.2
Conservative Penny Davis 650 13.1 −1.1
Labour Carl Carrigan 349 7.0 −12.6
Majority 1,328 26.7 −10.8
Turnout 4,991 43.1 +4.0
Registered electors 11,570
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Davenport & Cale Green

[edit]
Davenport & Cale Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alice Delemare 1,323 28.1 +12.8
Labour Wendy Wild* 1,081 22.9 −30.8
Reform Alan Livingstone 1,063 22.6 +14.7
Green Andrew Glassford 954 20.2 +8.3
Conservative Nathan Lumb 191 4.1 −3.3
Your Party Ashley Walker 54 1.1 N/A
Party of Women Tara Hughes 47 1.0 −2.9
Majority 242 5.2
Turnout 4,720 39.7 +8.6
Registered electors 11,903
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing

Edgeley

[edit]
Edgeley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Community Association Jess Meller 1,770 46.3 −13.0
Reform Peter Marsh 731 19.1 N/A
Green Will York 666 17.4 +11.4
Labour Mike Naylor 419 11.0 −17.7
Liberal Democrats Robbie Cowbury 151 3.9 +0.9
Conservative Stephen Wear 88 2.3 −0.6
Majority 1,039 27.2 −3.4
Turnout 3,840 41.7 +8.4
Registered electors 9,209
Community Association hold Swing

Hazel Grove

[edit]
Hazel Grove
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Wendy Meikle* 1,742 37.7 −4.4
Reform John Kelly 1,662 35.7 N/A
Conservative Tim Morley 524 11.2 −14.7
Green Dave Shearman 470 10.1 −1.0
Labour Johnny White 261 5.6 −15.3
Majority 80 1.7 −14.5
Turnout 4,669 43.7 +8.4
Registered electors 10,683
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Heald Green

[edit]
Heald Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Heald Green Ratepayers Anna Charles-Jones* 1,780 35.8 −7.5
Liberal Democrats Nasser Shaikh 1,372 27.6 −0.1
Reform Carl McCabe 972 19.2 N/A
Green Emma McCarthy 434 8.7 +3.9
Conservative Minara Cook 222 4.5 −4.8
Labour Kath Priestley 196 3.9 −11.3
Majority 408 8.2 −7.4
Turnout 4,983 43.8 +6.3
Registered electors 11,364
Heald Green Ratepayers hold Swing

Heatons North

[edit]
Heatons North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jo Williams 1,743 33.6 −28.5
Green Helena Mellish 1,613 31.1 +12.7
Reform John Wilson 840 16.2 N/A
Conservative Timothy Cho 584 11.3 −1.3
Liberal Democrats Alex Hartley 409 7.9 +1.0
Majority 130 2.5 −41.2
Turnout 5,200 47.0 +5.8
Registered electors 11,074
Labour hold Swing

Heatons South

[edit]
Heatons South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dean Fitzpatrick* 2,138 40.7 −23.7
Green Jake Welsh 1276 24.3 +8.4
Reform Mark Wilkinson 950 18.1 N/A
Conservative Joel Tennuchi 460 8.8 −2.0
Liberal Democrats Marcel Ridyard 391 7.5 −1.8
TUSC Libby Williams 32 0.6 N/A
Majority 862 16.4 −31.8
Turnout 5,262 47.4 +7.0
Registered electors 11,098
Labour hold Swing

Manor

[edit]
Manor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Brian Battle 1,521 36.2 +26.9
Labour Sue Glithero* 1,003 23.9 −28.4
Liberal Democrats Jason Jones 893 21.3 −4.4
Green Daniel Brown 633 15.1 +8.9
Conservative John Bates 147 3.5 −2.9
Majority 518 12.3
Turnout 4,213 41.1 +11.1
Registered electors 10,249
Reform gain from Labour Swing

Marple North

[edit]
Marple North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Megan Axon 2,754 52.2 +2.5
Reform Matthew Sharp 922 17.5 N/A
Green John Bright 694 13.2 +3.9
Conservative Nigel Noble 590 11.2 −6.0
Labour Peter Black 312 5.9 −9.9
Majority 1,832 34.7 +2.2
Turnout 5,279 54.7 +8.0
Registered electors 9,652
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

To note: No Independent candidate this election, -8.0% vote share on 2024 result.

Marple South & High Lane

[edit]
Marple South & High Lane
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Dominic Warner 2,267 47.3 −7.6
Reform Carl Rydings 1,214 25.3 N/A
Green Rebecca Hurst 593 12.4 +2.0
Conservative Annette Finnie 507 10.6 −9.5
Labour Brian Wild 214 4.5 −10.2
Majority 1,053 22.0
Turnout 4,806 48.6 +9.1
Registered electors 9,881
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Norbury & Woodsmoor

[edit]
Norbury & Woodsmoor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Dominic Hardwick* 2,227 45.3 +2.4
Reform Oliver Speakman 1,276 25.9 N/A
Conservative John Wright 575 11.7 −20.2
Green Jessica Hett 546 11.1 +6.9
Labour Colin Devine 295 6.0 −9.4
Majority 951 19.4
Turnout 4,926 48.8 +2.6
Registered electors 10,097
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Offerton

[edit]
Offerton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jamie Hirst 1,736 35.7 −3.8
Reform Stuart Kirby 1,481 30.5 N/A
Labour Helen Hibbert 908 18.7 −20.2
Green Suzi Mäkinen 500 10.3 +5.0
Conservative Andrew Lord 234 4.8 −2.7
Majority 255 5.2
Turnout 4,873 43.1 +8.7
Registered electors 11,304
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Reddish North

[edit]
Reddish North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green David White 1,588 36.4 +22.6
Reform Dan Cole 1,446 33.2 N/A
Labour Dan Farley 959 22.0 −45.2
Conservative Karl Seppman 185 4.2 −5.8
Liberal Democrats Heather Smith 179 4.1 −1.7
Majority 142 3.2
Turnout 4,375 37.9 +11.2
Registered electors 11,547
Green gain from Independent Swing

Reddish South

[edit]
Reddish South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Laura Smith 2,515 54.2 −1.3
Reform John Jones 1,226 26.4 N/A
Labour Papa Andoh-Kweku 540 11.6 −25.1
Conservative Hassan Sajjad 192 4.1 −1.8
Liberal Democrats Eileen Campbell 164 3.5 +1.6
Majority 1,289 27.8
Turnout 4,656 40.9 +5.7
Registered electors 11,384
Green hold Swing

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Liberal Democrat minority.
  2. ^ Liberal Democrat majority.
  3. ^ a b c Sit as part of the Stockport Community Group.[2]
  4. ^ Sit as part of the Bredbury and Woodley Independents group.
  5. ^ Did not stand candidates.
  6. ^ Originally elected as a Liberal Democrat, but left the party to sit as an Independent. He joined Labour in August 2024.
  7. ^ Originally elected as Labour, but was suspended from the party in February 2025 and now sits as an Independent.
  1. ^ "Stockport Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  2. ^ Carey, Declan (23 September 2025). "Political group announces major expansion in Stockport saying people are 'desperate for something different'". Stockport Nub News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  3. ^ Carey, Declan (30 August 2024). "'He stood under a false flag... do the decent thing and resign'". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  4. ^ Carey, Declan (10 September 2024). "Stockport MPs quit as councillors sparking two by-elections". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  5. ^ Carey, Declan (24 September 2024). "Councillor resigns on 'health grounds' sparking THIRD by-election". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Cheadle West and Gatley Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Bredbury Green and Romiley Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
  8. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Bramhall South and Woodford Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
  9. ^ Lythgoe, George; Carey, Declan (11 February 2025). "The 11 councillors suspended amid the Labour WhatsApp scandal". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  10. ^ Reporter, Declan Carey-Local Democracy (24 September 2025). "Stockport Labour councillors quit party, saying Keir Starmer is 'sleepwalking country to Reform government'". Stockport Nub News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  11. ^ "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Stockport". BBC News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  13. ^ Scapens, Alex (6 May 2016). "Who won in Stockport?: Labour hail 'new political era' as they become biggest party and oust council leader Sue Derbyshire". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  14. ^ Statham, Nick (20 May 2021). "Labour remain in charge of Stockport council after crunch town hall vote". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Liberal Democrats lead Stockport Council after crunch vote". 19 May 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  16. ^ The Stockport (Electoral Changes) Order 2022.
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