Town halls across the region are bracing for huge change.
Voters across the region are heading to the polls on May 7(Image: MEN)
Greater Manchester could feel like a very different place on Friday.
That’s because the local elections will be in full swing, with counting taking place or having already finished across the region after polling day on May 7.
When voters go to choose their council representatives in polling booths tomorrow, the only thing that is certain is that many of them are openly calling for change.
Traditionally a Labour dominated region, local election results this year could reshape Greater Manchester’s political landscape now and in the future.
Reform UK are riding high in the national polls and feeling confident off the back of recent council by-election wins in Salford and Bury.
The Greens could do well too, not least after their huge campaign in the Gorton and Denton by-election saw them beat both Labour and Reform when Hannah Spencer was elected as the area’s MP.
But councils led by Labour, and in Stockport by the Lib Dems, have been defending their records too, in a bid to keep voters on side and in some cases separate what happens locally from national party decisions.
A third of council seats are up for grabs in all ten boroughs around Greater Manchester in the local elections on May 7.
With so much at stake, reporters at the Manchester Evening News have been out on the streets speaking to residents across the entire region about the issues they care about and how they plan to vote in this year’s race.
The conversations revealed that some voters are openly calling for change in how their communities are being run, others are worried about who could be coming in to replace their existing councillors, and some haven’t decided how to vote at all.
Here is a flavour of what voters across the region told us ahead of the crucial vote.
Manchester
People in many parts of Manchester did not mince their words. Retired gardener David Frith, from Chorlton, put it bluntly: “I used to vote Labour but I’m disillusioned with the lot of them.”
He goes on to call the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, a ‘wally’, adding: “He keeps changing his mind.”
Tensions between local and national politics are often played out at local elections, but community issues are also at the front of voters’ minds in the city.
Labour holds 87 of the council’s 96 seats and has controlled the authority for more than a decade, with leader Bev Craig – appointed in 2021 as the council’s first female leader – now seen by some as a potential future mayor of Greater Manchester.
But in Harpurhey, in north Manchester, the feeling of upset was clear among some.
As 68-year-old Steve Cunliff said: “Politicians should sort out crime around here, there’s every kind of it – from theft to vandalism. Teens are attacking each other with knives.”
Pressed on his views about Labour, Mr Cunliff added: “I don’t think they will do a perfect job but their intention has been better than other parties.”
It’s an example of the kind of dilemma many voters in Greater Manchester are facing as they head into polling booths on May 7.
In south Manchester, areas like Levenshulme and Longsight – among the city’s most diverse communities – have become increasingly politically competitive.
There are signs that Labour’s grip is being tested at the margins. Kevin Doherty, 45, from Whalley Range, says it’s “harder to run a small business” under the current Labour government, citing the hike in employers’ National Insurance contributions in the 2024 Budget.
“A lot of young people will find it difficult to get a job,” Kevin added.
Labour’s stance on Gaza is another factor in the local elections.
In Levenshulme, shop windows were spotted with posters of Muhammad Iqbal, who is standing as the Workers Party of Britain candidate. They were placed next to a Palestine flag.
Friends Abbi Phillips, 38, and Annabelle Simpson, 29, said they are backing the Greens.
“I hope that things will be different with them,” said Abbi.
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/sense-frustration-shifting-loyalties-streets-33885765
Salford
Salford has long been known as Labour heartlands.
But last month a controversial by-election in Barton and Winton was won by Reform UK, with Michael Felse being elected as the city’s first councillor representing the party.
On May 7, with a third of seats up for grabs, the Conservatives, the Green Party, Labour, and Reform UK are all standing candidates in every single area.
Could Labour’s grip on power be diminished after the vote? Some voters are hoping for change.
Alan Ashton, 80, is from Walkden. The resident said he hasn’t made up his mind about who will get his vote just yet, but he finds himself leaning towards the Reform candidate because of Nigel Farage, immigration, and stagnation in his local area
He said, “I’m a pensioner, they stopped our winter fuel and I’ve lost my trust in them since then. They come on the television and they just waffle.”
“They’re building houses in the area but where are the schools?
He also noted his loss of “trust” in Labour, citing a litany of high-profile scandals like the one involving the council’s deputy mayor Jack Youd.
The candidate for Walkden North who was at the centre of an affair and deleted emails scandal.
“I know nothing about my local councillors,” he intimated. “You’re voting for people you have to trust to do something for your area. If there’s any distrust it’s very, very difficult to vote for them.”
But many in Salford are still deciding how to vote.
Jurate Varanaviciene has lived in Little Hulton with her husband and daughter for eight years, for her safety is at the top of her list of what the area needs.
“The plan was to wait for my daughter to turn 18 and then maybe I move to Liverpool,” She half-joked.
“There’s a lot of crime in Little Hulton, if someone can help deal with that then I’d vote for them. The new changes are nice, but I don’t know if it’s enough.”
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/left-behind-losing-faith-inside-33871229
Rochdale
In Rochdale, there were a mix of opinions ahead of polling day on May 7. Some voters in the town centre shared the view that they are looking to the Green Party or Reform UK.
One of those was 24-year-old Kai Warham, who said: “I’m not sure if I will vote, but if I do, I will probably vote for the Green Party.
“I don’t follow politics closely but they did well in Gorton and they seem like a good fit for me. They are putting the planet first and I think that’s a more important issue than people make it out to be.”
But Shawclough resident Phil Clough, 64, said he intends to vote for Reform.
He raised immigration as a big concern, but also said law and order was also a key issue where he lived, adding: “There’s too many drug dealers.
“Too much anti-social behaviour. We need a lot more police on the beat.”
There was also plenty of apathy among a selection of voters in Rochdale, such as 47 year-old vehicle technician and dad-of-two Peter, who moved to the UK from Poland 12 years ago, and was previously a Labour voter.
He said: “I don’t care. Nothing will change. Before the election they will promise everything and afterwards we will end up in the same gutter.”
Labour currently holds 43 of the 60 seats at Rochdale council. A total of 20 seats, one in each of the council’s 20 wards, are being contested at the local elections on Thursday (May 7).
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/rochdale-may-local-elections-council-33861723
Wigan
Wigan council has long been a Labour stronghold, or as one of the town’s residents put it, the party has been in charge in Wigan ‘since Adam was a lad.’
But are there signs of change in the air ahead of the local elections on May 7?
Jimmy Wilkinson, 56, from Ince Green Lane said: “I’m sticking with Labour, I’m reluctant to change.
“Ince has been Labour since Adam was a lad and I’ve always voted for them.
“I know there’s a lot of talk about Reform but I think it’s a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’.”I don’t think they have the answers and I couldn’t support Farage.”
Shopper Joan Wilson, 78, said she too was a long time Labour voter but was reluctant to support them this year.
She said: “The last straw for me was when they withdrew the winter fuel payment. “I know they brought it back – but that’s not the party I recognise.
“The fly tipping and rubbish dumped around here is appalling, it’s everywhere. “I know it eventually gets cleaned up but it just gets worse and worse.”
Some residents in Wigan have yet to make up their minds.
Ince resident Billy Lowe, 61, said he hoped whoever won the election would support the local community.
He said: “I know David Molyneux, he’s represented Ince since the year dot and always put this community first. I’m not that political a person but my hope is whoever follows on from him is decent, hard working and represents Ince in the correct way.”
Labour has 62 of the 75 council seats in Wigan. Seven seats are held by independent councillors, while the Independent Network have three.
There are two Reform councillors and a single Conservative.
25 seats are up for election on May 7.
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/labour-dominated-wigan-since-adam-33865264
Tameside
Local elections at Tameside council look set to be a closely-fought contest this year. Labour currently enjoys a majority with 38 out of 57 seats in the chamber.
But among the many towns across the borough, each with their own identities and priorities, some residents told the M.E.N they want to see change.
Reform was the destination for Linda Tyman. Linda was a regular voter for the red rosettes until recently. The 77-year-old said: “Normally when I vote locally I vote for the person and what they do for the town. Usually that’s Labour, but not this time – I’m going Reform.
“Labour in Tameside have been in power so long, I think we need change. I feel like they think they’ll get in no matter what.”
But it wasn’t a complete washout for Reform, with staunch Labour supporters still present in every town in Tameside.
A number of locals believe the council gets the basics right and had faith in the regime’s regeneration vision for town centres.
Colin Lewis, 81, from Hattersley said: “I think Labour are doing well at the moment. I’ll be voting for them again.”
In Droylsden, Rev Colin Sanderson said: “I look at what the plans they have on the leaflets. The Labour man lives in the area and he seems okay.
“I think bringing in Reform UK would be a mistake. A lot of their ideas are not okay.”
It will be a crunch vote in Tameside on May 7, with a mathematical possibility of Labour losing overall control of the council – although unlikely.
A political party needs 29 seats out of 57 to have a majority, so Labour would need to lose 10 of their 14 seats and make no gains elsewhere to lose overall control of the council.
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/time-change-status-quo-those-33868930
Oldham
Oldham is known for its volatile politics – from councillors targeted by car bombings and arson attacks to explosive debates in the council chambers grinding meetings to a halt.
That’s alongside drawing international attention over the borough’s handling of CSE issues.
All of this has left some Oldham residents facing losing faith in local politics ahead of polling day on May 7.
Labour holds 27 out of 60 seats in the council chamber. The Lib Dems and Oldham Group are the biggest opposition groups, each with nine councillors.
Political parties in the borough were asked how they would deal with Oldham’s ‘toxic’ and ‘divided’ politics, and how they plan to regain the trust of local residents?
Councillor Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council and Oldham Labour, said: “Labour’s offer is straightforward. We will show up, we will listen, and we will act. Not just at election time, but all year round. Real trust is not built through press releases; it is built by being present and by delivering. Our councillors are constantly in their wards delivering for residents.”
The local Lib Dem leader, coun Howard Sykes said: “It’s been two years since Labour lost their majority on our council. And every day since then, so-called Independents who were elected to stand up to Labour have instead been propping them up. This May you can force real change by backing the real alternative.
“Vote to move Oldham Borough forward with the Liberal Democrats. The only Group on the Council that offered any alternative to Labour’s Council Tax plans.”
The Oldham Group declined to comment.
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/oldhams-politics-toxic-fragmented-how-33866109
Stockport
Stockport is another council under no overall control. It has been led by the Lib Dems since 2022, who are two seats short of an overall majority at the town hall.
They currently hold 30 out of 63 seats in the council chamber, with 19 seats held by the Labour opposition group.
The biggest political battles in the town hall often revolve around housing and infrastructure.
These issues were raised by several voters in the run up to the local elections on May 7.
Part of the ever-busy A6 falls in the Offerton ward, which is usually a tight race between Labour and the Lib Dems.
The outcome here could be crucial in deciding whether the Lib Dems get their majority.
Speaking about the A6 in Offerton, resident Matt Hanson said: “It’s ridiculous really. There’s two massive lanes of traffic, I don’t ride a bike but if they made bike lanes you’d get loads of people on it.
“There’s the space for it, you could do it all the way to Manchester. It would make a big difference.
“It’s not very pleasant to be around here, that’s the big one for me.”
Further along the road, 31-year-old James Mason added: “What I really want to see is improvement in parking, we’ve got the hospital around the corner, the roads are always really chock-a-block.
“Coming in and out of the drive sometimes can be a bit precarious because of the traffic going along.”
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/road-heart-stockports-election-battle-33865970
Trafford
In Trafford, some locals were left torn over who to vote for on May 7.
Stretford resident Russ Whitby said the ‘general maintenance’ of the area was a key issue for him. He added: “[The council] did this road last year and they basically just covered it in gravel.
“It’s a cheap fix, but there’s still potholes coming up. Gullies, they’re not getting done. Trafford council is never what it used to be.”
He did not know who he would be supporting, saying parties ‘all promise things, but nothing ever materialises’. He previously would have voted Labour.
But others did not hold back in their criticism of the council, such as Kenneth Hulme, 87, from Urmston, who said he won’t be voting for Labour.
He added: “The council doesn’t seem to be spending any of the money on the area. Very little seems to be done. I don’t know what they’re doing with the money, that’s the problem.”
The two other parties coming up time and again on the doorsteps were the Green Party, which will be defending two seats next week in Trafford, and Reform UK, which is not currently represented on the council.
In Urmston, Maureen Wilson, 66, said she was unable to vote this year as she is on holiday. Were she able to, her pick would have been Reform.
Labour currently holds 41 of Trafford council’s 63 seats. A third of the seats – 21 – are up for grabs on Thursday, May 7. Of those, Labour will be defending 14.
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/lunatics-broken-promises-just-more-33865889
Bolton
On May 7, people in Bolton will vote in a third of its council representatives. Of the 60 ward seats in the town hall chamber, 20 will be up for grabs.
A total of 113 candidates are standing for councillor positions in the borough. Five parties, Labour, Conservatives, Reform, Greens and Liberal Democrats, are putting forward contenders in each of the wards.
The council is currently under no overall control but run by Labour who have the most seats.
The party presently has 25 of the 60 seats. The Tories have 15 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats have six.
Walking back up the steady incline of Tonge Moor Road after a ‘couple of pints’ with his pals at the cricket club is Brian Vickers, 80.
He said: “This town’s in the worst state it’s been in my lifetime and that’s eight decades.
“I’ve just been chatting about it with the lads in the club. “There’s too many HMOs springing up and nobody’s clear who lives in them.
“I feel like a stranger in my own town sometimes. I’ll be backing Reform.”
But Iain James, 52, from the Thicketford Road area said that he wasn’t changing allegiance from Labour.
He said: “I’m worried about the competence of Reform but sadly I think they’re set to do well around here.
“To me it’s all slogans and appealing to the worst in people’s nature, they want to give easy answers to complex issues.
“It really bothers me the way politics is going.”
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/this-towns-worst-state-its-33873532
Bury
Immigration, anti-Semitism and national leadership were all topics on the minds’ of voters in Bury ahead of May 7.
The borough’s council has been under Labour control since 2011, but it seems that, overwhelmingly, residents are preparing themselves to look elsewhere – mainly driven by a host of national concerns.
On Thursday, people in Bury will vote in their council representatives. Of the 51 ward seats in the town hall chamber, 17 will be up for grabs.
But it remains to be seen whether there will be enough voting against Labour to remove their control of the council, with the party holding 32 of the 51 seats.
In Bury town centre, lifelong Labour voter John Collins said he feels ‘betrayed’ and is planning to vote for the Liberal Democrats in protest against the party’s leadership nationally.
He said: “I just feel like Labour don’t represent the working class people anymore. And I think councils get a bad deal from central government but I think they need to spend their money more wisely.”
At Bury Market, John Wayne of Prime Printing Designs, said he would vote for Labour ‘if they were really Labour’. The 67-year-old voted for them at the last election but is now considering voting for the Greens, but isn’t ‘entirely certain yet’.
In Radcliffe, independent party Radcliffe First is looking to maintain its hold of the area. As the official opposition to Labour in the borough, the party currently holds 8 out of the total 51 seats.
Lyndsey Lomax, who works in the town centre, is planning to vote for the party in her ward of Radcliffe West, as she has done since it was founded in 2019.
She said: “You vote for people you know and the people who are going to make a change. At the end of the day, my local councillor lives round the corner from my mum, so he’s seen me grow up.”
Read more here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/im-lifelong-labour-voter-just-33872361
