2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election

2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One third of the 57 members of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester will be elected.

Council composition

2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election

After 2024 election	Before 2026 election
Party	Seats	Party	Seats
	Labour	48		Labour	38
	Conservative	7		Conservative	7
	Reform	0		Reform	1
	Independent	2		Independent	10
	Vacant	N/A		Vacant	1

• February 2025: • Jacqueline North (Labour) resigns – by-election held April 2025 • Ged Cooney, Allison Gwynne, George Jones, Charlotte Martin, Jack Naylor, George Newton, Claire Reid, Vincent Ricci, Denise Ward, and Brenda Warrington (Labour) suspended from party • April 2025: • Allan Hopwood (Reform) gains by-election from Labour • Gary Ferguson (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent • August 2025: Allison Gwynne, George Jones, Claire Reid, Denise Ward, and Brenda Warrington (Independent) readmitted to Labour • October 2025: Ann Holland (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent • November 2025: • Claire Reid (Labour) resigns – seat left vacant until 2026 election • Barrie Holland (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent

Summary

Background

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. Aside from a brief period from (/wiki/1976TamesideMetropolitanBoroughCouncilelection?action=edit&redlink=1) to (/wiki/1980TamesideMetropolitanBoroughCouncilelection?action=edit&redlink=1), Labour have formed majority administrations. Each election has since 1980 has returned a Labour administration holding over 70% of the seats with the Conservatives forming the principal opposition for all but three elections. The 2024 election saw Labour lose 2 seats to independents and 1 seat to the Conservatives, but retain their majority.

Over the course of the 2024 to 2026 term, Labour fell to its lowest number of councillors in over 50 years. 10 Labour councillors were suspended during an investigation into offensive messages shared to a WhatsApp group, of which Andrew Gwynne MP was also a part. 5 of these were reinstated on the conclusion of the investigation, but a further 5 seats were lost through defections or resignations.

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. Labour will be defending 17 and the Conservatives will be defending 2.

Election result

2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election
Party	This election	Full council	This election
Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Labour				23
	Independent				8
	Conservative				5
	Reform				1
	Green				0
	Liberal Democrats				0

Incumbents

2026 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election

<table><thead><tr><th>Ward</th><th>Incumbent councillor</th><th>Party</th><th>Re-standing</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Ashton Hurst</td><td>Dan Costello</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ashton St Michael's</td><td>Bill Fairfoull</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ashton Waterloo</td><td>Dave Howarth</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Audenshaw</td><td>Nick Axford</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Denton North East</td><td>Denise Ward</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Denton South</td><td>Claire Reid</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td>No</td></tr><tr><td>Denton West</td><td>Branda Warrington</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Droylsden East</td><td>Susan Quinn</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Droylsden West</td><td>Ann Holland</td><td></td><td>Independent</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dukinfield</td><td>John Taylor</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dukinfield Stalybridge</td><td>David Sweeton</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hyde Godley</td><td>Betty Affleck</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hyde Newton</td><td>Peter Robinson</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hyde Werneth</td><td>Shibley Alam</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Longdendale</td><td>Gary Ferguson</td><td></td><td>Independent</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mossley</td><td>Tafheen Sharif</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>St Peter's</td><td>Warren Bray</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Stalybridge North</td><td>Adrian Pearce</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Stalybridge South</td><td>Liam Billington</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>