2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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

2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

After 2024 election	Before 2026 election
Party	Seats	Party	Seats
	Labour	64		Labour	62
	Ind. Network	4		Ind. Network	3
	Reform	0		Reform	2
	Conservative	1		Conservative	1
	Independent	6		Independent	7

• May 2024: John O'Brien (Labour) resigns – by-election held July 2024 • July 2024: Barbara Caren (Labour) wins by-election • February 2025: Patricia Draper (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent • July 2025: George Davies (Labour) dies – by-election held October 2025 • October 2025: Lee Moffitt (Reform) gains by-election from Labour • November 2025: Paul Watson (Independent Network) joins Reform

Background

2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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

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 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	1			2
	Conservative	1			1
	Green	0			0
	Liberal Democrats	0			0

Incumbents

2026 Wigan 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>Abram</td><td>Eunice Smethurst</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ashton-in-Makerfield South</td><td>Jenny Bullen</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td>Retiring</td></tr><tr><td>Aspull, New Springs & Whelley</td><td>Ronald Conway</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Astley</td><td>Paula Wakefield</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Atherton North</td><td>Jamie Hodgkinson</td><td></td><td>Ind. Network</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Atherton South & Lilford</td><td>Debra Wailes</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td>Retiring</td></tr><tr><td>Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North</td><td>Sylvia Wilkinson</td><td></td><td>Independent</td><td>Retiring</td></tr><tr><td>Douglas</td><td>Pat Draper</td><td></td><td>Independent</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Golborne & Lowton West</td><td>Gena Merrett</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hindley</td><td>Jim Churton</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hindley Green</td><td>John Vickers</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ince</td><td>David Molyneux</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Leigh Central & Higher Folds</td><td>Shelley Guest</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Leigh South</td><td>Barbara Caren</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Leigh West</td><td>Samantha Brown</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Lowton East</td><td>Garry Lloyd</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Orrell</td><td>Jim Nicholson</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pemberton</td><td>Paul Prescott</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor</td><td>Michael Crosby</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Standish with Langtree</td><td>Ray Wittingham</td><td></td><td>Conservative Party (UK)</td><td>Retiring</td></tr><tr><td>Tydesley & Mosley Common</td><td>Jess Eastoe</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Wigan Central</td><td>Lee Moffitt</td><td></td><td>Reform</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Wigan West</td><td>David Wood</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Winstanley</td><td>Marie Morgan</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Worsley Mesnes</td><td>Helen O'Neill</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>