Council profile
Rochdale
Metropolitan borough · North West · 60 seats in 20 wards · A third of seats elected in three years out of four · Next election 6 May 2027
Labour have a majority on Rochdale Council. The council has 60 councillors in 20 wards. Seats by party: Labour 31, Reform 15, Conservative 7, Other 4, Lib Dem 3. The next election is on 6 May 2027.
Control
Seats by party
Vote share at the 7 May 2026 election (20 seats, all wards)
ShareSeats won
Reform35.0%13
Labour25.6%2
Green10.9%0
Conservative10.9%2
Other9.9%2
Lib Dem7.7%1
Next election
6 May 2027
20 of 60 seats up, elected by thirds
Largest party
Labour 31
majority of 2; 31 needed
Voted Leave in 2016
60%
GB 52%
Wards
Who holds each ward
LabourConservativeLib DemReformOther
Under 5 pts5 to 1010 to 20Over 20No contest data
Winning margin at the last election, in points.
Coloured by the party holding most of the ward's seats today; where seats are split evenly, by the party with the higher share at the last election.
All 20 wards
Councillors and last results
Select a ward for its full results, candidates and last by-election.
| Ward and councillors | Last election |
|---|---|
| Balderstone & Kirkholt Ashley-Louise Gilbert, Daniel Meredith, Jordan Tarrant-Short | 7 May 2026 Reform 42.4% lead 17.0 pts |
| Bamford Stephen Anstee, Angela Smith, Philip Beal | 7 May 2026 Conservative 34.5% lead 6.2 pts |
| Castleton Aasim Rashid, Dave Jones, Aisling-Blaise Gallagher | 7 May 2026 Reform 44.7% lead 21.4 pts |
| Central Rochdale Sameena Zaheer, Waqar Khan, Farooq Ahmed | 7 May 2026 Workers Party of Britain 47.3% lead 12.6 pts |
| East Middleton Dylan Williams, Terry Smith, Georgina Jacques | 7 May 2026 Labour 40.1% lead 3.1 pts |
| Healey Shah Wazir, Tricia Ayrton, Mark Stephens | 7 May 2026 Reform 37.5% lead 15.2 pts |
| Hopwood Hall Steve Potter, Carol Wardle, Peter Hodgkinson | 7 May 2026 Reform 47.9% lead 21.2 pts |
| Kingsway Rachel Massey, Shakil Ahmed, Daalat Ali | 7 May 2026 Labour 34.4% lead 10.4 pts |
| Littleborough Lakeside Richard Jackson, Victoria Howard, Tom Besford | 7 May 2026 Reform 40.7% lead 6.4 pts |
| Milkstone & Deeplish Aiza Rashid, Mohammed Shafiq, Minaam Ellahi | 7 May 2026 Workers Party of Britain 49.7% lead 17.3 pts |
| Milnrow & Newhey Andy Kelly, David Bamford, Anthony Gilbert | 7 May 2026 Reform 39.1% lead 2.7 pts |
| Norden Peter Winkler, Michael Holly, Paul Ellison | 7 May 2026 Conservative 42.2% lead 11.9 pts |
| North Heywood Michael Howard, Paul O'Neill, Bev Place | 7 May 2026 Reform 53.8% lead 30.3 pts |
| North Middleton Elizabeth Atewologun, Lee Wolf, Kathryn Bromfield | 7 May 2026 Reform 44.8% lead 26.3 pts |
| Smallbridge & Firgrove Amna Mir, Mohammed Khizer, John Blundell | 7 May 2026 Lib Dem 29.9% lead 2.2 pts |
| South Middleton June West, Patricia Dale, Matthew Pilkington | 7 May 2026 Reform 44.2% lead 11.5 pts |
| Spotland & Falinge Faisal Rana, Amber Nisa, Carl Faulkner | 7 May 2026 Reform 30.5% lead 0.3 pts |
| Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough Adam Branton, John Taylor, Philip Barrett | 7 May 2026 Reform 40.0% lead 7.0 pts |
| West Heywood Stuart Crawford, Peter Joinson, Linda Robinson | 7 May 2026 Reform 49.6% lead 18.6 pts |
| West Middleton Neil Emmott, Trevor Taylor, Susan Smith | 7 May 2026 Reform 39.9% lead 6.2 pts |
Balderstone & Kirkholt
Ashley-Louise Gilbert ReformDaniel Meredith LabourJordan Tarrant-Short Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley-Louise Gilbert Elected | Reform | 1,205 | 42.4% |
| Philip Thomas Massey | Labour | 722 | 25.4% |
| Sami Mir | Green | 349 | 12.3% |
| Altaf Nadeem | Workers Party of Britain | 275 | 9.7% |
| John Kershaw | Conservative | 160 | 5.6% |
| Rob Chilton | Lib Dem | 129 | 4.5% |
Last by-election, 1 May 2025
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Tarrant-Short Elected | Reform | 766 | 32.5% |
| Leanne Greenwood | Labour | 624 | 26.5% |
| Laura Pugh | Workers Party of Britain | 398 | 16.9% |
| Mudassar Razzaq | Conservative | 212 | 9.0% |
| Billy Howarth | Independent | 180 | 7.6% |
| Chariss Peacock | Lib Dem | 109 | 4.6% |
| Martyn David Savin | Green | 65 | 2.8% |
Bamford
Angela Smith ConservativePhilip Beal ConservativeStephen Anstee Conservative
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angela Jennifer Smith Elected | Conservative | 1,230 | 34.5% |
| Christopher Birchenough | Reform | 1,009 | 28.3% |
| George Hilton | Green | 566 | 15.9% |
| Duncan Hannant | Labour | 466 | 13.1% |
| Bahadur Kamran | Workers Party of Britain | 293 | 8.2% |
Castleton
Aasim Rashid LabourAisling-Blaise Gallagher LabourDave Jones Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Jones Elected | Reform | 1,379 | 44.7% |
| Billy Sheerin | Labour | 719 | 23.3% |
| Jonathan Edward Kershaw | Green | 638 | 20.7% |
| Malcolm Thomas Bywater | Conservative | 197 | 6.4% |
| Sharon L Harrison | Lib Dem | 150 | 4.9% |
Central Rochdale
Farooq Ahmed Workers Party of BritainSameena Zaheer LabourWaqar Khan Workers Party of Britain
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waqar Khan Elected | Workers Party of Britain | 1,944 | 47.3% |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | Labour | 1,424 | 34.7% |
| Peter Cloran | Green | 395 | 9.6% |
| Samantha Payne | Reform | 269 | 6.5% |
| Catherine Leach | Conservative | 77 | 1.9% |
East Middleton
Dylan Williams LabourGeorgina Jacques LabourTerry Smith Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gina Jacques Elected | Labour | 1,315 | 40.1% |
| Mervyn Simpson | Reform | 1,215 | 37.0% |
| Paul Beswick | Middleton Independents Party | 337 | 10.3% |
| Clare Wood | Green | 265 | 8.1% |
| Michael Smith | Conservative | 149 | 4.5% |
Healey
Mark Stephens ReformShah Wazir LabourTricia Ayrton Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Stephens Elected | Reform | 1,300 | 37.5% |
| Shaun O'Neill | Labour | 772 | 22.3% |
| Andy Lord | Lib Dem | 528 | 15.2% |
| Umar Ali | Green | 441 | 12.7% |
| Raja Miah | Workers Party of Britain | 237 | 6.8% |
| Robert James McLean | Conservative | 190 | 5.5% |
Hopwood Hall
Carol Wardle LabourPeter Hodgkinson LabourSteve Potter Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Potter Elected | Reform | 1,536 | 47.9% |
| Susan Emmott | Labour | 856 | 26.7% |
| Stephen Spencer-Jones | Conservative | 319 | 9.9% |
| Robert Lewis King | Green | 290 | 9.0% |
| Iain Donaldson | Lib Dem | 157 | 4.9% |
| Alan Shaw | Advance UK | 52 | 1.6% |
Kingsway
Daalat Ali LabourRachel Massey LabourShakil Ahmed Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shakil Ahmed Elected | Labour | 1,176 | 34.4% |
| Mohammed Saleem | Workers Party of Britain | 820 | 24.0% |
| Denise Harrison | Reform | 812 | 23.7% |
| Mark Hollinrake | Green | 364 | 10.6% |
| Steven John Edgar | Conservative | 132 | 3.9% |
| Jenny Kelly | Lib Dem | 117 | 3.4% |
Littleborough Lakeside
Richard Jackson LabourTom Besford LabourVictoria Howard Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Howard Elected | Reform | 1,391 | 40.7% |
| Janet Emsley | Labour | 1,170 | 34.3% |
| Ian Jackson | Conservative | 454 | 13.3% |
| Paul Michael Wooten | Green | 274 | 8.0% |
| Emma Jane Griffin | Lib Dem | 125 | 3.7% |
Milkstone & Deeplish
Aiza Rashid LabourMinaam Ellahi Workers Party of BritainMohammed Shafiq Workers Party of Britain
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Shafiq Elected | Workers Party of Britain | 1,560 | 49.7% |
| Mohammad Arshad | Labour | 1,017 | 32.4% |
| Neil Gavin Rutter | Green | 296 | 9.4% |
| Stuart Mather | Reform | 161 | 5.1% |
| Majdi Khalil Aldimashqi | Lib Dem | 64 | 2.0% |
| Len Branton | Conservative | 38 | 1.2% |
Milnrow & Newhey
Andy Kelly Lib DemAnthony Gilbert ReformDavid Bamford Lib Dem
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Gilbert Elected | Reform | 1,400 | 39.1% |
| Irene Davidson | Lib Dem | 1,306 | 36.4% |
| Avis Kay Gilmore | Labour | 519 | 14.5% |
| Jack Freddie Gower | Green | 217 | 6.1% |
| Milton Danczuk | Conservative | 128 | 3.6% |
| Mohammed Shafiq | Workers Party of Britain | 13 | 0.4% |
Norden
Michael Holly ConservativePaul Ellison ConservativePeter Winkler Conservative
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Ellison Elected | Conservative | 1,662 | 42.2% |
| Kevin Lane | Reform | 1,193 | 30.3% |
| Sue Moore-Holmes | Labour | 495 | 12.6% |
| Sarah Louise Croke | Green | 431 | 11.0% |
| Stephanie Robertson | Lib Dem | 154 | 3.9% |
North Heywood
Bev Place LabourMichael Howard ReformPaul O'Neill Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Howard Elected | Reform | 1,365 | 53.8% |
| Lewis Chadwick Woodall | Labour | 597 | 23.5% |
| Naomi Charlotte Brown | Green | 310 | 12.2% |
| Sam Bancroft | Conservative | 144 | 5.7% |
| Steve Gillan | Lib Dem | 123 | 4.8% |
North Middleton
Elizabeth Atewologun LabourKathryn Bromfield LabourLee Wolf Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Wolf Elected | Reform | 1,450 | 44.8% |
| Keeley O'Mara | Middleton Independents Party | 599 | 18.5% |
| Connor Stanisauskis | Labour | 562 | 17.4% |
| James Luckham | Green | 410 | 12.7% |
| Eileen Taylor | Conservative | 141 | 4.4% |
| Chariss Peacock | Lib Dem | 73 | 2.3% |
Last by-election, 31 October 2024
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keeley O'Mara Elected | Middleton Independents Party | 812 | 51.7% |
| Donna Martin | Labour | 572 | 36.4% |
| Sajid Majid | Conservative | 108 | 6.9% |
| Iain Donaldson | Lib Dem | 80 | 5.1% |
Smallbridge & Firgrove
Amna Mir LabourJohn Blundell LabourMohammed Khizer Lib Dem
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Khizer Elected | Lib Dem | 917 | 29.9% |
| Cole Brierley | Reform | 850 | 27.7% |
| Aftab Hussain | Labour | 683 | 22.3% |
| Feruz Ali | Green | 332 | 10.8% |
| Billy Howarth | Independent | 160 | 5.2% |
| Charlotte Jayne Taylor | Conservative | 126 | 4.1% |
South Middleton
June West LabourMatthew Pilkington ReformPatricia Dale Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Pilkington Elected | Reform | 1,674 | 44.2% |
| Peter James Williams | Labour | 1,238 | 32.7% |
| Sunday Stephen Onabanjo | Green | 392 | 10.3% |
| Stacey Bancroft | Conservative | 308 | 8.1% |
| Sam Ellis | Lib Dem | 176 | 4.6% |
Spotland & Falinge
Amber Nisa LabourCarl Faulkner ReformFaisal Rana Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Faulkner Elected | Reform | 1,018 | 30.5% |
| Iram Faisal | Labour | 1,009 | 30.2% |
| Rabina Asghar | Lib Dem | 689 | 20.6% |
| Mick Coats | Green | 307 | 9.2% |
| Benita Blessing | Workers Party of Britain | 151 | 4.5% |
| Ann Marie Conway | Conservative | 134 | 4.0% |
| Stefan Cholenka | Independent | 35 | 1.0% |
Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough
Adam Branton ConservativeJohn Taylor ReformPhilip Barrett Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Barrett Elected | Reform | 1,466 | 40.0% |
| Matthew Frederick Hargreaves | Conservative | 1,209 | 33.0% |
| Joshua James McCarron | Labour | 451 | 12.3% |
| Adam Mir | Green | 328 | 9.0% |
| Kim Ho | Lib Dem | 169 | 4.6% |
| Laura Pugh | Workers Party of Britain | 39 | 1.1% |
West Heywood
Linda Robinson LabourPeter Joinson LabourStuart Crawford Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Crawford Elected | Reform | 1,474 | 49.6% |
| Angela Brown | Labour | 921 | 31.0% |
| Ethan Towers | Green | 215 | 7.2% |
| Tom Shaw | Lib Dem | 213 | 7.2% |
| Adele Allison Anstee | Conservative | 151 | 5.1% |
West Middleton
Neil Emmott LabourSusan Smith LabourTrevor Taylor Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Taylor Elected | Reform | 936 | 39.9% |
| Phil Burke | Labour | 791 | 33.7% |
| Caitlin Furlong | Green | 388 | 16.6% |
| Matthew Steven Roughsedge | Conservative | 229 | 9.8% |
Next election
Seats up on 6 May 2027
20 of 60 seats are up. Seats held now, by party:
Labour 15 Reform 2 Conservative 2 Lib Dem 1
| Ward | Councillor whose term ends |
|---|---|
| Balderstone & Kirkholt | Jordan Tarrant-Short Reform |
| Bamford | Stephen Anstee Conservative |
| Castleton | Aasim Rashid Labour |
| Central Rochdale | Sameena Zaheer Labour |
| East Middleton | Terry Smith Labour |
| Healey | Tricia Ayrton Labour |
| Hopwood Hall | Peter Hodgkinson Labour |
| Kingsway | Rachel Massey Labour |
| Littleborough Lakeside | Richard Jackson Labour |
| Milkstone & Deeplish | Aiza Rashid Labour |
| Milnrow & Newhey | David Bamford Lib Dem |
| Norden | Michael Holly Conservative |
| North Heywood | Bev Place Labour |
| North Middleton | Elizabeth Atewologun Labour |
| Smallbridge & Firgrove | Amna Mir Labour |
| South Middleton | Patricia Dale Labour |
| Spotland & Falinge | Amber Nisa Labour |
| Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough | John Taylor Reform |
| West Heywood | Linda Robinson Labour |
| West Middleton | Neil Emmott Labour |
Term end dates from Open Council Data.
By-elections
Every council by-election since 2021
2 by-elections since July 2021, 1 of them gains.
| Date | Ward | Result | Winner's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 May 2025 | Balderstone & Kirkholt | Reform gain from Labour | 32.5% |
| 31 October 2024 | North Middleton | Independent hold |
Parliament
Parliamentary constituencies
| Constituency | Share of council | 2024 winner | Projected now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heywood and Middleton North | 45% | Labour | Labour 41% |
| Rochdale | 44% | Labour | Labour 29% |
| Blackley and Middleton South | 11% | Labour | Labour 45% |
Share of the council: the proportion of its census neighbourhoods (2021 LSOAs) in each seat. The projection is PollCheck's demographic model at current polling, not a forecast.
People
Who lives in Rochdale
223,782 residents in 90,211 households
Voted Leave in 2016
60% 8 above GB
Degree or higher
26% 8 below GB
No qualifications
23% 5 above GB
Own their home
60% 1 below GB
Rent from a council or housing association
21% 4 above GB
Rent privately
18% 2 below GB
Aged 15 to 34
31% same as GB
Aged 65 and over
21% 1 below GB
GB figure. 2021 Census (Scotland: 2022): age as a share of residents aged 15 and over, qualifications of residents aged 16 and over, housing as a share of households. Leave: 2016 EU referendum, Electoral Commission results by counting area.
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Closest on the measures above: the 2016 Leave vote, age, qualifications and housing. Maps show which party holds each ward.
Sources
Sources and method
Seat totals and control: PollCheck council control tracker. Councillors: Open Council Data (CC BY-SA 4.0). Election results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), with some vote counts from DCLEAPIL, Leman (2025) (CC BY-SA 4.0), and corrections checked against councils' official declarations. Ward boundaries: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Census: Office for National Statistics and National Records of Scotland.
Councillor lists and DCLEAPIL-derived vote counts on this page are available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
In wards electing more than one councillor, a party's share counts only its leading candidate (the Rallings and Thrasher method). Independents count individually. The lead is the gap between the top two parties' shares.