Manchester Local Election Results 2026

In May, almost 400,000 people in Manchester headed to the polls to vote in the local elections.

These elections decided the councillors responsible for a district's public services , such as planning applications, social care for older people, and rubbish collection.

The last vote took place in 2022; the map was overwhelmingly red, with Labour dominating the electoral district. However, with the rise of the Green Party and Reform UK, both of which the Economics Observatory predicted would make gains, Manchester was Labour's to lose.

Below is a summary of the results:

Map of the Manchester electoral results 2026. Credit: Parebunks2 @ Wikimedia Commons

Whilst the Labour Party still retains control in some areas in the north and south of Manchester, they have completely lost the centre of the district. Rather, the Green Party took over overwhelmingly, gaining 17 districts.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski called the local election gains "over our expectations". The party has been on the rise since their win in the Gorton-and-Denton by-election, where Hannah Spencer won their first-ever Westminster by-election seat.

Reform saw a significant rise too, winning seven districts, all previously under Labour. Whilst their control in the Manchester district was limited to the electoral edges, the party saw significant gains across Greater Manchester, particularly in Tameside and Wigan.

Since Labour lost its hold on Manchester in May, the party has hit a leadership crossroads with Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham eyeing the top seat at parliament, looking to take over from current prime minister Keir Starmer following his win at the Makerfield by-election on June 19.

The by-election came after the MP for Makerfield, Josh Simmons, stepped down , allowing the mayor to run in his place. If Burnham goes on to successfully trigger and win a leadership race, Labour could see a change in leadership without a general election, as was last seen with the previous Conservative government in 2022.

On June 22, Starmer announced he was stepping down as Leader of the Labour Party and as Prime Minister. Less than a month later , Burnham became the new Labour Party leader and, subsequently, the PM.

One area that has turned from red to green was Fallowfield, Manchester's "students' republic" (although that name may not be as accurate as it once was ).

Fallowfield had the lowest voter turnout in the 2023 local elections , at only 18.35%. Whilst the percentage of voters did increase by almost seven and a half per cent, the area still has one of the lowest electoral turnout rates.

Despite this, the student body at the University of Manchester is known for not shying away from political activism and voting. Last October, just over 4,500 students voted "Yes" on the motion to end the University's partnership with Tel Aviv University (TAU). Despite this, the University plans to relaunch ties with TAU through the "UoM Global Fund".