The 2026 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council elections were held on Thursday, 7 May 2026 alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. 21 of the 63 seats were contested, with each successful candidate elected to serve a four-year term of office expiring in 2030.

The Green Party won the most votes, with Labour and the Conservatives very closely behind (all around 23%). Labour retained overall control of the council.

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 43 Labour 41
Conservative 8 Conservative 10
Liberal Democrats 6 Liberal Democrats 7
Green 6 Green 5

Changes 2024–2026:

  • July 2025: Ulrich Savary (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[2]
  • August 2025: death of Denise Western (Labour) – by-election held October 2025[3]
  • September 2025: Ulrich Savary (Independent) joins Liberal Democrats[2]
  • October 2025:
    • Kaushik Chakraborty (Conservative) gains by-election from Labour[4]
    • Owain Sutton (Green) resigns – by-election held November 2025[5]
  • November 2025: Natalie Shalom (Conservative) gains by-election from Greens[6]

Background

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Trafford was a district of the Greater Manchester metropolitan county.[7] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority was created in 2011 and began electing the mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017, which was given strategic powers covering a region coterminous with the former Greater Manchester metropolitan county.[8]

In June 2022, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England made The Trafford (Electoral Changes) Order 2022, which officially abolished all 21 existing wards and established 21 new wards with new boundaries. All 63 Council seats were contested at the 2023 elections. The elected councillor who received the second-highest number of votes in each ward at the 2023 election had their seat contested in this election.[9]

Electoral process

The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year.[10][11] The election will take place by first-past-the-post voting, with wards being represented by three councillors, with one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Trafford aged 18 or over were entitled to vote in the election. People who lived at two addresses in different local authorities, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, were entitled to be registered for elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, with voters able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

Election result

Party Votes Seats Full Council
Green Party 20,167 (23.4%)
Increase 5.6 4 (19.0%)
4 / 21
 Increase 2 7 (11.1%)
7 / 63
Labour Party 20,070 (23.3%)
Decrease 18.6 8 (38.1%)
8 / 21
 Decrease 6 35 (55.6%)
35 / 63
Conservative Party 19,954 (23.2%)
Decrease 2.0 5 (23.8%)
5 / 21
 Increase 2 12 (19.0%)
12 / 63
Reform UK 16,355 (19.0%)
Increase 16.7 2 (9.5%)
2 / 21
 Increase 2 2 (3.2%)
2 / 63
Liberal Democrats 9,083 (10.6%)
Decrease 0.8 2 (9.5%)
2 / 21
 Steady 7 (11.1%)
7 / 63
Advance UK 205 (0.2%)
N/A 0 (0.0%)
0 / 21
 N.A 0 (0.0%)
0 / 63
SDP 145 (0.2%)
N/A 0 (0.0%)
0 / 21
 N/A 0 (0.0%)
0 / 63
Independent 109 (0.1%)
Decrease 1.1 0 (0.0%)
0 / 21
 Steady 0 (0.0%)
0 / 63
↓
7 35 7 12 2

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Altrincham Daniel Jerrome Green Yes
Ashton upon Mersey Ben Hartley Labour Yes
Bowdon Shengke Zhi Conservative Yes
Broadheath Amy Whyte Labour No
Brooklands Rose Thompson Labour Yes
Bucklow-St Martin's Aidan Williams Labour Yes
Davyhulme Karina Carter Labour Yes
Flixton Dolores O'Sullivan Labour Yes
Gorse Hill & Cornbrook Fianna Hornby Labour Yes
Hale Hannah Spencer Green No
Hale Barns & Timperley South Nathan Evans Conservative Yes
Longford Judith Lloyd Labour Yes
Lostock & Barton Mike Cordingley Labour No
Manor John Holden Conservative No
Old Trafford Emma Hirst Labour No
Sale Central Eve Parker Labour Yes
Sale Moor Liz Patel Labour Yes
Stretford & Humphrey Park Jane Slater Labour Yes
Timperley Central Julian Newgrosh Liberal Democrats Yes
Timperley North Will Frass Liberal Democrats Yes
Urmston Catherine Hynes Labour No

Ward results

Altrincham

Altrincham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Dan Jerrome* 1,744 44.1 −12.9
Conservative Nick Dean 1,099 27.8 +3.9
Reform Stuart Niven 556 14.1 N/A
Labour Mark Nesbitt 363 9.2 −6.1
Liberal Democrats Donald McIntosh 180 4.6 +1.6
Majority 645 16.3 −16.7
Rejected ballots 12 0.4 -0.4
Turnout 3,955 48.6 +5.6
Registered electors 8,131
Green hold Swing -8.4

Ashton upon Mersey

Ashton upon Mersey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ben Hartley* 1,476 34.4 −19.7
Conservative Christopher Halliday 1,038 24.2 −2.3
Green Diane Plunkett 801 18.7 +5.8
Reform Luke Sowerby 683 15.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Bevan 283 6.6 +1.4
Majority 438 10.2 −17.4
Rejected ballots 6 0.1 -1.2
Turnout 4,287 55.4 +9.6
Registered electors 7,732
Labour hold Swing -8.7

Bowdon

Bowdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Shengke Zhi* 2,616 54.3 +11.4
Green Bridget Green 1,424 29.6 −12.8
Reform Michelle McCusker 445 9.2 +4.9
Labour Kate Lamerton 203 4.2 −3.8
Liberal Democrats Ludo Tolhurst-Cleaver 105 2.2 +0.2
Advance UK Ron Hutton 11 0.2 N/A
Majority 1,192 24.7 +24.2
Rejected ballots 12 0.2 -0.1
Turnout 4,817 56.3 +8.4
Registered electors 8,558
Conservative hold Swing +12.1

Broadheath

Broadheath
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Prakash Nathani 1,721 35.6 −5.4
Labour Javed Khwaja 1,018 21.1 −20.0
Liberal Democrats Barbara Gerard 842 17.4 +13.1
Reform Terence Charnock 704 14.6 +9.3
Green Alexander Young 504 10.4 +3.9
Independent Stephen Farndon 33 0.7 −0.6
Majority 703 14.6
Rejected ballots 5 0.1 -0.3
Turnout 4,829 53.7 +6.3
Registered electors 8,988
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.3

Brooklands

Brooklands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rose Thompson* 1,417 31.9 −15.4
Conservative Bheem Pulla 1,149 25.9 −4.9
Reform John Churchill 811 18.3 +11.7
Green Renate Aspden 783 17.7 +8.5
Liberal Democrats Pauline Cliff 262 5.9 +0.2
Majority 268 6.0 −10.5
Rejected ballots 11 0.2 -0.3
Turnout 4,436 56.6 +6.9
Registered electors 7,837
Labour hold Swing -5.3

Bucklow-St. Martin's

Bucklow-St. Martin's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Charlotte Waterworth 1,226 43.5 N/A
Labour Aidan Williams* 618 21.9 −39.6
Green George Speight 412 14.6 +3.6
Conservative Itsvan Toth 314 11.1 −9.6
Liberal Democrats Margaret Boysen 173 6.1 −0.5
Advance UK Paul Swansborough 69 2.4 N/A
Majority 608 21.6
Rejected ballots 8 0.3 -2.0
Turnout 2,820 34.7 +9.9
Registered electors 8,135
Reform gain from Labour Swing +41.6

Davyhulme

Davyhulme
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Billy Burke 1,294 30.0 N/A
Labour Karina Carter* 1,283 29.7 −23.1
Conservative Jonathan Coupe 811 18.8 −8.5
Green Kevin Chatterton 665 15.4 +5.4
Liberal Democrats Briony Stephenson 214 5.0 +0.7
Advance UK Gary Regan 36 0.8 N/A
Majority 11 0.3
Rejected ballots 16 0.4 -0.1
Turnout 4,319 48.6 +10.6
Registered electors 8,879
Reform gain from Labour Swing +26.6

Flixton

Flixton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dolores O'Sullivan* 1,314 29.6 −26.7
Reform Mark Ormiston 1,291 29.0 N/A
Green Katrin Cotter 812 18.3 +5.9
Conservative Paul Lally 746 16.8 −4.1
Liberal Democrats Tim Kinsella 241 5.4 +1.6
Advance UK Andrew Beaumont 32 0.7 N/A
Majority 23 0.6 −34.8
Rejected ballots 9 0.2 -0.7
Turnout 4,445 51.6 +11.4
Registered electors 8,616
Labour hold Swing -27.9

Gorse Hill & Cornbrook

Gorse Hill & Cornbrook
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Aaron Fradley 1,417 44.1 +27.9
Labour Fianna Hornby* 943 29.4 −30.8
Reform Bill Sumner 515 16.0 N/A
Conservative Stuart Donnelly 199 6.2 −5.4
Liberal Democrats Dawn Carberry-Power 125 3.9 +0.2
Majority 474 14.7
Rejected ballots 11 0.3 -0.9
Turnout 3,210 35.5 +5.1
Registered electors 9,044
Green gain from Labour Swing +29.4

Hale

Hale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rupert Kelly 1,941 45.2 +8.7
Green Orla Weir 1,571 36.6 −10.7
Reform Richard Shean 346 8.1 N/A
Labour Seth Champion 271 6.3 −5.5
Liberal Democrats Jason Stack 162 3.8 +0.2
Majority 370 8.6
Rejected ballots 6 0.1 -0.6
Turnout 4,297 54.2 +6.8
Registered electors 7,928
Conservative gain from Green Swing +9.7

Hale Barns & Timperley South

Hale Barns & Timperley South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nathan Evans* 2,138 51.6 +8.6
Liberal Democrats Matt Sellars 1,084 26.2 −7.2
Reform Leslie Cupitt 431 10.4 +4.2
Green Centaine Parker 299 7.2 +0.3
Labour Isaac Jones 183 4.4 −6.0
Majority 1,054 25.4 +15.8
Rejected ballots 8 0.2 -0.3
Turnout 4,144 54.2 +11.2
Registered electors 7,647
Conservative hold Swing +7.9

Longford

Longford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Gareth Twose 1,719 46.6 +24.6
Labour Judith Lloyd* 1,196 32.4 −24.7
Reform Charles Rear 399 10.8 N/A
Conservative Christopher Boyes 242 6.6 −3.2
Liberal Democrats Anna Fryer 127 3.4 −3.9
Majority 523 14.2
Rejected ballots 7 0.2 -0.7
Turnout 3,690 44.9 +7.9
Registered electors 8,220
Green gain from Labour Swing +24.7

Lostock & Barton

Lostock & Barton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Tobin 1,068 30.9 −29.2
Reform Ian Edwards 1,037 30.0 N/A
Green Stephen Holman 700 20.2 +7.6
Conservative Tracey Haworth 468 13.5 −7.7
Liberal Democrats David Kierman 178 5.1 +0.3
Majority 31 0.9 −38.0
Rejected ballots 9 0.3 -1.0
Turnout 3,460 42.2 +8.6
Registered electors 8,205
Labour hold Swing -29.6

Manor

Manor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rupali Paul 2,037 46.8 +7.0
Reform Dan Barker 827 19.0 +12.5
Labour Gawain Glenton 803 18.4 −22.3
Green James McGlashan 528 12.1 +3.3
Liberal Democrats Simon Wright 145 3.3 −0.4
Majority 1,210 27.8 +27.7
Rejected ballots 13 0.3 -0.1
Turnout 4,355 50.6 +10.2
Registered electors 8,616
Conservative hold Swing +25.8

Old Trafford

Old Trafford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Jennie Wadsworth 1,952 52.5 +21.8
Labour Mahvish Masood 1,338 36.0 −22.9
Reform Alan Cowell 160 4.3 N/A
Conservative Diane Coupe 142 3.8 −0.6
Liberal Democrats Andy Hick 118 3.2 −0.8
Majority 614 16.5
Rejected ballots 10 0.3 -1.7
Turnout 3,720 42.2 +3.5
Registered electors 8,817
Green gain from Labour Swing +22.4

Sale Central

Sale Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eve Parker* 1,405 36.2 −23.7
Green Teddy Somers 943 24.3 +14.9
Reform Stephen Ardern 571 14.7 N/A
Conservative Kameswari Achanta 521 13.4 −7.7
Liberal Democrats Joe Kramer 279 7.2 −1.4
SDP Hilary Salt 145 3.7 N/A
Majority 462 11.9 −26.9
Rejected ballots 18 0.5 -0.4
Turnout 3,882 50.1 +5.3
Registered electors 7,746
Labour hold Swing -19.3

Sale Moor

Sale Moor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liz Patel* 1,471 36.8 −21.1
Reform James McCullough 985 24.6 N/A
Green Chris Hargreaves 786 19.7 +7.4
Conservative Kishorchandra Patil 533 13.3 −9.3
Liberal Democrats James Miller 208 5.2 −0.8
Majority 486 12.2 −23.1
Rejected ballots 13 0.3 -0.9
Turnout 3,998 47.9 +8.5
Registered electors 8,343
Labour hold Swing +1.2

Stretford & Humphrey Park

Stretford & Humphrey Park
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jane Slater* 1,380 32.2 −26.8
Green Daniel Bowdler 1,264 29.5 +11.4
Reform Jamie Hook 1,033 24.1 N/A
Conservative Syeda Rizvi 360 8.4 −8.2
Liberal Democrats Stephen Power 161 3.8 −0.8
Independent Hazel Gibb-Shacklock 76 1.8 N/A
Majority 116 2.7 −38.2
Rejected ballots 14 0.3 -1.4
Turnout 4,288 48.1 +8.9
Registered electors 8,910
Labour hold Swing -19.1

Timperley Central

Timperley Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Julian Newgrosh* 1,693 39.0 −10.7
Reform Philip Holt 1,081 24.9 +18.1
Conservative Vineeta Chouhan 765 17.6 −3.0
Green James Brooke-Taylor 475 10.9 +5.4
Labour Barbara Twiney 325 7.5 −9.6
Majority 612 14.1 −15.0
Rejected ballots 5 0.1 -0.6
Turnout 4,344 50.3 +7.3
Registered electors 8,644
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -14.4

Timperley North

Timperley North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Will Frass* 2,276 48.5 −9.5
Reform Anthony Shaw 830 17.7 N/A
Conservative Angela Bruer-Morris 646 13.8 −2.1
Green Aagash Vadera 471 10.0 +3.6
Labour Jo Sharpe 440 9.4 −9.4
Advance UK Angela O'Neill 21 0.4 N/A
Majority 1,446 30.8 −8.4
Rejected ballots 10 0.2 -0.8
Turnout 4,694 53.4 +7.0
Registered electors 8,790
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -13.6

Urmston

Urmston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clare Sheridan 1,555 36.0 −21.1
Reform Dave Stubbs 1,130 26.1 +18.1
Green Steve Tennant 897 20.8 +10.6
Conservative Ali Aydogdu 468 10.8 −2.8
Liberal Democrats John Franklin-Johnston 227 5.3 +1.4
Advance UK Paul Regan 36 0.8 N/A
Majority 425 9.8 −33.7
Rejected ballots 9 0.2 -0.4
Turnout 4,322 49.6 +9.1
Registered electors 8,716
Labour hold Swing -19.6

References

  1. ↑ "Trafford Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  2. 1 2 Jackson, Nick (8 September 2025). "Councillor who quit Labour joins rival political party in town hall". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Prior, David (22 August 2025). ""A champion of young people": Tributes after Broadheath councillor dies". Altrincham Today. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Broadheath Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "By-election announced in Trafford following resignation of councillor". Messenger Newspapers. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Hale Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  8. ↑ "The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  9. ↑ "The Trafford (Electoral Changes) Order 2022". Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  10. ↑ "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  11. ↑ "Election Timetable in England" (PDF).
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Trafford_Metropolitan_Borough_Council_election