2024 Rochdale Council election

←  2023 2 May 2024 2026 →
20 out of 60 seats of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council 31 seats needed for a majority
Leader Neil Emmott John Taylor Party Labour Conservative Last election 16 seats, 56.5% 3 seats, 19.6% Current seats 46 9   Leader Andy Kelly Lee Wolf Party Liberal Democrats Middleton Ind. Last election 1 seat, 11.9% 0 seats, 5.0% Current seats 3 2
Incumbent Leader Neil Emmott Labour

The 2024 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council elections are due to take place on 2 May 2024 alongside the 2024 Greater Manchester mayoral election and other local elections across the United Kingdom. One third of seats (20) on Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council will be contested. ^[1]

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. Rochdale was a district of the Greater Manchester metropolitan county. ^[2] 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. ^[3]

Since its formation, Rochdale has variously been under Labour control, Liberal Democrat control, Conservative control and no overall control. Councillors have predominantly been elected from the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party, with some independent councillors also serving. The council has had an overall Labour majority since 2011.

In the previous election in 2023, Labour won 16 seats with 56.5% of the vote gaining three councillors, the Conservatives won three seats with 19.6% of the vote losing one councillor, the Liberal Democrats won 1 seat with 11.9% of the vote, and the Middleton Independents Party won no seats from 5% of the vote losing two councillors. ^[4]

On 19 February 2024, Farooq Ahmed, a Liberal Democrat candidate for Central Ward, was suspended by the party after being photographed campaigning with George Galloway in the 2024 Rochdale by-election. ^[5]

Electoral process

The council generally elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year. ^{[6] [7]} The election will be conducted using the first-past-the-post voting system, with each ward electing one councillor.

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

Candidates

This section needs expansion with: additional candidates. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024)

Balderstone & Kirkholt

Bamford

Castleton

Central Rochdale

East Middleton

Healey

Hopwood Hall

Kingsway

Littleborough Lakeside

Milkstone & Deeplish

Milnrow & Newhey

Norden

North Heywood

North Middleton

Smallbridge & Firgrove

South Middleton

Spotland & Falinge

Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough

West Heywood

West Middleton

References