Local election in Oldham, England
2024 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
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← 2023 | 2 May 2024 (2024-05-02) | 2026 → |
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20 out of 60 seats to Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council 31 seats needed for a majority |
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| First party | Second party | Third party | | | | | Leader | Arooj Shah | | Howard Sykes | Party | Labour | Independent | Liberal Democrats | Last election | 32 seats, 46.5% | 4 seats, 14.3% | 10 seats, 17.7% | Seats before | 31 | 8 | 10 | Seats won | 7 | 8 | 3 | Seats after | 27 | 14 | 9 | Seat change | 4 | 6 | 1 | Popular vote | 17,178 | 22,698 | 8,401 | Percentage | 29.1% | 38.4% | 14.2% | Swing | 17.4% | 24.1% | 3.5% | | | Fourth party | Fifth party | | | | Leader | Graham Sheldon | | Party | Conservative | Failsworth Independent Party | Last election | 11 seats, 17.6% | 3 seats, 2.1% | Seats before | 8 | 3 | Seats won | 2 | 0 | Seats after | 8 | 2 | Seat change | | 1 | Popular vote | 7,731 | 1,005 | Percentage | 13.1% | 1.7% | Swing | 4.5% | 0.4% | |
Winner of each seat at the 2024 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election |
Leader before election Arooj Shah Labour | Leader after election TBD No overall control | |
The 2024 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One-third of the 60 members of Oldham Council in Greater Manchester were elected.
The election resulted in Labour losing overall control of the council, with a net loss of 4 seats. Despite this, Labour maintains the largest share of seats, with 27/60 councillors belonging to the party.
The local Labour Party leader, Arooj Shah, denied that the conflict in Gaza was a major reason for Labour's loss, saying that "we've asked for an immediate ceasefire right from the start".[1]
Despite Shah's claim, the Guardian reports that Labour's stance on the conflict could sway many Muslim voters.[2] This could explain Labour's poor performance in Oldham, where a quarter of the population identify as Muslim,[3] compared to just 6.5% nationally.[4]
Background
The Labour Party have governed Oldham for most of its history. They held a majority on the council from its creation in 1973 to 1994, when they lost control against the national trend.[5] They regained a majority the following year, but lost control to the Liberal Democrats in 2000. Labour regained control in 2003, before losing their majority in 2006.[5] Labour again won a majority in 2011, and have formed majority administrations since then, albeit with reduced margins.
The 2023 election was the first election on the current ward boundaries; as a result, all seats were up for election. Labour won 32 seats with 46.5% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats won 10 with 17.7%, the Conservatives won 11 with 17.6%, the Failsworth Independent Party won 3 with 2.1%, and independents won 4 with 14.3%. The 2024 election is for seats held by councillors elected by the smallest number of votes in each ward;[6] Labour are defending 12 seats, the Liberal Democrats are defending 4, the Conservatives are defending 3, and the Failsworth Independent Party are defending 1.[7]
Previous council composition
After 2023 election | Before 2024 election[8] | After 2024 election |
Party | Seats | Party | Seats | Party | Seats |
| Labour | 32 | | Labour | 31 | | Labour | 27 |
| Liberal Democrats | 10 | | Liberal Democrats | 10 | | Liberal Democrats | 9 |
| Conservative | 11 | | Conservative | 8 | | Conservative | 8 |
| Failsworth Independent Party | 3 | | Failsworth Independent Party | 3 | | Failsworth Independent Party | 2 |
| Independent | 4 | | Independent | 8 | | Independent | 14 |
Changes:
- November 2023: Kamran Ghafoor, Muhammad Irfan, and Abdul Wahid suspended from Conservatives[a][9]
- January 2024: Aftab Hussain (independent) joins Labour[10]
- April 2024: Shoab Akhtar and Nyla Ibrahim leave Labour to sit as independents[11]
Results
2024 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election |
Party | This election | Full council | This election |
Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| Labour | 7 | 5 | 35.0 | 20 | 27 | 45.0 | 17,178 | 29.1 | –17.4 |
| Independent | 8 | 8 | 40.0 | 6 | 14 | 23.3 | 22,698 | 38.4 | +24.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 1 | 15.0 | 6 | 9 | 15.0 | 8,401 | 14.2 | –3.5 |
| Conservative | 2 | 1 | 10.0 | 6 | 8 | 13.3 | 7,731 | 13.1 | –4.5 |
| Failsworth Independent Party | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 3.3 | 1,005 | 1.7 | –0.4 |
| Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1,024 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 639 | 1.1 | N/A |
| Northern Heart | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 212 | 0.4 | –0.8 |
| National Housing Party | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 173 | 0.3 | +0.2 |
Ward results
An asterisk denotes an incumbent councillor seeking re-election.
Alexandra
Alexandra[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Zaheer Ali | 1,494 | 50.5 | N/A |
| Labour | Ghazala Rana | 903 | 30.5 | -29.2 |
| Independent | Carol Hardie | 157 | 5.3 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Dinoff | 135 | 4.6 | -6.6 |
| Northern Heart | Anne Taylor | 94 | 3.2 | -7.1 |
| Green | Andrea Chaverra Valencia | 93 | 3.1 | N/A |
| Conservative | Md Nazrul Chowdhury | 84 | 2.8 | -3.2 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,960 | 38.99 | |
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Chadderton Central
Chadderton Central[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Elaine Taylor* | 954 | 33.6 | -19.7 |
| Conservative | Mohammed Razon | 935 | 33.0 | +6.7 |
| Independent | Lisa Roddy | 243 | 8.6 | N/A |
| Independent | Irfat Shajahan | 221 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Independent | Peter Brown | 213 | 7.5 | N/A |
| Green | Daniel Clayton | 165 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | Malik Abdul | 81 | 2.9 | -2.7 |
| Northern Heart | Rob Vance | 25 | 0.9 | -7.4 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,837 | 35.76 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Chadderton North
Chadderton North[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour Co-op | Eddie Moores* | 1,383 | 48.9 | +2.3 |
| Conservative | Moudud Ahmed | 824 | 29.2 | -8.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | Dominic Cadman | 401 | 14.2 | +2.0 |
| Independent | Mohammed Alam | 218 | 7.7 | N/A |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,826 | 33.81 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Chadderton South
Chadderton South[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Holly Harrison* | 1,127 | 45.3 | -9.9 |
| Conservative | Karl Bardsley | 597 | 24.0 | +7.0 |
| Reform UK | Andy Clare | 359 | 14.4 | N/A |
| Independent | Mohammed Ali | 272 | 10.9 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | Michael Scholes | 132 | 5.3 | -6.1 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,487 | 28.1 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Coldhurst
Coldhurst[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Montaz Azad | 2,304 | 54.7 | +12.9 |
| Labour | Ruji Surjan* | 1,329 | 31.5 | -14.0 |
| Liberal Democrats | Rachel Pendlebury | 193 | 4.6 | -1.1 |
| Independent | Mustafa Mustak | 139 | 3.3 | +0.5 |
| Green | Sheraz Gondal | 136 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Conservative | Muhammed Dara | 113 | 2.7 | -0.9 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 4,214 | 43.49 | |
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Crompton
Crompton[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Diane Williamson* | 1,180 | 44.0 | +0.2 |
| Independent | Lee Navesey | 895 | 33.4 | +3.8 |
| Labour | David Barker | 431 | 16.1 | -3.6 |
| Conservative | Michele Stockton | 173 | 6.5 | -6.7 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,679 | 34.41 | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Failsworth East
Failsworth East[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour Co-op | Ken Rustidge | 731 | 33.1 | -10.3 |
| Failsworth Independent Party | Lucia Rea* | 712 | 32.2 | -12.1 |
| Independent | Catherine Charnock | 620 | 28.1 | N/A |
| Conservative | Foysal Chowdhury | 104 | 4.7 | -7.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | Barbara Beeley | 42 | 1.9 | -9.7 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,209 | 28.07 | |
| Labour Co-op gain from Failsworth Independent Party | Swing | | |
Failsworth West
Failsworth West[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Mark Wilkinson | 1,104 | 47.9 | +13.2 |
| Labour Co-op | Kyle Phythian | 774 | 33.6 | -5.8 |
| Failsworth Independent Party | Jane Cashinella-Vaughan | 293 | 12.7 | -6.2 |
| Conservative | Md Mostakim Chaudhary | 70 | 3.0 | -5.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | Lynne Thompson | 37 | 1.6 | -3.3 |
| Independent | Majid Khan | 26 | 1.1 | N/A |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,304 | 29.46 | |
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Hollinwood
Hollinwood[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Naseem Aslam | 846 | 33.4 | -4.2 |
| Independent | Muhammad Irfan* | 812 | 32.1 | -6.3 |
| National Housing Party | John Lawrence | 173 | 6.8 | -1.4 |
| Conservative | Muhammed Alom | 172 | 6.8 | -31.6 |
| Independent | Ewan Edge | 146 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Independent | Ian Whitehead | 139 | 5.5 | -3.3 |
| Green | Jason Bromley | 132 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | Roger Blackmore | 113 | 4.5 | -3.5 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,533 | 29.37 | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Medlock Vale
Medlock Vale[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour Co-op | Umar Nasheen* | 1,374 | 44.9 | -18.6 |
| Independent | Shamas Altaf | 987 | 32.3 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | Shona Farnworth | 300 | 9.8 | -0.2 |
| Independent | Muhammad Yasir | 226 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Conservative | Akhtar Hussain | 172 | 5.6 | -0.2 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 3,059 | 35.68 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Royton North
Royton North[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Lewis Quigg* | 1,458 | 50.3 | +8.4 |
| Labour | Clint Phythian | 1,037 | 35.8 | -1.3 |
| Green | Miranda Meadowcroft | 231 | 8.0 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | Jeffrey Garner | 174 | 6.0 | ±0.0 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,900 | 34.2 | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Royton South
Royton South[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Jade Hughes | 1,200 | 50.4 | +14.3 |
| Labour | Steven Bashforth* | 877 | 36.8 | -3.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | Tom Penketh | 155 | 6.5 | -2.1 |
| Green | Jim Stidworthy | 151 | 6.3 | N/A |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,383 | 31.44 | |
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Saddleworth North
Saddleworth North[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Garth Harkness* | 1,279 | 41.7 | +6.8 |
| Labour | Hannah Roberts | 779 | 25.4 | -3.1 |
| Conservative | Stuart Pyefinch | 630 | 20.6 | -4.9 |
| Independent | Christopher Marshall | 376 | 12.3 | N/A |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 3,064 | 39.72 | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Saddleworth South
Saddleworth South[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Max Woodvine* | 1,107 | 31.7 | -4.6 |
| Liberal Democrats | Amy Wrigley | 821 | 23.5 | -8.0 |
| Labour Co-op | Dominic Wall | 809 | 23.1 | -3.4 |
| Independent | Paul Errock | 642 | 18.4 | N/A |
| Green | Fesl Reza-Khan | 116 | 3.3 | N/A |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 3,495 | 41.6 | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Saddleworth West and Lees
Saddleworth West and Lees[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Mark Kenyon* | 1,603 | 55.5 | +3.9 |
| Independent | Paul Shilton | 675 | 23.4 | +0.5 |
| Labour | Dave Barter | 468 | 16.2 | +0.7 |
| Conservative | Mujibur Rahman | 141 | 4.9 | +1.1 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,887 | 35.08 | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Shaw
Shaw[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Lisa Navesey | 1,011 | 42.1 | +4.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | Hazel Gloster* | 961 | 40.0 | +1.0 |
| Labour | Stephen Hewitt | 356 | 14.8 | -1.5 |
| Conservative | Md Yahhia Qurashi | 76 | 3.2 | +0.3 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,404 | 32.66 | |
| Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
St James'
St James'[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour Co-op | Josh Charters* | 757 | 36.3 | +1.7 |
| Conservative | Christopher McManus | 628 | 30.1 | -2.9 |
| Independent | Amoy Lindo | 554 | 26.5 | +2.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | Roger Hindle | 149 | 7.1 | +1.6 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 2,088 | 26.35 | |
| Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |
St Mary's
St Mary's[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Aisha Kouser | 2,769 | 66.7 | +27.7 |
| Labour | Ali Aqeel Salamat* | 1,367 | 32.9 | -12.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | Mohammed Hussain | 120 | 2.9 | -2.0 |
| Conservative | Khaled Ahmed | 104 | 2.5 | -0.8 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 4,152 | 48.20 | |
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Waterhead
Waterhead[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Naveed Chowhan | 1,221 | 38.9 | N/A |
| Labour Co-op | Ros Birch* | 876 | 27.9 | -17.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | Joe Beeston | 298 | 9.5 | -4.9 |
| Reform UK | Jack Davies | 280 | 8.9 | N/A |
| Independent | Stuart Allsopp | 201 | 6.4 | -6.2 |
| Conservative | Ruhid Chowdhury | 168 | 5.4 | -25.6 |
| Northern Heart | Paul Taylor | 93 | 3.0 | -9.0 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 3,137 | 35.31 | |
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Werneth
Werneth[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Nyla Ibrahim* | 2,362 | 55.8 | +0.6 |
| Independent | Amjad Ali | 1,471 | 34.7 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | Hamza Uddin | 227 | 5.4 | -29.0 |
| Conservative | Mohammed Miah | 175 | 4.1 | -5.5 |
Majority | | | |
Turnout | 4,235 | 45.62 | |
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
References
- ^ Sit as part of the Oldham Group, which is not registered as a political party.
- ^ "Labour loses control of Oldham Council but holds 6 others". BBC News.
- ^ "'Trust is lost': Muslim voters unhappy with Labour's stance on Gaza war". The Guardian.
- ^ "How life has changed in Oldham: Census 2021". ONS.
- ^ "Religion by age and sex, England and Wales: Census 2021". ONS.
- ^ a b "Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "The Oldham (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/778, retrieved 10 April 2024
- ^ Lawlor, Kent (5 May 2023). "All the results from the Oldham Council elections". The Oldham Times. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "Your Councillors by Party". Oldham Council. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ Tooth, Jack (26 November 2023). "All change on Oldham Council after suspension of councillors". The Oldham Times. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ Hall, Charlotte (22 January 2024). "Independent councillor changes allegiances". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ Hall, Charlotte (9 April 2024). "Two Labour councillors in Oldham defect weeks before May elections over Gaza". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED". Oldham Council. Retrieved 10 April 2024.