2023 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

2023 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
← 2022 4 May 2023 2024 →
All 75 seats on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank
Leader David Molyneux[1] Steven Evans
Party Labour Independent Conservative
Last election 61 7[a] 7
Seats after 64 9 2
Seat change Increase 3 Increase 2 Decrease 5
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
Leader before election

David Molyneux
Labour

Leader after election

David Molyneux
Labour

The 2023 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council elections took place on 4 May 2023 alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. Due to boundary changes all 75 seats on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council were contested.[2]

Labour retained its majority on the council.[3]

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. Manchester was a district of the Greater Manchester metropolitan county.[4] 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.[5]

Since its creation in 1974, the council has continuously been under the control of the Labour Party.

In December 2022 the Local Government Boundary Commission for England made The Wigan (Electoral Changes) Order 2022, which officially abolished the existing 25 wards and created 25 new wards with different boundaries. Because of this change, all 75 seats on the council, three per ward, are to be contested.[6]

Electoral process

The election took place using the plurality block voting system, a form of first-past-the-post voting, with each ward being represented by three councillors. The candidate with the most votes in each ward will serve a four year term ending in 2027, the second-placed candidate will serve a three year term anding in 2026 and the third-placed candidate will serve a one year term ending in 2024.[6]

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Wigan aged 18 or over were entitled to vote in the election. People who lived at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, were entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations took place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day. Residents had until Monday 17 April to register to vote,[7] and voters were able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes until 18 April and 25 April, respectively.[8]

As a result of the Elections Act 2022 electors were required to present photographic identification to polling staff in order to cast their vote.[9]

Overview

After 2022 election Before 2023 election After 2023 election[10]
Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 61 Labour 61 Labour 64
Conservative 7 Conservative 7 Conservative 2
Independent 7 Independent 7 Independent 9
Number of Candidates fielded per party[7][11]
Party Number of Candidates
Labour Party 75
Conservative Party 38
Independents 25
Liberal Democrats 18
Leigh and Atherton Independents 10
Reform UK 3
UKIP 2
Green Party 1
Heritage Party 1
Standish Independents 1
TUSC 1
Wigan Independents 1

Results summary

2023 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election[12]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 64 6 3 Increase 3 85.3 60.9 96,342 Increase 7.9
  Conservative 2 0 5 Decrease 5 2.7 17.3 27,282 Decrease 9.0
  Independent 9 3 1 Increase 2 12.0 12.7 20,120 Increase 1.9
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 Steady 0 4.2 6,567 Decrease 1.2
  Leigh and Atherton Independents 0 0 0 Steady 0 2.2 3,514 Increase 0.3
  Wigan Independents 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.7 1,102 Decrease 0.5
  Reform UK 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.6 963 New
  Standish Independents 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.5 795 Decrease 0.5
  UKIP 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.4 633 Increase 0.1
  Green 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.3 416 New
  Heritage 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.2 269 New
  TUSC 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.1 150 New

Vote share % changes are with respect to the 2022 election results.

Results

Incumbent councillors seeking re-election in their ward are marked with an asterisk (*). Turnout percentage changes are all relative to the 2022 turnouts for the respective wards.

Abram

Abram (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martyn Smethurst* 1,291 58.8
Labour Eunice Smethurst* 1,253 57.1
Labour Nazia Rehman 1,079 49.1
Independent David Bowker 646 29.4
Conservative Janet Walch 378 17.2
Liberal Democrats Graham Suddick 361 16.4
Turnout 2,196 21.1 Decrease 1.5
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Ashton-in-Makerfield South

Ashton-in-Makerfield South (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Danny Fletcher* 1,530 64.7
Labour Jenny Bullen* 1,033 43.7
Labour Andrew Bullen* 989 41.9
Independent Gary Wilkes 733 31.0
Independent Joanne Bradley 502 21.2
Independent Stephen Hanway 476 20.1
Conservative Paul Martin 403 17.1
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Stephen Matthews 149 6.3
Turnout 2,363 26.9 Decrease 0.2
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Aspull, New Springs & Whelley

Aspull, New Springs & Whelley (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Ready* 1,836 70.5
Labour Ron Conway* 1,835 70.5
Labour Laura Jean Flynn* 1,624 62.4
Conservative Gerard Joseph Houlton 556 21.4
UKIP Carl Davies 406 15.6
Turnout 2,603 27.9 Decrease 0.7
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Astley

Astley (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christine Lilian Roberts* 1,816 57.4
Labour Paula Anne Wakefield* 1,743 55.1
Labour Barry John Taylor* 1,617 51.1
Conservative Trevor Halliwell Barton 1,058 33.4
Conservative Eileen Patricia Strathearn 949 30.0
Conservative David John Stirzaker 817 25.8
Heritage Sandra Elizabeth Robinson 269 8.5
Liberal Democrats Sean Andrew Roocroft 253 8.0
Turnout 3,164 29.5 Decrease 2.8
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Atherton North

Atherton North (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Stuart Andrew Gerrard* 1,481 54.8
Independent Jamie Hodgkinson* 1,420 52.5
Independent James Paul Watson* 1,119 41.4
Labour Julie Ann Hilling 899 33.3
Labour Paul James Blinkhorn 854 31.6
Labour Matthew Lewis Brown 698 25.8
Atherton North Independent Quinton John Smith 349 12.9
Conservative Keith Barton 186 6.9
Atherton North Independent Rick Carter 145 5.4
Independent Martin James Farrimond 81 3.0
Turnout 2,703 26.6 Increase 0.3
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing

Atherton South & Lilford

Atherton South & Lilford (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Arthur Harding* 1,383 50.1
Labour Debra Susan Ann Wailes* 1,362 49.3
Labour Lee Robert Mcstein 1,206 43.6
Independent Rachael Flaszczak 900 32.6
Independent Anthony Thomas Waite 784 28.4
Leigh and Atherton Independent Cameron John Smith 532 19.3
Independent Mary Halliday 520 18.8
Conservative Kathryn Eirlys Williams 391 14.2
Leigh and Atherton Independent Luke Greenhalgh 279 10.1
Turnout 2,763 26.7 Increase 1.5
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North

Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Steve Jones* 1,485 60.4
Independent Sylvia Wilkinson* 1,122 45.7
Independent Scarlett Rose Myler 1,087 44.2
Labour Margaret Therese Gaffney 670 27.3
Labour Samantha Joyce Lloyd 626 25.5
Labour Sandra Mary Swift 599 24.4
Independent John Cookson 551 22.4
Conservative Marie Winstanley 166 6.8
Turnout 2,457 27.4 Decrease 2.6
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Douglas

Douglas (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Gwendoline Callaghan* 1,236 64.1
Labour Patricia Draper* 1,216 63.0
Labour Matthew Thomas Dawber 1,180 61.2
Green Peter Jacobs 416 21.6
Conservative Margaret Atherton 380 19.7
Turnout 1,929 20.2 Decrease 0.3
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Golborne & Lowton West

Golborne & Lowton West (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Yvonne Marie Klieve* 1,501 64.8
Labour Gena Merrett* 1,362 58.8
Labour Susan Gambles* 1,320 57.0
Conservative Stanley Crook 460 19.9
Conservative Angela anne Roberts 418 18.0
Conservative Richard Byrom Houlton 409 17.7
Reform UK Brian Aspinall 276 11.9
Liberal Democrats Stuart John Worthington 187 8.1
Turnout 2,317 25.4 Decrease 2.9
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Hindley

Hindley (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul John Blay* 1,154 49.2
Labour Jim Churton 1,037 44.2
Labour James Talbot* 1,003 42.8
Independent Jim Ellis* 804 34.3
Independent Susan Jane Ellis 519 22.1
Independent David Joseph Culshaw 473 20.2
Independent Hilda Bridget Byrne 355 15.1
UKIP Jordan James Gaskell 227 9.7
Conservative Frederick John Stuart 196 8.4
Liberal Democrats John Charles Skipworth 186 7.9
Turnout 2,346 23.7 Increase 0.4
Labour hold Swing
Labour gain from Independent Swing
Labour hold Swing

Hindley Green

Hindley Green (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Bob Brierley* 1,150 47.4
Labour John Melville Vickers* 1,139 46.9
Labour Jim Palmer* 1,117 46.0
Labour David Josiah Aitchison 1,054 43.4
Independent Mark James Prescott 667 27.5
Conservative Paul John Chapman 361 14.9
Liberal Democrats Gary John Skipworth 212 8.7
Turnout 2,427 26.4 Increase 0.5
Independent hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Ince

Ince (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Maureen Ann O'Bern 1,106 53.1
Labour David Trevor Molyneux* 965 46.4
Labour Janice Sharratt* 808 38.8
Labour James Moodie* 713 34.3
Conservative Allan Atherton 277 13.3
Turnout 2,081 22.5 Increase 3.8
Independent gain from Labour Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Leigh Central & Higher Folds

Leigh Central & Higher Folds (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Keith Cunliffe* 1,472 65.1
Labour Shelley Guest* 1,415 62.6
Labour Fred Walker* 1,207 53.4
Leigh Central Independent James Edward Morley 431 19.1
Conservative Jean Dickinson 404 17.9
Leigh Central Independent Dave Fraser 360 15.9
Leigh Central Independent Hannah Elizabeth Sephton 357 15.8
Liberal Democrats Andrew Julian Lee Holland 149 6.6
Turnout 2,261 21.6 Decrease 4.1
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Leigh South

Leigh South (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevin Anderson* 1,579 59.6
Labour John David O'Brien* 1,529 57.7
Labour Charles Rigby* 1,390 52.5
Conservative James Falle Geddes 769 29.0
Conservative Dominic Alexis Sutton 710 26.8
Conservative Mark Michael Temperton 685 25.9
Liberal Democrats Christopher John Noon 468 17.7
Turnout 2,649 28.3 Decrease 1.0
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Leigh West

Leigh West (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dane Kevan Anderton* 1,386 60.9
Labour Samantha Clare Brown* 1,375 60.4
Labour Sue Greensmith* 1,312 57.6
Conservative Marie Elizabeth Cooper 383 16.8
Leigh West Independent David John Evans 367 16.1
Leigh West Independent Jayson Allan Hargreaves 352 15.5
Leigh West Independent Rodney Halliwell 342 15.0
Liberal Democrats Simon Paul Brooks 199 8.7
Turnout 2,276 20.8 Decrease 1.9
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Lowton East

Lowton East (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jenny Gregory 1,820 48.2
Labour Garry Peter Lloyd 1,818 48.2
Conservative Kathleen Houlton* 1,751 46.4
Conservative Sheila Gough 1,734 45.9
Labour Tracy Ann Croft 1,705 45.2
Conservative Edward Noel Houlton* 1,683 44.6
Turnout 3,774 34.0 Decrease 1.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Orrell

Orrell (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Ian Tebbutt 1,429 48.3
Labour Jim Nicholson 1,317 44.5
Labour Anne Collins 1,310 44.2
Conservative Michael William Winstanley 1,259 42.5
Conservative Marjorie Clayton* 1,194 40.3
Conservative Paul Kevin Bannister 1,144 38.6
Liberal Democrats Neil Duncan Stevenson 369 12.5
Turnout 2,961 31.4 Decrease 1.2
Labour hold Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Pemberton

Pemberton (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jeanette Prescott* 1,102 58.9
Labour Paul Prescott* 1,033 55.2
Labour Eileen Winifred Rigby* 890 47.6
Independent Tony Porter 515 27.5
Conservative Jean Margaret Peet 360 19.3
Liberal Democrats David John Burley 321 17.2
Turnout 1,870 19.6 Decrease 1.0
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor

Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Anthony Collins* 1,661 50.5
Labour Michael John Crosby* 1,477 44.9
Labour Vicky Galligan* 1,382 42.0
Shevington Independents part of Wigan Independents Gareth William Fairhurst 1,102 33.5
Conservative Michael Colin Owens 710 21.6
Conservative Niall Mark El-Assaadd 528 16.1
Liberal Democrats Vincent Dean Holgate 433 13.2
Turnout 3,287 33.4 Increase 0.5
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Standish with Langtree

Standish with Langtree (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Debbie Parkinson* 1,705 47.7
Conservative Raymond Whittingham* 1,411 39.5
Labour Terry Mugan 1,303 36.5
Conservative Judith Atherton* 1,301 36.4
Labour Samuel Floyd Flemming 1,203 33.7
Conservative Gary Robinson 1,082 30.3
Standish Independents Debbie Fairhurst 795 22.2
Reform UK Andy Dawber 260 7.3
TUSC Sharon Holden 150 4.2
Turnout 3,574 31.6 Increase 0.6
Labour hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Tyldesley & Mosley Common

Tyldesley & Mosley Common (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joanne Marshall* 1,425 56.4
Labour Jess Eastoe 1,304 51.6
Independent James Anthony Fish 979 38.7
Labour Farai Nhakaniso 940 37.2
Conservative Ashley Mccarrick 626 24.8
Turnout 2,528 26.1 Increase 0.2
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Wigan Central

Wigan Central (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lawrence Hunt* 1,711 61.7
Labour George Davies* 1,578 56.9
Labour Michael Mcloughlin* 1,419 51.1
Conservative Mark Nicholas Frith 832 30.0
Liberal Democrats Brian Dennis Whitney 666 24.0
Turnout 2,775 29.7 Decrease 0.7
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Wigan West

Wigan West (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Phyll Cullen* 1,492 60.2
Labour David Anthony Wood 1,251 50.5
Labour Sheila Rosaleen Ramsdale 1,206 48.7
Liberal Democrats Ian Dyer 777 31.4
Liberal Democrats Stuart David Thomas 528 21.3
Liberal Democrats Brian Craig Duff Crombie-Fisher 499 20.1
Conservative Adam James Marsh 320 12.9
Turnout 2,478 25.3 Decrease 2.2
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Winstanley

Winstanley (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Terence Kenny* 1,436 61.3
Labour Marie Teresa Morgan* 1,344 57.3
Labour Clive William Morgan* 1,244 53.1
Conservative Margaret Mary Winstanley 563 24.0
Liberal Democrats Robert Duncan Stevenson 498 21.2
Reform UK Robert Francis Kenyon 427 18.2
Turnout 2,344 26.2 Decrease 0.4
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Worsley Mesnes

Worsley Mesnes (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Roland Hurst* 1,416 65.1
Labour Helen Louise O'Neill 1,009 46.4
Labour Paul David James Molyneux 999 46.0
Independent Danny Cooke 645 29.7
Conservative Susan Atherton 428 19.7
Liberal Democrats Donald John Macnamara 312 14.4
Turnout 2,174 24.4 Decrease 1.1
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. ^ Of the seven independent councillors prior to the election, four formed the "Independent Network" led by Stuart Gerrard, and the other three were described as "Independent"
  1. ^ "Your councillors". Wigan Council. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  2. ^ Fielding, Sean (14 April 2023). "What do the local elections nominations tell us about the state of the parties?". Place North West. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Wigan election result". BBC News. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  4. ^ Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  5. ^ "The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  6. ^ a b "The Wigan (Electoral Changes) Order 2022". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b Lythgoe, George (5 April 2023). "All the candidates standing at the 2023 local elections in Wigan". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  8. ^ Gee, Chris; Green, Charlotte; Jackson, Nick; Lythgoe, George (7 April 2023). "Every candidate standing in every one of Greater Manchester's ten boroughs at the 2023 local elections". Manchester Evening News.
  9. ^ "Local elections 2023". Lowton and Golborne News. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  10. ^ "'Labour dominance continues in Wigan as Conservatives win just two seats in local elections'". Wigan Today. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated for Local Election" (PDF). Wigan Council. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  12. ^ "'Wigan council local elections 2023 results in full'". Manchester Evening News. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.