Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council elections are generally held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time. Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, generally known as Oldham Council, is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, 60 councillors have been elected from 20 wards.[1] New ward boundaries are due to come into effect from the 2023 election.[2]
Political control[edit]
From 1889 to 1974 Oldham was a county borough, independent of any county council.[3] Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a metropolitan borough, with Greater Manchester County Council providing county-level services. The first election to the reconstituted borough council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Greater Manchester County Council was abolished in 1986 and Oldham became a unitary authority. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[4][5]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1973–1976 | |
| No overall control | 1976–1978 | |
| Conservative | 1978–1980 | |
| Labour | 1980–1994 | |
| No overall control | 1994–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–2000 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2000–2002 | |
| No overall control | 2002–2003 | |
| Labour | 2003–2007 | |
| No overall control | 2007–2011 | |
| Labour | 2011–present | |
Leadership[edit]
The leaders of the council since 1974 have been:[6]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Hilton | Labour | 1974 | 1976 | |
| Geoffrey Webb | Conservative | 1976 | 1978 | |
| Malcolm Bamford | Conservative | 1978 | 1979 | |
| Geoffrey Webb | Conservative | 1979 | 1980 | |
| Joseph Hilton | Labour | 1980 | 1985 | |
| John Battye[7] | Labour | 1985 | 2000 | |
| Richard Knowles | Liberal Democrats | 2000 | 2003 | |
| David Jones | Labour | 2003 | 21 May 2008 | |
| Howard Sykes | Liberal Democrats | 21 May 2008 | 25 May 2011 | |
| Jim McMahon[8] | Labour | 25 May 2011 | 15 Jan 2016 | |
| Jean Stretton | Labour | 27 Jan 2016 | 23 May 2018 | |
| Sean Fielding | Labour | 23 May 2018 | 9 May 2021 | |
| Arooj Shah | Labour | 19 May 2021 | 8 May 2022 | |
| Amanda Chadderton | Labour | 25 May 2022 | 9 May 2023 | |
| Arooj Shah | Labour | 9 May 2023 | Incumbent | |
Council elections[edit]
- 1998 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 1999 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2000 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2002 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2003 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2004 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election (whole Metropolitan Borough Council elected after boundary changes)[1][9]
- 2006 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2007 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2008 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2010 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2011 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2012 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2014 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2015 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2016 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2018 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2019 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2021 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2022 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2023 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election
Changes between elections[edit]
Pre-2004 boundaries[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jim McMahon | 2,045 | 68.0 | +2.6 | |
| BNP | Charles Styles | 539 | 17.9 | +17.9 | |
| Conservative | Paul Martin | 296 | 9.8 | -17.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Keith Pendlebury | 128 | 4.3 | -3.4 | |
| Majority | 1,506 | 50.1 | |||
| Turnout | 3,008 | 37.1 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
2004 boundaries[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Barbara Beeley | 908 | 51.3 | -3.7 | |
| Labour | Stephen Exton | 416 | 23.5 | +4.7 | |
| Conservative | Vincent Lord | 243 | 13.7 | -12.5 | |
| BNP | Martin Brierley | 202 | 11.4 | +11.4 | |
| Majority | 492 | 27.8 | |||
| Turnout | 1,769 | 22.0 | |||
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Norman Briggs | 1,199 | 79.0 | -5.9 | |
| UKIP | Carrol Ashton | 209 | 13.8 | +13.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ron Wise | 109 | 7.2 | -7.9 | |
| Majority | 990 | 65.3 | |||
| Turnout | 1,517 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Elaine Garry | 832 | 54.1 | -6.8 | |
| UKIP | Warren Bates | 489 | 31.8 | -1.5 | |
| Conservative | Lewis Quigg | 122 | 7.9 | +7.9 | |
| Green | Jean Betteridge | 68 | 4.4 | +4.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Dinoff | 26 | 1.7 | -4.2 | |
| Majority | 343 | 22.3 | |||
| Turnout | 1,537 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Marie Bashforth | 938 | 63.7 | -6.1 | |
| Conservative | Allan Fish | 244 | 16.6 | -7.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Stephen Barrow | 221 | 15.0 | +9.0 | |
| Green | Roger Pakeman | 70 | 4.8 | +4.8 | |
| Majority | 694 | 47.1 | |||
| Turnout | 1,473 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Zahid Chauhan | 1,553 | 70.7 | +24.3 | |
| UKIP | Derek Fletcher | 412 | 18.8 | +18.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Kevin Dawson | 96 | 4.4 | -14.4 | |
| Conservative | Neil Allsopp | 80 | 3.6 | -31.2 | |
| Green | Miranda Meadowcroft | 55 | 2.5 | +2.5 | |
| Majority | 1,141 | 52.0 | |||
| Turnout | 2,196 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Paul Jacques | 829 | 58.4 | -7.3 | |
| Conservative | Antony Cahill | 360 | 25.4 | +1.7 | |
| UKIP | Nicholas Godleman | 166 | 11.7 | +11.7 | |
| Green | Andy Hunter-Rossall | 49 | 3.5 | -4.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Shaun Duffy | 16 | 1.1 | -1.8 | |
| Majority | 469 | 33.0 | |||
| Turnout | 1,420 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Paul Jacques | 2,504 | 49.6 | -0.3 | |
| Conservative | Alan Fish | 2,047 | 40.5 | +23.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Russ Gosling | 294 | 5.8 | -0.1 | |
| Green | Lina Shaw | 205 | 4.1 | +0.4 | |
| Majority | 457 | 9.0 | |||
| Turnout | 5,050 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Elizabeth Jacques | 677 | 58.5 | +5.3 | |
| Conservative | Antony Cahill | 336 | 29.0 | +0.5 | |
| Independent | Warren Bates | 94 | 8.1 | +8.1 | |
| UKIP | Paul Goldring | 32 | 2.8 | +2.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Stephen Barrow | 18 | 1.6 | +0.5 | |
| Majority | 341 | 29.5 | |||
| Turnout | 1,157 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
References[edit]
- ^ a b "The Oldham (Electoral Changes) Order 2004", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2004/124, retrieved 1 September 2004
- ^ "The Oldham (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/778, retrieved 1 September 2022
- ^ "Oldham Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Oldham". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
- ^ "Council minutes". Oldham Council. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ Schaefer, Sarah (6 May 2000). "'Neglected' core voters of Oldham send a warning". The Independent. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ Belmore, Aimee (20 January 2016). "Oldham Council to hold special meeting to select new leader". Saddleworth Independent. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
- ^ "Oldham Council by-election results 5 July 2007". Oldham Council. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Failsworth East Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Failsworth West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Royton South Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Alexandra Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Failsworth East Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Royton North Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Failsworth East Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
