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
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
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
Changes between elections
Pre-2004 boundaries
Failsworth East by-election, 20 November 2003 (term ends 2004) 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
Saddleworth West and Lees by-election, 5 July 2007[10] 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 | | |
Failsworth East by-election 14 June 2012[11] 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 | | |
Failsworth West by-election 15 November 2012[12] 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 | | |
Royton South by-election 14 March 2013[13] 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 | | |
Alexandra by-election 9 May 2013[14] 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 | | |
Failsworth East by-election 16 February 2017[15] 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 | | |
Royton North by-election 8 June 2017[16] 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 | | |
Failsworth East by-election 29 November 2018[17] 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
- ^ 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.
External links
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