# 2024 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2024 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council elections took 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 were contested. The council remained under Labour majority control.

## Background

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.
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.

## 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. 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.

## Summary

Labour lost two seats to the Workers Party of Britain, but retained its overall majority on the council.

### Election result

2024 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Labour | 14 | 2 | 70.0 | 30 | 44 | 73.3 | 22,717 | 42.1 | –9.1 |
| | Conservative | 3 | | 15.0 | 6 | 9 | 15.0 | 10,003 | 18.5 | –3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | | 5.0 | 2 | 3 | 5.0 | 6,345 | 11.8 | +0.3 |
| | Workers Party | 2 | 2 | 10.0 | 0 | 2 | 3.3 | 7,234 | 13.4 | N/A |
| | Middleton Ind. | 0 | | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 3.3 | 3,971 | 7.4 | +0.8 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1,640 | 3.0 | –4.2 |
| | Independent | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1,262 | 2.3 | +1.1 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 788 | 1.5 | N/A |

## Ward results
### Balderstone & Kirkholt

Balderstone & Kirkholt :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Daniel Joseph Meredith | 1,086 | 52.9 | –5.5 |
| | Workers Party | William Howarth | 395 | 19.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Leonard Keith Branton | 298 | 14.5 | –8.9 |
| | Green | Mick Coats | 150 | 7.3 | –2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Swarbrick | 122 | 5.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 691 | 33.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,051 | 24.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,277 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold |

### Bamford

Bamford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Philip Michael Beal | 1,394 | 42.1 | –11.7 |
| | Labour Co-op | Lewis Chadwick Woodall | 850 | 25.6 | –9.6 |
| | Workers Party | Jamil Akhtar | 794 | 24.0 | N/A |
| | Green | Peter Corby | 182 | 5.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Zarah Kauser | 95 | 2.9 | –8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 544 | 16.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,344 | 40.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,176 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.1 | |

### Castleton

Castleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Aisling Gallagher* | 899 | 34.8 | –4.6 |
| | Independent | David Jones | 569 | 22.0 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Thomas Bywater | 413 | 16.0 | –5.1 |
| | Workers Party | Thomas James Byrne | 391 | 15.1 | N/A |
| | Green | Jonathan Edward Kershaw | 183 | 7.1 | –2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sharon Harrison | 132 | 5.1 | –5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 330 | 12.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,602 | 33.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,847 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.4 | |

### Central Rochdale

Central Rochdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Workers Party | Farooq Ahmed | 2,016 | 53.0 | N/A |
| | Labour | Ali Ahmed* | 1,541 | 40.5 | –32.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Naveed Akhtar | 144 | 3.8 | –13.8 |
| | Conservative | Shajan Ali | 106 | 2.8 | –6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 475 | 12.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,855 | 42.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,099 | | |
| | Workers Party gain from Labour | Workers Party gain from Labour | Workers Party gain from Labour | Workers Party gain from Labour | Workers Party gain from Labour |

### East Middleton

East Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dylan James Williams* | 1,974 | 67.9 | +6.2 |
| | Middleton Ind. | Bernard Peter Wynne | 709 | 24.4 | –2.7 |
| | Conservative | Gillian Louise Jackson | 183 | 6.3 | –4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barrie Nicholson | 40 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,265 | 43.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,910 | 34.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,468 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.5 | |

### Healey

Healey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shah Wazir | 1,086 | 37.7 | –31.2 |
| | Conservative | Paul Simon Ellison | 618 | 21.5 | –1.1 |
| | Workers Party | Amr Nazir | 591 | 20.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andy Lord | 487 | 16.9 | +8.4 |
| | Green | Anja Jungmayr | 96 | 3.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 468 | 16.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,903 | 36.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,904 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 15.1 | |

### Hopwood Hall

Hopwood Hall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Carol Elizabeth Wardle* | 1,220 | 50.1 | –14.8 |
| | Reform UK | Steve Potter | 380 | 15.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Claudius Chonzi | 346 | 14.2 | –4.5 |
| | Middleton Ind. | Caitlin Victoria O'mara | 302 | 12.4 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iain Donaldson | 189 | 7.8 | +3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 840 | 34.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,462 | 28.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,592 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Kingsway

Kingsway :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Daalat Ali* | 1,197 | 41.6 | –27.0 |
| | Workers Party | Haroon Nawaz Khan | 811 | 28.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Saghir Ahmed | 323 | 11.2 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Lynn Butterworth | 297 | 10.3 | –5.7 |
| | Green | Mark Hollinrake | 247 | 8.6 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 386 | 13.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,902 | 34.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,346 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Littleborough Lakeside

Littleborough Lakeside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Tom Besford* | 1,436 | 54.9 | +10.8 |
| | Conservative | Ian Spencer Jackson | 946 | 36.1 | –7.8 |
| | Green | Hannah Macguire | 182 | 7.0 | –2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Safina Kauser | 36 | 1.4 | –1.2 |
| | Workers Party | Uzair Mehmood | 17 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 490 | 18.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,640 | 36.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,342 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 9.3 | |

### Milkstone & Deeplish

Milkstone & Deeplish :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Workers Party | Minaam Ellahi | 1,812 | 62.4 | N/A |
| | Labour | Shahid Mohammed* | 713 | 24.5 | –55.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rifat Mahmood | 152 | 5.2 | –4.6 |
| | Conservative | Philip Edward Starr | 118 | 4.1 | –2.1 |
| | Green | Feruz Ali | 111 | 3.8 | –0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,099 | 37.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,906 | 37.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,778 | | |
| | Workers Party gain from Labour | Workers Party gain from Labour | Workers Party gain from Labour | Workers Party gain from Labour | Workers Party gain from Labour |

### Milnrow & Newhey

Milnrow & Newhey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andy Kelly* | 1,684 | 55.6 | +8.4 |
| | Labour | Avis Kay Gilmore | 936 | 30.9 | –3.1 |
| | Conservative | Aidan James Forshaw | 233 | 7.7 | –5.0 |
| | Green | Feruz Ali | 111 | 3.7 | –2.4 |
| | Workers Party | Jordan Rashida | 64 | 2.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 748 | 24.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,050 | 36.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,452 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 5.8 | |

### Norden

Norden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Winkler* | 1,448 | 48.5 | –5.4 |
| | Labour | Sue Moore-Holmes | 968 | 32.4 | +8.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephanie Robertson | 233 | 7.8 | –6.3 |
| | Green | Sarah Croke | 188 | 6.3 | –2.1 |
| | Workers Party | Sana Aziz | 147 | 4.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 480 | 16.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,005 | 37.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,050 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 7.2 | |

### North Heywood

North Heywood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul O'Neill | 1,009 | 53.2 | –25.4 |
| | Reform UK | Mike Howard | 408 | 21.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Jordan Tarrant-Short | 305 | 16.1 | –5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Kelly | 109 | 5.7 | N/A |
| | Workers Party | Saliah Begum | 66 | 3.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 601 | 31.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,913 | 24.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,942 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### North Middleton

North Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kathryn Bromfield | 1,294 | 48.3 | –1.7 |
| | Middleton Ind. | Keely O'Mara | 1,163 | 43.4 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Aaron Slack | 177 | 6.6 | –2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chariss Peacock | 46 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 131 | 4.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,690 | 29.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,987 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.0 | |

### Smallbridge & Firgrove

Smallbridge & Firgrove :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Blundell* | 1,094 | 48.0 | –3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Zulfiqar Ali | 820 | 36.0 | +9.1 |
| | Conservative | Eileen Taylor | 365 | 16.0 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 274 | 12.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,336 | 27.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,516 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 6.2 | |

### South Middleton

South Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | June West* | 1,571 | 51.0 | –0.8 |
| | Middleton Ind. | Lee Wolf | 1,030 | 33.4 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | Tracy Furnell | 389 | 12.6 | –3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tony Hughes | 91 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 541 | 17.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,103 | 35.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,726 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.2 | |

### Spotland & Falinge

Spotland & Falinge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Faisal Rana* | 1,297 | 42.6 | –6.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rabina Asghar | 849 | 27.9 | –10.2 |
| | Independent | Carl Faulkner | 693 | 22.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Ann Conway | 208 | 6.8 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 448 | 14.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,064 | 35.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,585 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.8 | |

### Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough

Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Adam Branton | 1,515 | 60.3 | +0.7 |
| | Labour | Farhat Kazmi | 442 | 17.6 | –9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kim Ho | 317 | 12.6 | +6.8 |
| | Green | Martyn Savin | 190 | 7.6 | +0.2 |
| | Workers Party | Ali Shahid | 49 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,073 | 42.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,540 | 30.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,276 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 5.2 | |

### West Heywood

West Heywood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Joinson | 1,080 | 53.0 | –7.4 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Spencer-Jones | 490 | 24.0 | –3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tom Shaw | 387 | 19.0 | +7.2 |
| | Workers Party | Umar Malik | 81 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 590 | 29.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,064 | 23.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,709 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.9 | |

### West Middleton

West Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Susan Smith* | 1,024 | 50.3 | –10.6 |
| | Middleton Ind. | Janene Walker | 767 | 37.7 | +12.1 |
| | Conservative | Matt Roughsedge | 154 | 7.6 | –0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nikki Edwards | 89 | 4.4 | –0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 257 | 12.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,047 | 27.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,475 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 11.4 | |

## Changes 2024-2026
### By-elections
#### North Middleton

North Middleton by-election: 31 October 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Middleton Ind. | Keeley O'Mara | 812 | 51.7 | +8.3 |
| | Labour | Donna Martin | 572 | 36.4 | –11.9 |
| | Conservative | Sajid Majid | 108 | 6.9 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iain Donaldson | 80 | 5.1 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 240 | 15.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,577 | 17.2 | –12.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,143 | | |
| | Middleton Ind. hold | Middleton Ind. hold | Swing | 10.1 | |