# 2019 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2019 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2019 to elect members of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.

## Overall Results

Vote share changes compared to 2018.
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council :
| 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 | 16 | 1 | 80.0 | 31 | 47 | 78.3 | 23,461 | 49.36 | -2.73 |
| | Conservative | 3 | 1 | 15.0 | 6 | 9 | 15.0 | 10,110 | 21.27 | -5.70 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | | 5.0 | 3 | 4 | 6.7 | 5,156 | 10.85 | -2.17 |
| | UKIP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7,069 | 14.87 | +10.93 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1,731 | 3.64 | +2.34 |

## Ward results

Councillors seeking re-election are marked with an asterisk; they were last elected in 2015 and changes are compared to that year's election.

### Balderstone & Kirkholt

Balderstone & Kirkholt :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Daniel Joseph Meredith* | 880 | 45.0 | −1.4 |
| | UKIP | Guy Bradley | 380 | 19.4 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Ann Colclough | 369 | 18.9 | +9.1 |
| | Conservative | John Kershaw | 204 | 10.4 | −4.6 |
| | Green | James O'Meara | 124 | 6.3 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 500 | 25.5 | +4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,957 | 25 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.15 | |

### Bamford

Bamford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patricia Sullivan* | 1,499 | 47.8 | +7.5 |
| | Labour | Mohammad Arshad | 1,048 | 33.4 | +1.9 |
| | UKIP | Stephen Sanderson | 251 | 8.0 | −12.2 |
| | Green | Sarah Croke | 199 | 6.3 | n/a |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barrie Nicholson | 140 | 4.5 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 451 | 14.4 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,137 | 41 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.8 | |

### Castleton

Castleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jean Gladys Hornby* | 1,035 | 47.5 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | Michael Cullen | 481 | 22.1 | +7.7 |
| | UKIP | Mark Izzo | 375 | 17.2 | −13.9 |
| | Green | Jonathan Kershaw | 197 | 9.0 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Thornley | 91 | 4.2 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 554 | 25.4 | +12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,179 | 28 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.9 | |

### Central Rochdale

Central Rochdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ali Ahmed* | 2,292 | 78.7 | +35.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rifat Mahmood | 422 | 14.5 | n/a |
| | Conservative | Roger Howarth | 200 | 6.9 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,870 | 64.2 | +29.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,914 | 39 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.3 | |

### East Middleton

East Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Donna Martin* | 1,162 | 57.4 | +7.5 |
| | UKIP | Robert Mudd | 520 | 25.7 | −4.0 |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Holt | 342 | 16.9 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 642 | 31.7 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,143 | 26 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.75 | |

### Healey

Healey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shah Wazir* | 1,190 | 46.2 | +14.6 |
| | Conservative | Robert McLean | 582 | 22.6 | −6.2 |
| | UKIP | Fredrick Willis | 440 | 17.1 | −8.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Rogers | 365 | 14.2 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 608 | 23.6 | +20.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,577 | 33 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.4 | |

### Hopwood Hall

Hopwood Hall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Susan Emmott* | 1,095 | 51.5 | +6.8 |
| | UKIP | Angela Gardner | 572 | 26.9 | −8.0 |
| | Conservative | Paul Ellison | 460 | 21.6 | +7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 523 | 24.6 | +14.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,127 | 25 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.4 | |

### Kingsway

Kingsway :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elsie Wraighte | 1,778 | 70.2 | +11.7 |
| | Green | Mark Hollinrake | 268 | 10.6 | +6.9 |
| | Conservative | Richard Duckworth | 267 | 10.5 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Hughes | 221 | 8.7 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,510 | 59.6 | +20.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,534 | 29 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.4 | |

### Littleborough Lakeside

Littleborough Lakeside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Besford | 879 | 34.7 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Ann Stott* | 687 | 27.1 | −7.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathryn Clegg | 433 | 17.1 | n/a |
| | UKIP | Stephen Mitchell | 336 | 13.3 | −11.1 |
| | Green | Stuart Howard-Cofield | 196 | 7.7 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 192 | 7.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,532 | 32 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.1 | |

### Mikstone & Deeplish

Milkstone & Deeplish :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohammed Zaman* | 2,142 | 83.8 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Eden-Maughan | 145 | 5.7 | −0.4 |
| | Green | Feruz Ali | 134 | 5.2 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | Keith Taylor | 134 | 5.2 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,997 | 78.2 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,555 | 33 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.25 | |

### Milnrow & Newhey

Milnrow & Newhey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andy Kelly* | 1,714 | 60.0 | +21.2 |
| | Labour | Neil Butterworth | 595 | 20.8 | −4.1 |
| | UKIP | Hillary Smith | 362 | 12.7 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative | George Carpenter | 184 | 6.4 | −7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,119 | 39.2 | +25.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,855 | 36 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +12.65 | |

### Norden

Norden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Winkler* | 1,428 | 55.2 | +8.7 |
| | Labour | Shaukat Ali | 483 | 18.7 | −1.7 |
| | UKIP | Beverley Taylor-King | 270 | 10.4 | −13.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Sarbutts | 218 | 8.4 | +3.4 |
| | Green | Adam Mir | 187 | 7.2 | +3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 945 | 36.5 | +14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,586 | 33 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.2 | |

### North Heywood

North Heywood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ray Dutton* | 968 | 54.8 | +16.7 |
| | UKIP | Bernard Akin | 526 | 29.8 | −1.6 |
| | Conservative | Adrian Coan | 274 | 15.5 | +7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 442 | 25.0 | +18.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17.68 | 23 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.15 | |

### North Middleton

North Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sara Louise Rowbotham* | 1,061 | 54.8 | +3.8 |
| | UKIP | Thomas Barnes | 592 | 30.6 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative | Rachel McLachlan | 284 | 14.7 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 469 | 24.2 | +6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,937 | 25 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.1 | |

### Smallbridge & Firgrove

Smallbridge & Firgrove :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Aftab Hussain* | 1,335 | 58.7 | +11.9 |
| | UKIP | Laurent Baudry | 410 | 18.0 | −12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eleanor Kelly | 294 | 12.9 | +9.2 |
| | Conservative | Keith Branton | 234 | 10.3 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 925 | 40.7 | +23.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,273 | 28 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.95 | |

### South Middleton

South Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Williams* | 1,184 | 47.7 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Anstee | 648 | 26.1 | +2.8 |
| | UKIP | Philip Partington | 440 | 17.7 | −9.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sue Curzon | 212 | 8.5 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 536 | 21.6 | +6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,484 | 32 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.4 | |

### Spotland & Falinge

Spotland & Falinge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rachel Massey | 1,692 | 61.7 | +14.4 |
| | Conservative | Steven Scholes | 429 | 15.6 | +1.8 |
| | Green | Mick Coats | 426 | 15.5 | +10.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joseph Marsden | 196 | 7.1 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,263 | 46.0 | +20.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,743 | 33 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.3 | |

### Wardle & West Littleborough

Wardle & West Littleborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rina Paolucci-Escobar* | 1,213 | 49.2 | +3.6 |
| | Labour | Julian Farnell | 595 | 24.1 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Clegg | 336 | 13.6 | +7.4 |
| | UKIP | Robert Neave | 320 | 13.0 | −7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 618 | 25.1 | +2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,464 | 31 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.35 | |

### West Heywood

West Heywood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jacqui Beswick* | 958 | 49.3 | +1.1 |
| | UKIP | Michael O'Brien | 699 | 36.0 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Darren Bayman | 287 | 14.8 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 259 | 13.3 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,944 | 22 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.3 | |

### West Middleton

West Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Philip Burke* | 1,089 | 56.2 | −1.0 |
| | UKIP | Lee Seville | 576 | 29.7 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Neilson | 273 | 14.1 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 513 | 26.5 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,938 | 21 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.05 | |

## By-elections and other changes

Councillor Alan McCarthy (elected 2018 for Labour in the West Heywood ward) defected from Labour to the Brexit Party on 4 July 2019. Joined Conservative Party June 2021
Councillor Jacqui Beswick (elected 2019 for Labour in the West Heywood ward) resigned from the Labour party on 4 July 2019 to sit as an independent. Joined Conservative Party June 2021
Councillor Kath Nickson (elected 2018 for Labour in the Balderstone & Kirkholt ward) defected from the Liberal Democrats to the Brexit Party on 10 July 2019. Now sits as Conservative
Former council leader Richard Farnell (elected 2016 for Labour in the Balderstone & Kirkholt ward) resigned from the Labour Party on 18 July 2019 to sit as an independent. He had been suspended since April 2018 after a national child abuse inquiry found he lied under oath. In a statement he said he had "no confidence" he would receive a fair disciplinary hearing and could "no longer support a party led by Jeremy Corbyn".