# 1998 Manchester City Council election

Elections to Manchester Council were held on Thursday, 7 May 1998. One third of the council was up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a four-year term of office, expiring in 2002. A vacancy each in Ardwick and Harpurhey were also being contested. There were two Labour candidates for Barlow Moor ward, the result of de-selected Labour Councillor Arthur Maloney securing an official Labour Party nomination before he was replaced by a new candidate. The Independent Labour candidates stood as Labour Peace 2000. Overall turnout was 20.5%, with Labour retaining control of the council.

## Election result

Manchester Council Election Result 1998 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 85.7 | 52.9 | 34,027 | -7.2% |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14.3 | 28.5 | 18,294 | +6.5% |
| Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 12.8 | 8,261 | -0.2% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 2,200 | +0.5% |
| Socialist Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 997 | +1.5% |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 319 | +0.5% |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 47 | +0.1% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 42 | -0.3% |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 32 | -0.5% |
| Direct Action | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 28 | +0.0% |
| Independent Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 17 | +0.0% |
After the election, the composition of the council was as follows:
| Party | Seats | +/- |
| Labour | 84 | 0 |
| Liberal Democrats | 15 | 0 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

## Ward results
### Ardwick

Ardwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lawrence Murphy* | 653 | 66.0 | −10.5 |
| | Labour | Bernard Priest | 577 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Maloney | 118 | 11.9 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Gray | 107 | | |
| | Conservative | Fanny Davenport | 106 | 10.7 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative | John Davenport | 97 | | |
| | Green | Bruce Bingham | 56 | 5.7 | +2.4 |
| | Socialist Labour | Rachel Newton | 56 | 5.7 | +5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 459 | 54.1 | −12.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,770 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.9 | |

### Baguley

Baguley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Farrell* | 1,044 | 69.8 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | Robert Caddick | 291 | 19.5 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony McGarr | 161 | 10.8 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 753 | 50.3 | −8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,496 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.1 | |

### Barlow Moor

Barlow Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Leech | 1,671 | 57.8 | +9.3 |
| | Labour | Jonathan Whitehead | 779 | 26.9 | −14.5 |
| | Labour | Arthur Maloney* | 197 | 6.8 | −34.6 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Bumby | 178 | 6.2 | −0.9 |
| | Socialist Labour | Margaret Manning | 68 | 2.4 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 892 | 30.8 | +23.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,893 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +11.9 | |

### Benchill

Benchill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Harding* | 791 | 76.1 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janice Redmond | 178 | 17.1 | +7.8 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Green | 70 | 6.7 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 613 | 60.0 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,039 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.7 | |

### Beswick and Clayton

Beswick and Clayton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andrew Harland | 960 | 52.4 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martina Dunican* | 805 | 44.0 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Elena Stars | 66 | 3.6 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 8.5 | +6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,831 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +5.1 | |

### Blackley

Blackley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Lyons* | 1,043 | 68.4 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Rowland | 244 | 16.0 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Matthews | 237 | 15.6 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 799 | 52.4 | +1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,524 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.9 | |

### Bradford

Bradford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Swannick | 759 | 58.4 | −17.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Fairhurst | 449 | 34.5 | +20.5 |
| | Conservative | Joyce Haydock | 92 | 7.1 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 310 | 23.8 | −38.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,300 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -19.1 | |

### Brooklands

Brooklands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Glynn Evans* | 1,111 | 54.5 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Ian Bradshaw | 667 | 32.7 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Fisher | 260 | 12.8 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 444 | 21.8 | −1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,038 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.8 | |

### Burnage

Burnage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Marilyn Taylor* | 1,345 | 63.0 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Jeffrey Leach | 396 | 18.5 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Harrison | 325 | 15.2 | −0.6 |
| | Green | Jane Hutchins | 70 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 949 | 44.4 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,136 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.6 | |

### Central

Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Findlow* | 643 | 76.2 | −1.5 |
| | Green | William Kearns | 101 | 12.0 | +10.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Radcliffe | 100 | 11.8 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 542 | 64.2 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 844 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.9 | |

### Charlestown

Charlestown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Basil Curley* | 1,083 | 65.4 | −10.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rodney Isherwood | 322 | 19.5 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | Christine Saunders | 260 | 15.7 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 761 | 46.0 | −17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,655 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.5 | |

### Cheetham

Cheetham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Martin Pagel* | 1,153 | 46.7 | −36.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Qassim Afzal | 1,096 | 44.4 | +38.0 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Keller | 176 | 7.1 | +7.1 |
| | Independent | Ahmed Zubair | 42 | 1.7 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | 2.3 | −70.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,467 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -37.2 | |

### Chorlton

Chorlton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Bernard Selby* | 1,298 | 43.5 | −24.6 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Cleall-Hill | 624 | 20.9 | +3.0 |
| | Green | Julian Parry | 404 | 13.5 | +7.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cath Hall | 393 | 13.2 | +5.7 |
| | Socialist Labour | Evan Pritchard | 267 | 8.9 | +8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 674 | 22.6 | −27.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,986 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.8 | |

### Crumpsall

Crumpsall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alan Spinks* | 1,462 | 68.1 | −6.1 |
| | Conservative | Nigel Dugmore | 379 | 17.6 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Gordon | 307 | 14.3 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,083 | 50.4 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,148 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.1 | |

### Didsbury

Didsbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Bridson* | 1,700 | 43.5 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative | Peter Hilton | 1,051 | 26.9 | −5.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Sandiford | 1,009 | 25.8 | −2.3 |
| | Green | Tom McGahan | 147 | 3.8 | +3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 649 | 16.6 | +10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,907 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.4 | |

### Fallowfield

Fallowfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Morrison* | 900 | 53.4 | −16.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Hennigan | 267 | 15.8 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | Simon Davenport | 265 | 15.7 | +2.2 |
| | Independent Labour | Tommy Kelly | 108 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| | Green | Micheal Daw | 83 | 4.9 | −1.4 |
| | Socialist Labour | Paul Hepburn | 63 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 633 | 37.5 | −18.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,686 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.9 | |

### Gorton North

Gorton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Wendy Helsby* | 1,333 | 50.0 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | James Battle | 1,173 | 44.0 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative | Albert Walsh | 103 | 3.9 | −0.6 |
| | Socialist Labour | Alan Wardlaw | 55 | 2.1 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 160 | 6.0 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,664 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -1.8 | |

### Gorton South

Gorton South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Bridges* | 1,347 | 60.8 | +3.5 |
| | Labour | Christopher Lowe | 705 | 31.8 | −6.8 |
| | Conservative | Ann Hodkinson | 75 | 3.4 | +0.4 |
| | Green | Emma Hamilton | 61 | 2.8 | +1.7 |
| | Direct Action | James Piper | 28 | 1.3 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 642 | 29.0 | +10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,216 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +5.1 | |

### Harpurhey

Harpurhey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Pat Karney* | 804 | 63.8 | −8.7 |
| | Labour | Joanne Green | 761 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Steele | 300 | 23.8 | +12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arthur Tozowonah | 212 | | |
| | Conservative | Joan Coombes | 156 | 12.4 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | Henry Coombes | 151 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 461 | 40.0 | −20.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,260 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.3 | |

### Hulme

Hulme :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mary Murphy* | 508 | 63.4 | −10.6 |
| | Green | Melanie Jarman | 108 | 13.5 | +5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Graham | 88 | 11.0 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Paul Kierman | 62 | 7.7 | +0.5 |
| | Communist | Steve Riley | 18 | 2.2 | +2.2 |
| | Independent Liberal | Charles Lyn-Lloyd | 17 | 2.1 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 400 | 49.9 | −16.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 801 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.1 | |

### Levenshulme

Levenshulme :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Whitmore* | 1,550 | 57.7 | +0.5 |
| | Labour | Nicholas Macgregor | 771 | 28.7 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative | Paul Davies | 148 | 5.5 | +1.2 |
| | Socialist Labour | John Garratt | 104 | 3.9 | +3.9 |
| | Green | Simon Chislett | 81 | 3.0 | −0.2 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Andrew Pitts | 32 | 1.2 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 779 | 29.0 | +6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,686 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +3.1 | |

### Lightbowne

Lightbowne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kenneth Franklin* | 1,277 | 71.7 | −4.1 |
| | Conservative | William Clapham | 258 | 14.5 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Samantha McCormick | 247 | 13.9 | +5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,019 | 57.2 | −5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,782 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.5 | |

### Longsight

Longsight :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Razak Saeed | 1,314 | 55.9 | +9.0 |
| | Green | Spencer Fitzgibbon | 360 | 15.3 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Abu Chowdhury | 278 | 11.8 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | Paul Mostyn | 274 | 11.7 | −12.6 |
| | Socialist Labour | Hilary Partridge | 123 | 5.2 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 954 | 40.6 | +18.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,349 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.3 | |

### Moss Side

Moss Side :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Walters | 1,095 | 76.3 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doreen Dankyl | 143 | 10.0 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Mary Barnes | 126 | 8.8 | +1.2 |
| | Green | Teresa Romagnuolo | 43 | 3.0 | −2.3 |
| | Communist | John Pearson | 29 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 952 | 66.3 | −5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,436 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.7 | |

### Moston

Moston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Derek Shaw* | 1,248 | 64.6 | −8.3 |
| | Conservative | Gregory Skorzewski | 356 | 18.4 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joyce Laslett | 327 | 16.9 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 892 | 46.2 | −11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,931 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.7 | |

### Newton Heath

Newton Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mathis Smitheman | 1,051 | 80.4 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Raymond Wattenbach | 132 | 10.1 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbera McKay | 124 | 9.5 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 919 | 70.3 | +0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,307 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.1 | |

### Northenden

Northenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Cowell | 1,205 | 56.2 | −12.8 |
| | Conservative | Richard West | 394 | 18.4 | +0.3 |
| | Green | Lance Crookes | 324 | 15.1 | +10.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeanette McKay | 222 | 10.3 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 811 | 37.8 | −13.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,145 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.5 | |

### Old Moat

Old Moat :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andrew Fender* | 1,396 | 49.8 | −17.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Yasmen Zalzala | 1,031 | 36.8 | +26.6 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Brown | 213 | 7.6 | −6.0 |
| | Green | Lucy Fogarty | 163 | 5.8 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 365 | 13.0 | −40.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,803 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -21.9 | |

### Rusholme

Rusholme :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Byrne* | 945 | 43.6 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ray Atkins | 693 | 32.0 | +1.8 |
| | Independent Labour | Michael Robinson | 211 | 9.7 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative | Karen Abbad | 197 | 9.1 | −0.5 |
| | Green | Bernard Ekbery | 74 | 3.4 | +3.4 |
| | Socialist Labour | Trevor Wongsam | 47 | 2.2 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 252 | 11.6 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,167 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.3 | |

### Sharston

Sharston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hugh Barrett* | 910 | 73.4 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Karen Farnen | 196 | 15.8 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative | George Stars | 134 | 10.8 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 776 | 62.6 | −2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,240 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.8 | |

### Whalley Range

Whalley Range :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bernard Stone* | 1,247 | 51.4 | −8.8 |
| | Conservative | John Kershaw | 516 | 21.3 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Powell | 414 | 17.1 | +5.5 |
| | Green | Mary Candeland | 125 | 5.2 | −0.4 |
| | Socialist Labour | Steven Wynn | 124 | 5.1 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 731 | 30.1 | −34.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,426 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.8 | |

### Withington

Withington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Audrey Firth* | 1,943 | 61.2 | +8.0 |
| | Labour | Isobel Freeman | 921 | 29.0 | −8.3 |
| | Conservative | Muhammed Naqui | 222 | 7.0 | +0.9 |
| | Socialist Labour | Janice Whitehead | 90 | 2.8 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,022 | 32.2 | +16.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,176 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +8.1 | |

### Woodhouse Park

Woodhouse Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Andrews* | 936 | 72.2 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Ford | 360 | 27.8 | +16.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 576 | 44.4 | −14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,296 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.2 | |

## By-elections between 1998 and 1999

Cheetham By-Election 24 September 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Qassim Afzal | 1,394 | 48.5 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | Imran Rizvi | 1,342 | 46.6 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Keller | 141 | 4.9 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 52 | 1.9 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,877 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +2.1 | |