# 1996 Manchester City Council election

Elections to Manchester City Council were held on Thursday, 2 May 1996. One third of the council was up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a four-year term of office, expiring in 2000. There were also two vacancies being contested; one in Blackley and the other in Woodhouse Park. The Labour Party retained overall control of the Council.

## Election result

Manchester Council Election Result 1996 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 29 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 82.8 | 60.1 | 48,518 | -3.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 6 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 17.1 | 22.0 | 17,753 | +1.3 |
| Conservative | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0.0 | 13.0 | 10,512 | +1.3 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 2,353 | +1.0 |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 405 | +0.5 |
| FAN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 363 | +0.4 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 231 | -1.5 |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 225 | -0.1 |
| Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 215 | +0.2 |
| LLDCS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 73 | +0.1 |
| Independent Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 55 | +0.1 |
| Independent Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 33 | 0.0 |
After the election, the composition of the council was as follows:
| Party | Seats | +/- |
| Labour | 84 | +1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 15 | +1 |
| Conservative | 0 | -2 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

## Ward results
### Ardwick

Ardwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas O'Callaghan | 1,054 | 76.5 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Gray | 144 | 10.5 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | John Davenport | 133 | 9.7 | +3.2 |
| | Green | Bruce Bingham | 46 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 910 | 66.1 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,377 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.7 | |

### Baguley

Baguley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Anthony Burns* | 1,468 | 74.1 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Trevor Roberts | 307 | 15.5 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cath Hall | 152 | 7.7 | −0.3 |
| | FAN | Hannah Berry | 53 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,161 | 58.6 | −7.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,980 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.6 | |

### Barlow Moor

Barlow Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Wheale* | 1,570 | 48.5 | +14.5 |
| | Labour | Valerie Dunn | 1,339 | 41.4 | −12.2 |
| | Conservative | Bill Moore | 229 | 7.1 | −1.0 |
| | Green | A. Kulpa | 100 | 3.1 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 231 | 7.1 | −12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,238 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +13.3 | |

### Benchill

Benchill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Veronica Myers* | 1,037 | 77.7 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janice Redmond | 124 | 9.3 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Carol Roberts | 101 | 7.6 | +7.6 |
| | Socialist Alternative | T. Jefferies | 72 | 5.4 | +5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 913 | 68.4 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,334 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.2 | |

### Beswick and Clayton

Beswick and Clayton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Clayton | 1,133 | 47.9 | −10.7 |
| | Labour | John Flanagan* | 1,091 | 46.1 | +7.3 |
| | LLDCS | K. Corcoran | 73 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative | Jeffrey Leach | 70 | 3.0 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 42 | 1.8 | −18.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,367 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | -9.0 | |

### Blackley

Blackley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kenneth Barnes* | 1,573 | 63.5 | −13.0 |
| | Labour | Harold Lyons | 1,317 | | |
| | Conservative | Henry Coombes | 322 | 13.0 | +1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Matthews | 267 | 10.8 | +1.2 |
| | Independent | Carol Connell | 231 | 9.3 | +9.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Shaw | 124 | | |
| | Green | R. Maile | 84 | 3.4 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 995 | 50.5 | −14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,477 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.0 | |

### Bradford

Bradford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Kelly* | 1,152 | 76.2 | +5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | S. Kennedy | 212 | 14.0 | −6.8 |
| | Conservative | Elena Stars | 98 | 6.5 | +0.6 |
| | Green | Elaine Brown | 50 | 3.3 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 940 | 62.2 | +12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,512 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.3 | |

### Brooklands

Brooklands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Susan Cooley | 1,152 | 56.4 | −10.7 |
| | Conservative | Paul Cummins* | 672 | 32.9 | +11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony McGarr | 182 | 8.9 | −1.2 |
| | FAN | J. Hamilton | 35 | 1.7 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 480 | 23.5 | −22.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,041 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -11.2 | |

### Burnage

Burnage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kathleen Robinson | 1,834 | 66.8 | −4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | J. Parkinson | 434 | 15.8 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Brown | 415 | 15.1 | +3.9 |
| | FAN | C. Mumford | 63 | 2.3 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,400 | 51.0 | −5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,746 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.9 | |

### Central

Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gordon Conquest* | 975 | 77.7 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | Ann Hodkinson | 150 | 12.0 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | W. Tew | 109 | 8.7 | +1.7 |
| | Green | L. Maile | 21 | 1.7 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 825 | 65.7 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,255 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.8 | |

### Charlestown

Charlestown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Hackett* | 1,635 | 76.2 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Christine Saunders | 266 | 12.4 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Vera Towers | 200 | 9.3 | +0.6 |
| | FAN | H. Baker | 44 | 2.1 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,369 | 63.8 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,145 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.2 | |

### Cheetham

Cheetham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Olaniyan | 1,697 | 83.1 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal | Richard Wilson | 215 | 10.5 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | G. Epps | 130 | 6.4 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,482 | 72.6 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,042 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.1 | |

### Chorlton

Chorlton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mary Humphreys | 2,796 | 68.1 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Cleall-Hill | 734 | 17.9 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Fisher | 309 | 7.5 | −2.8 |
| | Green | Brian Candeland | 269 | 6.5 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,062 | 50.2 | −2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,108 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.2 | |

### Crumpsall

Crumpsall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Leese* | 1,913 | 74.2 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative | Teresa Skorsewski | 398 | 15.4 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | J. Spurway | 201 | 7.8 | −1.1 |
| | FAN | J. Riemer | 65 | 2.5 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,515 | 58.8 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,577 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.9 | |

### Didsbury

Didsbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Pamela Smythe | 1,834 | 38.2 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative | Peter Hilton* | 1,559 | 32.4 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Sandiford | 1,352 | 28.1 | +1.8 |
| | FAN | K. Harkavy | 62 | 1.3 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 275 | 5.7 | −8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,807 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -4.3 | |

### Fallowfield

Fallowfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Royle* | 1,584 | 69.9 | +12.0 |
| | Conservative | Simon Davenport | 306 | 13.5 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Graham | 235 | 10.4 | −0.2 |
| | Green | Michael Daw | 142 | 6.3 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,278 | 56.4 | +10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,267 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.2 | |

### Gorton North

Gorton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iain Donaldson* | 1,795 | 52.2 | +1.2 |
| | Labour | William Egerton | 1,466 | 42.6 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | M. Higginbottom | 155 | 4.5 | +1.1 |
| | FAN | Melanie Jarman | 23 | 0.7 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 329 | 9.6 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,439 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +1.5 | |

### Gorton South

Gorton South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Ashley* | 1,733 | 57.3 | +7.6 |
| | Labour | B. Whitehead | 1,167 | 38.6 | −7.7 |
| | Conservative | D. Davenport | 90 | 3.0 | −0.0 |
| | Green | A. Salter | 34 | 1.1 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 566 | 18.7 | +15.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,024 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +7.6 | |

### Harpurhey

Harpurhey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Stringer* | 1,176 | 72.5 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | L. Dyke | 192 | 11.8 | −7.3 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Keller | 150 | 9.2 | −2.3 |
| | Green | C. Maile | 104 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 984 | 60.7 | +10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,622 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.2 | |

### Hulme

Hulme :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin Rowswell* | 708 | 74.0 | −5.3 |
| | Green | Robin Goater | 75 | 7.8 | +7.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | S. Oliver | 72 | 7.5 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | Paul Kierman | 69 | 7.2 | +1.3 |
| | Independent Liberal | Charles Lyn-Lloyd | 33 | 3.4 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 633 | 66.1 | −7.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 957 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.5 | |

### Levenshulme

Levenshulme :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Commons* | 1,908 | 57.2 | −0.7 |
| | Labour | Zafar Mir | 1,149 | 34.4 | −0.5 |
| | Conservative | Paul Mostyn | 142 | 4.3 | +0.5 |
| | Green | A. Mohamood | 107 | 3.2 | +3.2 |
| | Independent Communist | A. Howie | 32 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 759 | 22.7 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,338 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -0.1 | |

### Lightbowne

Lightbowne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Risby* | 1,757 | 75.8 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | M. Steadman | 315 | 13.6 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Gordon | 186 | 8.0 | −1.6 |
| | Green | Philip Maile | 60 | 2.6 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,442 | 62.2 | +2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,318 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.0 | |

### Longsight

Longsight :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohammed Akhtar | 1,520 | 46.9 | −10.6 |
| | Conservative | Muhammed Naqui | 788 | 24.3 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Abu Chowdhury | 414 | 12.8 | +5.1 |
| | Green | Spencer Fitzgibbon | 293 | 9.0 | +0.8 |
| | Independent Labour | M. Middleton | 225 | 6.9 | +6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 732 | 22.6 | −8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,240 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.1 | |

### Moss Side

Moss Side :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Vince Young* | 1,437 | 79.5 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Powell | 139 | 7.7 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative | Mary Barnes | 137 | 7.6 | −0.6 |
| | Green | Lucy Fogarty | 95 | 5.3 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,298 | 71.8 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,808 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.4 | |

### Moston

Moston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Patrick Mullin | 1,762 | 72.9 | −3.2 |
| | Conservative | Gregory Skorzewski | 368 | 15.2 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Howard Totty | 269 | 11.1 | +5.9 |
| | FAN | R. Conibere | 18 | 0.7 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,394 | 57.7 | −4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,417 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.0 | |

### Newton Heath

Newton Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Smith* | 1,349 | 80.2 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | E. Fisher | 169 | 10.0 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | C. Turner | 118 | 7.0 | +0.8 |
| | Green | P. Brown | 47 | 2.8 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,180 | 70.1 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,683 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.7 | |

### Northenden

Northenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sandra Bracegirdle* | 1,816 | 69.0 | −0.9 |
| | Conservative | K. McKenna | 476 | 18.1 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ronald Axtell | 226 | 8.6 | −3.9 |
| | Green | Lance Crookes | 113 | 4.3 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,340 | 50.9 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,631 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.7 | |

### Old Moat

Old Moat :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brian Harrison* | 2,126 | 67.0 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Graham Betton | 433 | 13.6 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Yasmen Zalzala | 324 | 10.2 | −2.7 |
| | Green | Teresa Romagnuolo | 196 | 6.2 | +1.5 |
| | Socialist Alternative | J. White | 94 | 3.0 | +3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,693 | 53.4 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,173 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.9 | |

### Rusholme

Rusholme :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Yomi Mambu* | 1,224 | 49.9 | +7.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shakeel Ahmad | 732 | 29.9 | −4.0 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Margaret Manning | 239 | 9.7 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative | Daniel Bunting | 232 | 9.5 | +6.6 |
| | Independent Communist | T. Rigby | 23 | 0.9 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 492 | 20.0 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,450 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.7 | |

### Sharston

Sharston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Griffith Berry* | 1,298 | 75.7 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | Robert Caddick | 186 | 10.9 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | S. Toole | 180 | 10.5 | +1.6 |
| | Green | P. Johnson | 50 | 2.9 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,112 | 64.9 | −4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,714 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.2 | |

### Whalley Range

Whalley Range :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kath Fry* | 1,755 | 60.2 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Richard West | 657 | 22.5 | −5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Leech | 338 | 11.6 | +0.1 |
| | Green | Mary Candeland | 164 | 5.6 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,098 | 64.6 | +37.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,914 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.1 | |

### Withington

Withington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Firth* | 2,187 | 53.2 | +10.1 |
| | Labour | Joanne Green | 1,532 | 37.3 | −7.1 |
| | Conservative | J. Callaghan | 249 | 6.1 | −2.5 |
| | Green | Bernard Ekbery | 142 | 3.5 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 655 | 15.9 | +14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,110 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +8.6 | |

### Woodhouse Park

Woodhouse Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leo Collins | 1,142 | 70.3 | −11.2 |
| | Labour | Paul Andrews | 1,103 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Fisher | 186 | 11.4 | −7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Harrison | 178 | | |
| | Green | G. Lawson | 161 | 9.9 | +9.9 |
| | Conservative | L. Maguire | 136 | 8.4 | +8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 917 | 58.9 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,906 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.0 | |

## By-elections between 1996 and 1998

Hulme By-Election 2 May 1997 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mary Murphy | 1,937 | 69.4 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Graham | 561 | 20.1 | +12.5 |
| | Conservative | Paul Kierman | 293 | 10.5 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,376 | 49.3 | −16.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,791 | 51.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.5 | |
Old Moat By-Election 2 May 1997 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jeffrey Smith | 3,790 | 51.9 | −15.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Yasmin Zalzala | 1,690 | 22.8 | +12.6 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Brown | 1,256 | 17.0 | +3.3 |
| | Independent Labour | Michael Robinson | 511 | 6.9 | +6.9 |
| | Socialist Labour | Julie White | 163 | 2.2 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,100 | 29.1 | −24.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,410 | 61.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -14.2 | |