Key Points
- Greater Manchester has seen a sharp drop in Labour support in the 2026 local elections, with Reform UK making major gains across the region.
- Labour lost 24 seats in Manchester but still retained control with 63 councillors.
- In Tameside, Labour lost its long-standing majority, and Reform UK ended 47 years of Labour dominance there.
- In Wigan, Reform UK won 24 of 25 available seats, while Labour lost all 22 of its councillors in the borough.
- In Oldham, Labour lost eight seats, and the council moved to no overall control.
- Reuters reported earlier in 2026 that Labour’s support was already weakening in parts of East Manchester, including the Gorton and Denton constituency.
- The story points to broader pressure on Labour’s traditional northern heartlands as voters move towards Reform UK and, in some places, the Greens.
Manchester(Manchester Mirror)May 14, 2026 — Greater Manchester’s long-standing Labour dominance has come under intense pressure as Reform UK has made gains in boroughs that were once described as safe Labour territory. The latest election results show that Labour’s local base is no longer as secure as it once was, even where the party still holds power.
As reported by the BBC, Labour lost 24 seats in Manchester itself, although it remained in control with 63 councillors. The BBC also reported that Reform UK made its first significant impact in Manchester by winning seven seats, while the Liberal Democrats and Greens also advanced in parts of the wider region. This matters because Greater Manchester has often been treated as one of Labour’s most reliable urban strongholds.
The results in surrounding boroughs were even more damaging for Labour. Tameside, where Labour had held power for 47 years, fell to Reform UK gains that ended the party’s long grip on the council. In Wigan, Reform won 24 of the 25 available seats, and Labour lost all 22 councillors it was defending there. Those figures show that the shift is not isolated to one ward or one election cycle but part of a wider regional change.
What did Reuters report about the by-election mood?
Reuters reported in February 2026 that Labour support was already “evaporating” in the Manchester-area seat of Gorton and Denton, where voters were preparing for a by-election. The report said the Green Party and Reform UK were both positioned to disrupt Labour’s decades-long dominance in the area. Reuters also noted that Labour had secured the seat comfortably in July 2024, when it won just over 50% of the vote.
The same Reuters report said Labour was losing support on two fronts, including among younger and more diverse inner-city voters and among older white working-class voters in Denton. That detail is important because it suggests a broader erosion of Labour’s coalition rather than a single protest vote. It also helps explain why Reform UK has been able to compete so strongly in places that were once considered politically dependable for Labour.
What do the election results show?
The BBC reported that Reform UK made major gains across Greater Manchester in the 2026 local elections, while Labour suffered heavy losses. In Salford, Reform won 13 of 21 seats, although Labour kept its majority. In Oldham, Labour lost eight seats, and Reform gained 13, leaving the council under no overall control.
The Liberal Democrats also benefited from Labour’s losses, taking control of Stockport for the first time in 15 years. The Greens made progress in Manchester as well. Taken together, the results suggest that Labour is facing competition from both left and right, which makes recovery harder because the losses are not all going to one opponent.
Why does this matter locally?
Greater Manchester has often been central to Labour’s identity as a party of working-class cities and industrial towns. When that support weakens, the political impact extends beyond council chambers because it can affect campaigning, morale, and the party’s wider message to voters in similar areas. The scale of the 2026 losses suggests that local dissatisfaction is being translated into votes, not just expressed in polling.
BBC coverage of the national picture said Reform UK was gaining seats in places once seen as Labour strongholds across the north of England and the Midlands. That broader trend gives the Greater Manchester results added weight because they are part of a national pattern rather than an isolated local upset. For Labour, that means defending its traditional base may now require more than relying on old loyalties.
What is the background to this development?
Labour’s dominance in Greater Manchester dates back decades, with many boroughs treated as safe territory for the party. Reuters reported that Gorton had elected Labour representatives to Westminster for nearly a century, while Denton had done so since the end of the Second World War. That long history is why the recent losses have been so politically significant.
The wider context is the rise of Reform UK and, in some areas, the Greens and Liberal Democrats. The BBC reported that Reform’s gains came at Labour’s expense in places including Wigan, Bolton, Salford and Halton, underlining the party’s growing reach in former Labour territory. That shift has been building through by-elections and local contests before becoming more visible in the May 2026 results.
What is the prediction for voters?
For voters in Labour-heavy areas such as Greater Manchester, the immediate effect is likely to be more competitive local elections and less predictable outcomes in future contests. Labour will probably have to spend more time and resources defending seats it once treated as secure, while Reform UK will try to turn local advances into a lasting presence. That could make council politics more fragmented and less stable in some boroughs.
For the local electorate, this may bring more attention from parties trying to win back lost ground, especially on issues such as housing, services and regeneration. It may also mean that voters in working-class and suburban areas have more alternatives than before, which can reshape future campaign strategies. In practical terms, the development suggests that Labour can no longer assume automatic loyalty in its traditional heartlands.
