The City of Manchester forms part of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, which had its county council abolished (along with the other metropolitan counties) in 1986. Manchester consists of several districts, but these districts do not represent a tier of government (though the names are used as political wards).
Political history
Manchester has long been associated with radical politics, including the Peterloo Massacre in 1819; the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League in 1839, as well as being the birthplace to some of the most influential works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
Manchester currently sits on the left of the political spectrum, as shown by the make up of its City Council. The north of the city is considered a Labour stronghold, while the southern suburbs tend to be more hospitable to other parties. The last Conservative MP lost his seat in 1987. In the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election, Hannah Spencer became the first Green Party MP in Manchester.
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of Manchester. The borough is divided into 32 wards, which elect a total of 96 councillors, three for each ward. Currently, the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Bev Craig. The main opposition is formed by the Green Party and is led by Astrid Johnson.
Party Seats 7 May 202664 2174
Districts in the City of Manchester
Ancoats Ardwick Baguley Benchill Beswick Blackley Bradford Burnage Brooklands Cheetham Chorlton-cum-Hardy Clayton Crumpsall Didsbury Fallowfield Gaythorn Gorton Harpurhey Hulme Levenshulme Longsight Miles Platting Moss Side Moston Newton Heath Northenden Openshaw Rusholme Sharston Whalley Range Withington Woodhouse Park Wythenshawe
Parishes There is only one civil parish in the metropolitan borough, Ringway, which was added in 1974. The entire area of the pre-1974 county borough is an unparished area.
North West Regional Assembly Whilst not a directly elected body, the North West Regional Assembly was responsible for promoting the economic, environmental, and social well-being of the North West England region. It was made up of representatives from councils across the region, business organizations, public sector agencies, education and training bodies, trade unions and co-operatives and the voluntary and community sector. Regional assemblies were abolished in 2010.
UK Parliament
There are six UK Parliamentary constituencies that cover the City of Manchester, each of which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons in London. These constituencies and their current MPs are:
Manchester Central (also covers part of Oldham) – Lucy Powell MP (Labour) Blackley and Middleton South (also covers part of Rochdale) – Graham Stringer MP (Labour) Gorton and Denton (also covers part of Tameside) – Hannah Spencer MP (Green) Manchester Rusholme– Afzal Khan MP (Labour) Manchester Withington – Jeff Smith MP (Labour) Wythenshawe and Sale East (also covers part of Trafford) – Mike Kane MP (Labour)
European Parliament
North West England, as a single EU constituency, elected 8 representatives to the European Parliament. At the time of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for the North West were:
Constituency Member of the European Parliament National political party European political party European Parliament group Year first elected Website Parliamentary profile North West England Jane Brophy Liberal Democrats Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Renew Europe 2019 Website Profile David Bull Brexit Party None Non-Inscrits 2019 Website Profile Chris Davies Liberal Democrats Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Renew Europe 1999 Profile Gina Dowding Green Party of England and Wales European Green Party The Greens - European Free Alliance 2019 Profile Claire Fox Brexit Party None Non-Inscrits 2019 Profile Theresa Griffin Labour Party Party of European Socialists Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats 2014 Website Profile Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen Brexit Party None Non-Inscrits 2019 Profile Julie Ward Labour Party Party of European Socialists Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats 2014 Website Profile
Notes
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county which surrounds the City of Manchester. Including the City of Manchester, Greater Manchester is made up of ten metropolitan boroughs, with each borough having its own council. The ten boroughs are shown in the following map. Number Borough Map Number Borough 1 City of Manchester 6 Metropolitan Borough of Bury 2 Metropolitan Borough of Stockport 7 Metropolitan Borough of Bolton 3 Metropolitan Borough of Tameside 8 Metropolitan Borough of Wigan 4 Metropolitan Borough of Oldham 9 City of Salford 5 Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale 10 Metropolitan Borough of Trafford
The larger towns in the Greater Manchester county include Altrincham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bolton, Bury, Cheadle, Droylsden, Hyde, Middleton, Oldham, Rochdale, Sale, Stalybridge, Stockport, Stretford and Wigan.
Since 2017, there has been an elected Mayor of Greater Manchester, who sits on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and has power over areas including planning, housing, transport, policing, waste management and skills.
List of Mayors Colour key + Mayors of Greater ManchesterName PortraitTerm of office Elected Political party Previous and concurrent occupations Tony LloydInterim Mayor 29 May 2015 8 May 2017 Labour MP for Stretford (1983–1997)MP for Manchester Central (1997–2012)Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner (2012–2017) Andy Burnham 8 May 2017 Incumbent 201720212024 Labour and Co-operative MP for Leigh (2001–2017)Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2007–2008)Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (2008–2009)Secretary of State for Health (2009–2010)
County-wide functions Greater Manchester County Council was the top-tier local government body from 1974 to its abolition in 1986. The county still arranges some amenities and services on a county-wide basis. Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service offer law enforcement and fire protection, while public transport is the responsibility of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). These are overseen by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, established in 2011.
Law enforcement The City of Manchester is policed by the Greater Manchester Police, who have their headquarters at Chester House in Trafford. The main police station in central Manchester is at Bootle Street, near to Albert Square. There are other stations in Salford, Hulme, Collyhurst, Withington, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, and Longsight. Manchester's railways are policed by the nationwide British Transport Police.
Manchester had its own police force until 1974, when its force and the lower divisions of Lancashire Constabulary merged to form the Greater Manchester Police. Each of the ten metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester has a Division within the county force.
References