The 2026 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One third of the 63 members of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester were elected.
Prior to the election, the council was under no overall control. The Liberal Democrats were the largest party and ran the council as a minority administration. At this election the party gained three extra seats, giving them an overall majority on the council.
Council composition After 2024 election Before 2026 election Party Seats Party Seats 31 30 22 19 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 1 1 4 Changes 2024–2026: August 2024: Aron Thornley (Independent) joins Labour September 2024: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrats), Ian Powney (Liberal Democrats), and Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrats) resign – by-elections held October 2024 October 2024: Rachel Bresnahan (Liberal Democrats) and Huma Khan (Liberal Democrats) hold by-elections, and Peter Crossen (Conservative) gains by-election from Liberal Democrats February 2025: Holly McCormack (Labour) and David Sedgwick (Labour) suspended from party September 2025: Joe Barratt (Labour) and Rosemary Barratt (Labour) leave party to sit as independents
Summary
Background Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. The Conservatives saw early success, controlling the council as a majority from its creation until 1983. 1988 saw the what was then the SLD become the largest party; since then council control has been contested between the Liberal Democrats and Labour. The Liberal Democrats formed their first majority administration in 1999 after a decade of no overall control, which lasted until 2011. The first Labour-led administration was formed in 2016 as a minority. The Liberal Democrats again became the largest group in 2021, but it was not until 2022 that they formed a minority administration.
A new set of ward boundaries was used for the 2023 election. As such, this election will be for the councillors elected with the second highest number of votes in each of the 21 three-member wards.The Stockport (Electoral Changes) Order 2022. The Liberal Democrats will be defending 11 seats, Labour will be defending 7, and the Greens, Heald Green Ratepayers, and Edgeley Community Association will be defending 1 each.
Election result
Incumbent
Ward Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Bramhall North Suzanne Wyatt Liberal Democrats No Bramhall South & Woodford Dallas Jones Liberal Democrats Yes Bredbury & Woodley Sue Thorpe Liberal Democrats No Bredbury Green & Romiley Angie Clark Liberal Democrats Yes Brinnington & Stockport Central Kerry Waters Labour No Cheadle East & CheadleHulme North Jilly Julian Liberal Democrats Yes Cheadle Hulme South Helen Foster-Grime Liberal Democrats Yes Cheadle West & Gatley Ian Hunter Liberal Democrats Yes Davenport & Cale Green Wendy Wild Labour Yes Edgeley Leah Taylor Community Association No Hazel Grove Wendy Meikle Liberal Democrats Yes Heald Green Anna Charles-Jones Ratepayers Yes Heatons North John Taylor Labour No Heatons South Dean Fitzpatrick Labour Yes Manor Sue Glithero Labour Yes Marple North Geoff Abell Liberal Democrats No Marple South & High Lane Aron Thornley Labour No Norbury & Woodsmoor Dominic Hardwick Liberal Democrats Yes Offerton Helen Hibbert Labour Yes Reddish North Holly McCormack Independent No Reddish South Gary Lawson Green No
Ward results
Bramhall North
Bramhall South & Woodford
Bredbury & Woodley
Bredbury Green & Romiley
Brinnington & Stockport Central
Cheadle East & Cheadle Hulme North
Cheadle Hulme South
Cheadle West & Gatley
Davenport & Cale Green
Edgeley
Hazel Grove
Heald Green
Heatons North
Heatons South
Manor
Marple North
To note: No Independent candidate this election, -8.0% vote share on 2024 result.
Marple South & High Lane
Norbury & Woodsmoor
Offerton
Reddish North
Reddish South
References