![\"Voters](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS204500704.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTown halls across the region are bracing for huge change.<\/p>\n
Voters across the region are heading to the polls on May 7(Image: MEN)<\/p>\n
Greater Manchester could feel like a very different place on Friday.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because the local elections will be in full swing, with counting taking place or having already finished across the region after polling day on May 7.<\/p>\n
When voters go to choose their council representatives in polling booths tomorrow, the only thing that is certain is that many of them are openly calling for change.<\/p>\n
Traditionally a Labour<\/a> dominated region, local election results this year could reshape Greater Manchester\u2019s political landscape now and in the future.<\/p>\n Reform UK are riding high in the national polls and feeling confident off the back of recent council by-election wins<\/a> in Salford<\/a> and Bury<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Greens could do well too, not least after their huge campaign in the Gorton<\/a> and Denton<\/a> by-election saw them beat both Labour and Reform when Hannah Spencer was elected as the area\u2019s MP.<\/p>\n But councils led by Labour, and in Stockport<\/a> by the Lib Dems<\/a>, have been defending their records too, in a bid to keep voters on side and in some cases separate what happens locally from national party decisions.<\/p>\n A third of council seats are up for grabs in all ten boroughs around Greater Manchester in the local elections on May 7.<\/p>\n With so much at stake, reporters at the Manchester Evening News have been out on the streets speaking to residents across the entire region about the issues they care about and how they plan to vote in this year\u2019s race.<\/p>\n The conversations revealed that some voters are openly calling for change in how their communities are being run, others are worried about who could be coming in to replace their existing councillors, and some haven\u2019t decided how to vote at all.<\/p>\n Here is a flavour of what voters across the region told us ahead of the crucial vote.<\/p>\n Manchester<\/strong><\/p>\n People in many parts of Manchester did not mince their words. Retired gardener David Frith, from Chorlton<\/a>, put it bluntly: \u201cI used to vote Labour but I\u2019m disillusioned with the lot of them.\u201d<\/p>\n He goes on to call the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, a \u2018wally\u2019, adding: \u201cHe keeps changing his mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Tensions between local and national politics are often played out at local elections, but community issues are also at the front of voters\u2019 minds in the city.<\/p>\n Labour holds 87 of the council\u2019s 96 seats and has controlled the authority for more than a decade, with leader Bev Craig \u2013 appointed in 2021 as the council\u2019s first female leader \u2013 now seen by some as a potential future mayor of Greater Manchester.<\/p>\n But in Harpurhey<\/a>, in north Manchester, the feeling of upset was clear among some.<\/p>\n As 68-year-old Steve Cunliff said: \u201cPoliticians should sort out crime around here, there\u2019s every kind of it – from theft to vandalism. Teens are attacking each other with knives.\u201d<\/p>\n Pressed on his views about Labour, Mr Cunliff added: \u201cI don\u2019t think they will do a perfect job but their intention has been better than other parties.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s an example of the kind of dilemma many voters in Greater Manchester are facing as they head into polling booths on May 7.<\/p>\n In south Manchester, areas like Levenshulme<\/a> and Longsight<\/a> \u2013 among the city\u2019s most diverse communities \u2013 have become increasingly politically competitive.<\/p>\n There are signs that Labour\u2019s grip is being tested at the margins. Kevin Doherty, 45, from Whalley Range<\/a>, says it’s “harder to run a small business” under the current Labour government, citing the hike in employers’ National Insurance contributions in the 2024 Budget.<\/p>\n “A lot of young people will find it difficult to get a job,” Kevin added.<\/p>\n Labour\u2019s stance on Gaza is another factor in the local elections.<\/p>\n In Levenshulme, shop windows were spotted with posters of Muhammad Iqbal, who is standing as the Workers Party of Britain candidate. They were placed next to a Palestine flag.<\/p>\n Friends Abbi Phillips, 38, and Annabelle Simpson, 29, said they are backing the Greens.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope that things will be different with them,\u201d said Abbi.<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/greater-manchester-news\/sense-frustration-shifting-loyalties-streets-33885765<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Salford<\/strong><\/p>\n Salford has long been known as Labour heartlands.<\/p>\n But last month a controversial by-election in Barton<\/a> and Winton was won by Reform UK, with Michael Felse being elected as the city\u2019s first councillor representing the party.<\/p>\n On May 7, with a third of seats up for grabs, the Conservatives<\/a>, the Green Party, Labour, and Reform UK are all standing candidates in every single area.<\/p>\n Could Labour\u2019s grip on power be diminished after the vote? Some voters are hoping for change.<\/p>\n Salford business owner Kasia Starashurka said the cost of living crisis is getting to her(Image: MEN)<\/p>\n Alan Ashton<\/a>, 80, is from Walkden<\/a>. The resident said he hasn\u2019t made up his mind about who will get his vote just yet, but he finds himself leaning towards the Reform candidate because of Nigel Farage, immigration, and stagnation in his local area<\/p>\n He said, “I’m a pensioner, they stopped our winter fuel and I’ve lost my trust in them since then. They come on the television and they just waffle.”<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re building houses in the area but where are the schools?<\/p>\n He also noted his loss of “trust” in Labour, citing a litany of high-profile scandals like the one involving the council’s deputy mayor Jack Youd.<\/p>\n The candidate for Walkden North who was at the centre of an affair and deleted emails scandal.<\/p>\n \u201cI know nothing about my local councillors,\u201d he intimated. \u201cYou\u2019re voting for people you have to trust to do something for your area. If there\u2019s any distrust it\u2019s very, very difficult to vote for them.\u201d<\/p>\n But many in Salford are still deciding how to vote.<\/p>\n Jurate Varanaviciene has lived in Little Hulton with her husband and daughter for eight years, for her safety is at the top of her list of what the area needs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe plan was to wait for my daughter to turn 18 and then maybe I move to Liverpool,\u201d She half-joked.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of crime in Little Hulton, if someone can help deal with that then I\u2019d vote for them. The new changes are nice, but I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/greater-manchester-news\/left-behind-losing-faith-inside-33871229<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Rochdale<\/strong><\/p>\n In Rochdale<\/a>, there were a mix of opinions ahead of polling day on May 7. Some voters in the town centre shared the view that they are looking to the Green Party or Reform UK.<\/p>\n One of those was 24-year-old Kai Warham, who said: \u201cI\u2019m not sure if I will vote, but if I do, I will probably vote for the Green Party.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t follow politics closely but they did well in Gorton and they seem like a good fit for me. They are putting the planet first and I think that\u2019s a more important issue than people make it out to be.”<\/p>\n But Shawclough resident Phil Clough, 64, said he intends to vote for Reform.<\/p>\n He raised immigration as a big concern, but also said law and order was also a key issue where he lived, adding: \u201cThere\u2019s too many drug dealers.<\/p>\n \u201cToo much anti-social behaviour. We need a lot more police on the beat.\u201d<\/p>\n There was also plenty of apathy among a selection of voters in Rochdale, such as 47 year-old vehicle technician and dad-of-two Peter, who moved to the UK from Poland 12 years ago, and was previously a Labour voter.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI don\u2019t care. Nothing will change. Before the election they will promise everything and afterwards we will end up in the same gutter.\u201d<\/p>\n Labour currently holds 43 of the 60 seats at Rochdale council<\/a>. A total of 20 seats, one in each of the council\u2019s 20 wards, are being contested at the local elections on Thursday (May 7).<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/greater-manchester-news\/rochdale-may-local-elections-council-33861723<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Wigan<\/strong><\/p>\n Wigan<\/a> council has long been a Labour stronghold, or as one of the town\u2019s residents put it, the party has been in charge in Wigan \u2018since Adam was a lad.\u2019<\/p>\n But are there signs of change in the air ahead of the local elections on May 7?<\/p>\n Jimmy Wilkinson, 56, from Ince Green Lane said: “I’m sticking with Labour, I’m reluctant to change.<\/p>\n “Ince has been Labour since Adam was a lad and I’ve always voted for them.<\/p>\n “I know there’s a lot of talk about Reform but I think it’s a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’.”I don’t think they have the answers and I couldn’t support Farage.”<\/p>\n Shopper Joan Wilson, 78, said she too was a long time Labour voter but was reluctant to support them this year.<\/p>\n Joan Wilson, 78(Image: LDRS)<\/p>\n She said: “The last straw for me was when they withdrew the winter fuel payment. “I know they brought it back – but that’s not the party I recognise.<\/p>\n “The fly tipping and rubbish dumped around here is appalling, it’s everywhere. “I know it eventually gets cleaned up but it just gets worse and worse.\u201d<\/p>\n Some residents in Wigan have yet to make up their minds.<\/p>\n Ince resident Billy Lowe, 61, said he hoped whoever won the election would support the local community.<\/p>\n He said: “I know David Molyneux, he’s represented Ince since the year dot and always put this community first. I’m not that political a person but my hope is whoever follows on from him is decent, hard working and represents Ince in the correct way.\u201d<\/p>\n Labour has 62 of the 75 council seats in Wigan. Seven seats are held by independent councillors, while the Independent Network have three.<\/p>\n There are two Reform councillors and a single Conservative.<\/p>\n 25 seats are up for election on May 7.<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/greater-manchester-news\/labour-dominated-wigan-since-adam-33865264<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Tameside<\/strong><\/p>\n Local elections at Tameside<\/a> council look set to be a closely-fought contest this year. Labour currently enjoys a majority with 38 out of 57 seats in the chamber.<\/p>\n But among the many towns across the borough, each with their own identities and priorities, some residents told the M.E.N they want to see change.<\/p>\n Reform was the destination for Linda Tyman. Linda was a regular voter for the red rosettes until recently. The 77-year-old said: \u201cNormally when I vote locally I vote for the person and what they do for the town. Usually that\u2019s Labour, but not this time \u2013 I\u2019m going Reform.<\/p>\n \u201cLabour in Tameside have been in power so long, I think we need change. I feel like they think they\u2019ll get in no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t a complete washout for Reform, with staunch Labour supporters still present in every town in Tameside.<\/p>\n A number of locals believe the council gets the basics right and had faith in the regime\u2019s regeneration vision for town centres.<\/p>\n Colin Lewis, 81, from Hattersley said: \u201cI think Labour are doing well at the moment. I\u2019ll be voting for them again.\u201d<\/p>\n In Droylsden<\/a>, Rev Colin Sanderson said: \u201cI look at what the plans they have on the leaflets. The Labour man lives in the area and he seems okay.<\/p>\n \u201cI think bringing in Reform UK would be a mistake. A lot of their ideas are not okay.\u201d<\/p>\n It will be a crunch vote in Tameside on May 7, with a mathematical possibility of Labour losing overall control of the council \u2013 although unlikely.<\/p>\n A political party needs 29 seats out of 57 to have a majority, so Labour would need to lose 10 of their 14 seats and make no gains elsewhere to lose overall control of the council.<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/time-change-status-quo-those-33868930<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Oldham<\/strong><\/p>\n Oldham<\/a> is known for its volatile politics – from councillors targeted by car bombings and arson attacks to explosive debates in the council chambers grinding meetings to a halt.<\/p>\n That\u2019s alongside drawing international attention over the borough\u2019s handling of CSE issues.<\/p>\n All of this has left some Oldham residents facing losing faith in local politics ahead of polling day on May 7.<\/p>\n Labour holds 27 out of 60 seats in the council chamber. The Lib Dems and Oldham Group are the biggest opposition groups, each with nine councillors.<\/p>\n Political parties in the borough were asked how they would deal with Oldham\u2019s ‘toxic’ and ‘divided’ politics, and how they plan to regain the trust of local residents?<\/p>\n Councillor Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council and Oldham Labour, said: “Labour\u2019s offer is straightforward. We will show up, we will listen, and we will act. Not just at election time, but all year round. Real trust is not built through press releases; it is built by being present and by delivering. Our councillors are constantly in their wards delivering for residents.\u201d<\/p>\n The local Lib Dem leader, coun Howard Sykes said: “It’s been two years since Labour lost their majority on our council. And every day since then, so-called Independents who were elected to stand up to Labour have instead been propping them up. This May you can force real change by backing the real alternative.<\/p>\n “Vote to move Oldham Borough forward with the Liberal Democrats<\/a>. The only Group on the Council that offered any alternative to Labour\u2019s Council Tax plans.\u201d<\/p>\n The Oldham Group declined to comment.<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/greater-manchester-news\/oldhams-politics-toxic-fragmented-how-33866109<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Stockport<\/strong><\/p>\n Stockport is another council under no overall control. It has been led by the Lib Dems since 2022, who are two seats short of an overall majority at the town hall.<\/p>\n They currently hold 30 out of 63 seats in the council chamber, with 19 seats held by the Labour opposition group.<\/p>\n The biggest political battles in the town hall often revolve around housing and infrastructure.<\/p>\n These issues were raised by several voters in the run up to the local elections on May 7.<\/p>\n Part of the ever-busy A6 falls in the Offerton ward, which is usually a tight race between Labour and the Lib Dems.<\/p>\n The outcome here could be crucial in deciding whether the Lib Dems get their majority.<\/p>\n Speaking about the A6 in Offerton, resident Matt Hanson said: \u201cIt\u2019s ridiculous really. There\u2019s two massive lanes of traffic, I don\u2019t ride a bike but if they made bike lanes you\u2019d get loads of people on it.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s the space for it, you could do it all the way to Manchester. It would make a big difference.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not very pleasant to be around here, that\u2019s the big one for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Stockport resident Matt Hanson highlighted issues along the A6(Image: LDRS)<\/p>\n Further along the road, 31-year-old James Mason added: \u201cWhat I really want to see is improvement in parking, we\u2019ve got the hospital around the corner, the roads are always really chock-a-block.<\/p>\n \u201cComing in and out of the drive sometimes can be a bit precarious because of the traffic going along.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/greater-manchester-news\/road-heart-stockports-election-battle-33865970<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Trafford<\/strong><\/p>\n In Trafford<\/a>, some locals were left torn over who to vote for on May 7.<\/p>\n Stretford<\/a> resident Russ Whitby said the \u2018general maintenance\u2019 of the area was a key issue for him. He added: \u201c[The council] did this road last year and they basically just covered it in gravel.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a cheap fix, but there’s still potholes coming up. Gullies, they’re not getting done. Trafford council is never what it used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n He did not know who he would be supporting, saying parties \u2018all promise things, but nothing ever materialises\u2019. He previously would have voted Labour.<\/p>\n But others did not hold back in their criticism of the council, such as Kenneth Hulme<\/a>, 87, from Urmston<\/a>, who said he won\u2019t be voting for Labour.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThe council doesn’t seem to be spending any of the money on the area. Very little seems to be done. I don’t know what they’re doing with the money, that’s the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n The two other parties coming up time and again on the doorsteps were the Green Party, which will be defending two seats next week in Trafford, and Reform UK, which is not currently represented on the council.<\/p>\n In Urmston, Maureen Wilson, 66, said she was unable to vote this year as she is on holiday. Were she able to, her pick would have been Reform.<\/p>\n Labour currently holds 41 of Trafford council\u2019s 63 seats. A third of the seats – 21 – are up for grabs on Thursday, May 7. Of those, Labour will be defending 14.<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/greater-manchester-news\/lunatics-broken-promises-just-more-33865889<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Bolton<\/strong><\/p>\n On May 7, people in Bolton<\/a> will vote in a third of its council representatives. Of the 60 ward seats in the town hall chamber, 20 will be up for grabs.<\/p>\n A total of 113 candidates are standing for councillor positions in the borough. Five parties, Labour, Conservatives, Reform, Greens and Liberal Democrats, are putting forward contenders in each of the wards.<\/p>\n The council is currently under no overall control but run by Labour who have the most seats.<\/p>\n The party presently has 25 of the 60 seats. The Tories have 15 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats have six.<\/p>\n Walking back up the steady incline of Tonge Moor Road after a ‘couple of pints’ with his pals at the cricket club is Brian Vickers, 80.<\/p>\n Brian Vickers in Tonge Moorr(Image: LDRS)<\/p>\n He said: “This town’s in the worst state it’s been in my lifetime and that’s eight decades.<\/p>\n “I’ve just been chatting about it with the lads in the club. “There’s too many HMOs springing up and nobody’s clear who lives in them.<\/p>\n “I feel like a stranger in my own town sometimes. I’ll be backing Reform.”<\/p>\n But Iain James, 52, from the Thicketford Road area said that he wasn’t changing allegiance from Labour.<\/p>\n He said: “I’m worried about the competence of Reform but sadly I think they’re set to do well around here.<\/p>\n “To me it’s all slogans and appealing to the worst in people’s nature, they want to give easy answers to complex issues.<\/p>\n “It really bothers me the way politics is going.”<\/p>\n Read more here: https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/greater-manchester-news\/this-towns-worst-state-its-33873532<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Bury<\/strong><\/p>\n Immigration, anti-Semitism and national leadership were all topics on the minds\u2019 of voters in Bury ahead of May 7.<\/p>\n The borough’s council has been under Labour control since 2011, but it seems that, overwhelmingly, residents are preparing themselves to look elsewhere – mainly driven by a host of national concerns.<\/p>\n On Thursday, people in Bury will vote in their council representatives. Of the 51 ward seats in the town hall chamber, 17 will be up for grabs.<\/p>\n But it remains to be seen whether there will be enough voting against Labour to remove their control of the council, with the party holding 32 of the 51 seats.<\/p>\n In Bury town centre, lifelong Labour voter John Collins said he feels ‘betrayed’ and is planning to vote for the Liberal Democrats in protest against the party’s leadership nationally.<\/p>\n He said: “I just feel like Labour don\u2019t represent the working class people anymore. And I think councils get a bad deal from central government but I think they need to spend their money more wisely.\u201d<\/p>\n At Bury Market, John Wayne of Prime Printing Designs, said he would vote for Labour ‘if they were really Labour’. The 67-year-old voted for them at the last election but is now considering voting for the Greens, but isn’t ‘entirely certain yet’.<\/p>\n![\"Salford](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS405052774.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Joan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS404656145.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Stockport](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS404786974.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Brian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS404786933.jpg\")
<\/p>\n