The 2026 Wigan Council election took place on 7 May 2026 to elect one third of the members of Wigan Council in England. The election was held on the same day as other local elections.
Reform UK won 24 out of 25 seats up for election and won the most votes across the borough. The incumbent Labour Party suffered heavy losses and won no seats at this election, but retained their majority by virtue of the number of seats they held in the two thirds of the council that was not up for election. The Labour leader before the election, David Molyneux, did not stand for re-election in 2026. Labour chose Nazia Rehman as its new group leader after the election, and she was formally appointed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 27 May 2026.
Council composition After 2024 election Before 2026 election Party Seats Party Seats 64 62 4 3 0 2 1 1 6 7 Changes 2024–2026: May 2024: John O'Brien (Labour) resigns – by-election held July 2024 July 2024: Barbara Caren (Labour) wins by-election February 2025: Patricia Draper (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent July 2025: George Davies (Labour) dies – by-election held October 2025 October 2025: Lee Moffitt (Reform) gains by-election from Labour November 2025: Paul Watson (Independent Network) joins Reform
Background Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. Labour have formed majority administrations for the entirety of its existence. The Conservatives formed the principal opposition until 1982, when they were overtaken by the SDP–Liberal Alliance. From 2003 to 2008 the Community Action Party were the second largest party, before being overtaken by the Conservatives. More recently, independents and the Independent Network have served as the principal opposition to Labour. Two independent groups exist; the Community Independent Alliance (consisting of the Independent Network and two independents) and Independents Together (consisting of four councillors elected as independents). The 2024 election saw Labour remain on 64 seats, losing one seat to an independent but gaining one from the Conservatives.
The 2023 election used a new set of ward boundaries. As such, this election was for the councillors elected with the second highest number of votes in 2023 for each of the 57 three-member wards.The Wigan (Electoral Changes) Order 2022. Labour was defending 20 seats, independents were defending 2, the Conservatives were defending 1, Reform UK was defending 1 and the Independent Network was defending 1.
Summary
Election result
Incumbents
Ward Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Abram Eunice Smethurst Labour Yes Ashton-in-Makerfield South Jenny Bullen Labour No Aspull, New Springs & Whelley Ronald Conway Labour Yes Astley Paula Wakefield Labour No Atherton North Jamie Hodgkinson Ind. Network Yes Atherton South & Lilford Debra Wailes Labour No Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North Sylvia Wilkinson Independent No Douglas Pat Draper Independent Yes Golborne & Lowton West Gena Merrett Labour Yes Hindley Jim Churton Labour Yes Hindley Green John Vickers Labour Yes Ince David Molyneux Labour No Leigh Central & Higher Folds Shelley Guest Labour No Leigh South Barbara Caren Labour Yes Leigh West Samantha Brown Labour Yes Lowton East Garry Lloyd Labour Yes Orrell Jim Nicholson Labour Yes Pemberton Paul Prescott Labour Yes Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor Michael Crosby Labour Yes Standish with Langtree Ray Wittingham Conservative No Tydesley & Mosley Common Jess Eastoe Labour Yes Wigan Central Lee Moffitt Reform Yes Wigan West David Wood Labour Yes Winstanley Marie Morgan Labour Yes Worsley Mesnes Helen O'Neill Labour Yes
Ward results
Incumbent councillors standing for re-election are marked with an asterisk (*).
Abram
Ashton-in-Makerfield South
Aspull, New Springs & Whelley
Astley
Atherton North
Atherton South & Lilford
Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North
Douglas
Golborne & Lowton West
Hindley
Hindley Green
Ince
Leigh Central & Higher Folds
Leigh South
Leigh West
Lowton East
Orrell
Pemberton
Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor
Standish with Langtree
Tydesley & Mosley Common
Wigan Central
Wigan West
Winstanley
Worsley Mesnes
References