Photo: Peter McDermott · CC BY-SA 2.0No party holds a majority on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Oldham is run by Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. No party holds a majority on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. Most of Oldham is in Oldham East and Saddleworth (MP Debbie Abrahams, Labour); 48% of residents are in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton (MP Jim McMahon, Labour).
£2,595
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Oldham’s politics has changed since 2021
No majority on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Labour, the largest group, holds 28 of its 84 seats as elected, 15 short of the 43 needed. Independents hold 13, Reform UK 13, the Conservatives 11, the Liberal Democrats 8, Failsworth Independent Party 3 and The Oldham Group Party 2. Who’s in charge ↓
The 2026 vote
Across Oldham’s wards, Labour took 28.6%, Reform UK took 23.3% and The Oldham Group Party took 20.3% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, Labour had 28%. How Oldham has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Oldham is £2,595 for 2026–27; Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council keeps 83% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 56% in ten years, in line with England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
No party has a majority
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 43 of Oldham’s 84 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour28
- Independent13
- Reform UK13
- Conservative11
- Liberal Democrat8
- Failsworth Independent Party3
- The Oldham Group Party2
Latest election: May 2026.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
The councils that run Oldham
One council runs every main service here.
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Website ↗Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas. It is led by an elected mayor.
Mayor: Bev Craig (Labour and Co-operative), elected July 2026
Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
All of Oldham is unparished: there is no parish or town council, so the council runs local matters itself and no parish precept is added to the bill.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the council to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Oldham, from the most recent elections.
- 1Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council8 wards · 24 councillorsLabour 19 · Independent 7 · Conservative 4 · Reform UK 3 · The Oldham Group Party 2 · all 35
- 2Mayor of Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester · elected July 2026Bev Craig
- 3House of CommonsSplit between 2 constituencies
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
24 councillors for 8 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Sonny Shah ArstanThe Oldham Group Party · May 2026
- Aisha KouserIndependent · May 2024
- Arooj ShahLabour · May 2023
- Hussain AftabIndependent · May 2023
- Ali Aqeel SalamatLabour · May 2023
- Junaid HussainLabour and Co-operative · May 2026
- Umar NasheenLabour and Co-operative · May 2024
- Sajed HussainLabour · May 2023
- Shabir HussainThe Oldham Group Party · May 2026
- Zaheer AliIndependent · May 2024
- Zahid ChauhanLabour and Co-operative · May 2023
- Shaid MushtaqLabour and Co-operative · May 2023
- Jenny HarrisonLabour and Co-operative · May 2023
- Fida HussainLabour and Co-operative · May 2026
- Nyla IbrahimIndependent · May 2024
- Shoab AkhtarLabour · May 2023
- Mohammed Mohib Abu TalebIndependent · May 2026
- Montaz Ali AzadIndependent · May 2024
- Abdul JabbarLabour · May 2023
- Abdul MalikLabour · May 2023
- Ruji Sapna SurjanLabour · May 2023
- Paul TaylorReform UK · May 2026
- Naveed Tariq ChowhanIndependent · May 2024
- Nadeem IqbalLabour · May 2023
- Peter DeanLabour · May 2023
- Ros BirchLabour · May 2023
- Robert BarnesReform UK · May 2026
- Naseem AslamLabour · May 2024
- Kamran GhafoorConservative · May 2023
- Abdul WahidConservative · May 2023
- Muhammad IrfanConservative · May 2023
- Gary TarbuckReform UK · May 2026
- Josh ChartersLabour and Co-operative · May 2024
- Beth SharpConservative · May 2023
- Angela Carol CosgroveLabour · May 2023
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary'sall in Oldham · 15,033 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Sonny Shah ArstanAisha KouserArooj ShahHussain AftabAli Aqeel Salamat | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Medlock Valeall in Oldham · 14,264 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Junaid HussainUmar NasheenSajed Hussain | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Alexandraall in Oldham · 13,982 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Shabir HussainZaheer AliZahid ChauhanShaid MushtaqJenny Harrison | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Wernethmostly in Oldham · 13,942 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Fida HussainNyla IbrahimShoab Akhtar | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Coldhurstmostly in Oldham · 13,884 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Mohammed Mohib Abu TalebMontaz Ali AzadAbdul JabbarAbdul MalikRuji Sapna Surjan | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Waterheadall in Oldham · 13,787 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Paul TaylorNaveed Tariq ChowhanNadeem IqbalPeter DeanRos Birch | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Hollinwoodall in Oldham · 12,941 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Robert BarnesNaseem AslamKamran GhafoorAbdul WahidMuhammad Irfan | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| St James'all in Oldham · 12,487 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Gary TarbuckJosh ChartersBeth SharpAngela Carol Cosgrove | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Who led each council vote, 2023–2026
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Oldham’s wards at each scheduled council election since 2021. A gap is a year with no election here.
Seats won at each election
Show as a table
| Party | 2023 | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | 0% | 1.4% | 8.7% |
| Labour | 58.6% | 28% | 28.6% |
| Liberal Democrat | 10.3% | 5.8% | 3.7% |
| Independent | 16.7% | 56.4% | 9.5% |
| Conservative | 12.5% | 6.1% | 0.6% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 1.1% | 23.3% |
| The Oldham Group Party | 0% | 0% | 20.3% |
In 2026, Reform UK won 3, Labour won 2, The Oldham Group Party won 2 and independents won 1 of the 8 seats up in Oldham’s wards.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0). Where a ward elects several councillors at once, each voter has that many votes; all of them count here.
Oldham council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Oldham, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
8 wards voted. Oldham elects a third of its councillors at a time, so a third of the seats were up.
No election is scheduled yet for Oldham’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗4,818 votes for candidates
3,673 votes for candidates
3,618 votes for candidates
Every ward’s result (5 more)
4,927 votes for candidates
4,561 votes for candidates
4,239 votes for candidates
3,691 votes for candidates
3,187 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Oldham is split between 2 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
Labour, MP since 13 January 2011
51% of Oldham’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 55% (England 60%).
Majority 6,357 of 40,065 votes (15.9%): wider than in 56% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Labour, MP since 3 December 2015
48% of Oldham’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 51% (England 60%).
Majority 4,976 of 38,573 votes (12.9%): the 251st-narrowest of 543 in England.
40,065 votes for candidates · majority 6,357
Labour, MP since 13 January 2011.
turnout in July 2024: 40,065 votes from 73,460 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 6,357 of 40,065 votes (15.9%): wider than in 56% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton
38,573 votes for candidates · majority 4,976
Labour, MP since 3 December 2015.
turnout in July 2024: 38,573 votes from 76,031 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 4,976 of 38,573 votes (12.9%): the 251st-narrowest of 543 in England.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Oldham’s Band D council tax is £2,595 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council keeps £2,156.22 of a Band D bill (83%); the rest goes to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Band D since 1993
Oldham’s Band D bill has risen 56% in ten years, from £1,665.07 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £623.25 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Oldham, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Greater Manchester’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,000.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Greater Manchester
| Oldham | Oldham’s councils | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £416 | £486 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £404 | £343 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £42 | £24 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £51 | £60 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £56 | £69 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £72 | £55 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £17 | £28 | £26 |
| Public health | £90 | £87 | £78 |
| Running the council | £91 | £57 | £59 |
| Other | £39 | £17 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,278 | £1,226 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Greater Manchester and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Oldham is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
oldham.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
oldham.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Oldham is run
Does Oldham have a town council?
No. Oldham is unparished, so there is no town or parish council and no parish precept.
Who is the MP for Oldham?
Oldham is split between 2 constituencies: Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams, Labour) and Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton (Jim McMahon, Labour). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Oldham have?
24 ward councillors represent Oldham’s 8 wards.
When are the next elections in Oldham?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Oldham’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Oldham?
Band D council tax in Oldham is £2,595 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council?
No party has a majority. As elected, Labour 28 · Independent 13 · Reform UK 13 · Conservative 11 · Liberal Democrat 8 · Failsworth Independent Party 3 · The Oldham Group Party 2 of 84 seats; a majority needs 43. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2026 council election in Oldham?
In Oldham’s wards on 7 May 2026, Reform UK 3 · Labour 2 · The Oldham Group Party 2 · Independent 1 of the 8 seats up. Labour had the largest share of votes, 28.6%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.