Church of St Thomas the Martyr · Photo: PC78 · CC BY-SA 4.0Labour holds a majority on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Orrell is run by Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Lancashire County Council. Labour has a majority on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council. No party holds a majority on West Lancashire Borough Council. Reform UK has a majority on Lancashire County Council. Orrell is split between 3 parliamentary constituencies.
£2,242
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Orrell’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Labour holds a majority on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council: 44 of its 79 seats as elected. Reform UK holds 24, independents 9. Who’s in charge ↓
Lancashire changed hands in 2025
Lancashire County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, went from a Conservative majority (47 of 84 seats in 2021) to a Reform UK majority at the May 2025 election: Reform UK won 53 of 84 seats. Lancashire ↓
The 2026 vote
Across Orrell’s wards, Reform UK took 44.4%, Labour took 24% and the Conservatives took 12% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, Reform UK had 6.3%. How Orrell has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Orrell is £2,152 for 2026–27; Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council keeps 80% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 50% in ten years, against 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.
Who holds the seats on Orrell’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 40 of Wigan’s 79 or 32 of West Lancashire’s 63 or 43 of Lancashire’s 84 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour44
- Reform UK24
- Independent9
Latest election: May 2026.
- Labour23
- Conservative14
- Our West Lancashire11
- Reform UK7
Latest election: May 2026.
- Reform UK53+53
- Conservative8−39
- Independent7+7
- Labour5−28
- Liberal Democrat5+3
- Green4+2
- Our West Lancashire2+2
Change against the council before the 1 May 2025 election.
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.
Two tiers of council, and a parish tier
Orrell has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
The parish council for the part of Orrell inside Up Holland parish.
29% of Orrell’s residents · Band D precept £27
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
71% of Orrell’s residents
Website ↗Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Who runs Orrell: same source as Who runs Orrell, above.
Website ↗Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.
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”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.
71% of Orrell’s residents live outside any parish, with no parish council.
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 parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Orrell, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parishParish tierUp Holland parish council
- 2Council wards3 wards · 9 councillorsLabour 9 · Reform UK 3 · all 12
- 3Lancashire County Council1 division · 1 councillorNigel Swales
- 4Mayor of Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester · elected July 2026Bev Craig
- 5Police and crime commissionerLancashire Constabulary · elected May 2024Clive Grunshaw
- 6House of CommonsSplit between 3 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.
9 councillors for 3 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.
- Paul Kevin BannisterReform UK · May 2026
- Anne CollinsLabour · May 2024
- Mark Ian TebbuttLabour · May 2023
- Jim NicholsonLabour · May 2023
- Richard LeeReform UK · May 2026
- Gaynar OwenLabour · May 2024
- John FillisLabour · May 2023
- Suresh PatelLabour · May 2023
- Simon SilcockReform UK · May 2026
- Eileen Winifred RigbyLabour · May 2024
- Jeanette PrescottLabour · May 2023
- Paul PrescottLabour · May 2023
Show as a table, with Lancashire County Council’s 1 division (1 councillor)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| OrrellWigan · all in Orrell · 12,086 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Paul Kevin BannisterAnne CollinsMark Ian TebbuttJim Nicholson | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Up HollandWest Lancashire · mostly in Orrell · 6,863 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Richard LeeGaynar OwenJohn FillisSuresh Patel | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| PembertonWigan · 31% in Orrell · 4,463 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Simon SilcockEileen Winifred RigbyJeanette PrescottPaul Prescott | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
Lancashire County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skelmersdale East ED42% in Orrell · 6,863 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Nigel Swales | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Wigan 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).
Labour led each vote to 2024; Reform UK led in 2026
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Orrell’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% | 3.8% | 12% |
| Labour | 61.6% | 56.9% | 24% |
| Independent | 3.1% | 7.7% | 0% |
| Conservative | 31.2% | 21.8% | 12% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 6.3% | 44.4% |
In 2026, Reform UK won 3 of the 3 seats up in Orrell’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.
Wigan council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Orrell, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
3 wards voted. Wigan elects a third of its councillors at a time, so a third of the seats were up.
No election is scheduled yet for Orrell’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗4,060 votes for candidates
2,567 votes for candidates
2,993 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Orrell is split between 3 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
Labour, MP since 18 June 2026
52% of Orrell’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 53% (England 60%).
Majority 5,399 of 40,263 votes (13.4%): the 262nd-narrowest of 543 in England.
Labour, MP since 9 February 2023
29% of Orrell’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 60% (England 60%).
Majority 13,625 of 44,200 votes (30.8%): wider than in 86% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Labour, MP since 6 May 2010
19% of Orrell’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 53% (England 60%).
Majority 9,549 of 40,899 votes (23.3%): wider than in 74% of England’s 543 constituencies.
40,263 votes for candidates · majority 5,399
Labour, MP since 18 June 2026.
turnout in July 2024: 40,263 votes from 76,641 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 5,399 of 40,263 votes (13.4%): the 262nd-narrowest of 543 in England.
45,476 votes for candidates
West Lancashire
44,200 votes for candidates · majority 13,625
Labour, MP since 9 February 2023.
turnout in July 2024: 44,200 votes from 74,081 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 13,625 of 44,200 votes (30.8%): wider than in 86% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Wigan
40,899 votes for candidates · majority 9,549
Labour, MP since 6 May 2010.
turnout in July 2024: 40,899 votes from 77,538 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 9,549 of 40,899 votes (23.3%): wider than in 74% of England’s 543 constituencies.
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.
Orrell’s Band D council tax is £2,152 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council keeps £1,712.29 of a Band D bill (80%); the rest goes to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,242 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Wigan’s Band D bill has risen 50% in ten years, from £1,432.86 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £650.25 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Wigan, 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
| Wigan | Orrell’s councils | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £439 | £486 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £272 | £343 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £19 | £24 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £32 | £60 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £97 | £69 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £70 | £55 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £20 | £28 | £26 |
| Public health | £102 | £87 | £78 |
| Running the council | £60 | £57 | £59 |
| Other | £6 | £17 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,115 | £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 Orrell 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.
wigan.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
wigan.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Orrell is run
Which council runs Orrell?
The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Orrell have a town council?
Parts of it do: Up Holland parish council.
Who is the MP for Orrell?
Orrell is split between 3 constituencies: Makerfield (Andy Burnham, Labour), West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton, Labour) and Wigan (Lisa Nandy, Labour). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Orrell have?
9 ward councillors represent Orrell’s 3 wards, and 1 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Orrell?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Orrell’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Orrell?
Band D council tax in Orrell is £2,242 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council?
Labour has a majority: 44 of 79 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls West Lancashire Borough Council?
No party has a majority. As elected, Labour 23 · Conservative 14 · Our West Lancashire 11 · Reform UK 7 of 63 seats; a majority needs 32.
Who won the 2026 council election in Orrell?
In Orrell’s wards on 7 May 2026, Reform UK 3 of the 3 seats up. Reform UK had the largest share of votes, 44.4%.
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.