Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council elections are generally held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time. Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, generally known as Wigan Council, is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, 75 councillors have been elected from 25 wards.[1]
From 1889 to 1974 Wigan was a county borough, independent of any county council.[2] Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a metropolitan borough, with Greater Manchester County Council providing county-level services. The first election to the reconstituted borough council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Greater Manchester County Council was abolished in 1986 and Wigan became a unitary authority. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[3][4]
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1973–present |
The leaders of the council since 1991 have been:[5]
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Peter Smith | Labour | 1991 | 23 May 2018 | |
David Molyneux | Labour | 23 May 2018 |
Summary of the council composition after council elections, click on the year for full details of each election. Boundary changes took place for the 1980 election, and more recently the 2004 election – which increased the number of seats by three. Both needed the whole council to be elected in those years.[1]
Year | Labour | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Community Action | Independent |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | 66 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1975 | 61 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
1976 | 56 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1978 | 51 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1979 | 56 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1980 | 64 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
1982 | 61 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
1983 | 60 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
1984 | 60 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
1986 | 64 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
1987 | 62 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
1988 | 63 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
1990 | 64 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
1991 | 63 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
1992 | 61 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
1994 | 61 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
1995 | 66 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
1996 | 69 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
1998 | 70 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1999 | 70 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
2000 | 69 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
2002 | 65 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
2003 | 60 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
2004 | 42 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 0 |
2006 | 43 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 0 |
2007 | 46 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 1 |
2008 | 42 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 7 |
2010 | 51 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
2011 | 58 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
2012 | 63 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
2014 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
2015 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
2016 | 65 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
2018 | 60 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
2019 | 57 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
2021 | 57 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 |