Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Caroline Simpson since January 2022 | |
Structure | |
Seats | 63 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Joint committees | Greater Manchester Combined Authority Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel |
Length of term | 4 years |
Elections | |
First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2024 |
Next election | May 2026 |
Meeting place | |
Town Hall, Wellington Road South, Stockport, SK1 3XE | |
Website | |
stockport |
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. [3] The council is currently run by a Liberal Democrat minority administration. At the 2023 local elections, the Liberal Democrats gained two more seats, increasing their lead over the Labour Party to six seats, and retaining minority control. This lead is now five seats after one of the Liberal Democrats’ councillors resigned the whip, days after being re-elected. The Liberal Democrats currently have 29 seats, Labour 24, and Greens and the Edgeley Community Association each hold 3. There are 4 independents, three of whom are sponsored by the Heald Green Ratepayers (not formally a political party).
Stockport became incorporated in 1835 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. In 1888, the County Borough of Stockport was created under the Local Government Act 1888. [4] [5] The Borough would be enlarged in 1901 and 1903, absorbing urban districts such as Reddish and Heaton Norris from the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. [5]
The Local Government Act 1972 would abolish this county borough, creating the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport within Greater Manchester.
Ward | Councillor | Party | Term of office | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bramhall North | Mark Jones | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Suzanne Wyatt | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Alex Wynne | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Bramhall South and Woodford | Ian Powney | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Dallas Jones | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Jeremy Meal | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Bredbury and Woodley | Joe Barratt | Labour | 2023–27 | |
Sue Thorpe | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Rosemary Barratt | Labour | 2024–28 | ||
Bredbury Green and Romiley | Lisa Smart | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Angie Clark | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Mark Roberts | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Brinnington and Stockport Central | Christine Carrigan | Labour Co-op | 2023–27 | |
Kerry Waters | Labour | 2023–26 | ||
Karl Wardlaw | Labour | 2024–28 | ||
Cheadle East and Cheadle Hulme North | David Meller | Labour Co-op | 2023–27 | |
Jilly Julian | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Mike Newman | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Cheadle Hulme South | Mark Hunter | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Helen Foster-Grime | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Keith Holloway | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Cheadle West and Gatley | Clive Greenhalgh | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Ian Hunter | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Tom Morrison | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Davenport and Cale Green | Dickie Davies | Labour | 2023–27 | |
Wendy Wild | Labour | 2023–26 | ||
Paul Wright | Labour | 2024–28 | ||
Edgeley | Matt Wynne | Community Association | 2023–27 | |
Leah Taylor | Community Association | 2023–26 | ||
Asa Caton | Community Association | 2024–28 | ||
Hazel Grove | Jake Austin | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Wendy Meikle | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Frankie Singleton | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Heald Green | Carole McCann | Heald Green Ratepayers | 2023–27 | |
Ana Charles-Jones | Heald Green Ratepayers | 2023–26 | ||
Catherine Stuart | Heald Green Ratepayers | 2024–28 | ||
Heatons North | David Sedgwick | Labour | 2023–27 | |
John Taylor | Labour | 2023–26 | ||
Dena Ryness | Labour Co-op | 2024–28 | ||
Heatons South | Colin Foster | Labour | 2023–27 | |
Dean Fitzpatrick | Labour | 2023–26 | ||
Claire Vibert | Labour Co-op | 2024–28 | ||
Manor | Laura Clingan | Labour | 2023–27 | |
Sue Glithero | Labour | 2023–26 | ||
Jon Byrne | Labour | 2024–28 | ||
Marple North | Steve Gribbon | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Geoff Abell | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Micheala Meikle | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Marple South and High Lane | Shan Alexander | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Aron Thornley | Independent [lower-alpha 1] | 2023–26 | ||
Colin MacAlister | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Norbury and Woodsmoor | Grace Baynham | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Dominic Hardwick | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26 | ||
Pete West | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Offerton | Will Dawson | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | |
Helen Hibbert | Labour | 2023–26 | ||
Dan Oliver | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28 | ||
Reddish North | David Wilson | Labour | 2023–27 | |
Holly McCormack | Labour | 2023–26 | ||
Rachel Wise | Labour Co-op | 2024–28 | ||
Reddish South | Liz Crix | Green | 2023–27 | |
Gary Lawson | Green | 2023–26 | ||
James Frizzell | Green | 2024–28 |
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (Stockport Council) uses a Leader and cabinet system. There are eight cabinet members, including the leader of the council; each has a separate portfolio containing responsibilities for different services and areas of the council. There are also six scrutiny committees which scrutinise decisions made by the cabinet.
The Cabinet of the Council consists of eight Councillors: [6]
Stockport Council has 63 elected members, belonging to five different political groups.
In the 2004 election, all councillors on the council were put up for election at the same time. This election was conducted exclusively by postal voting. Each elector was given three votes, and asked to pick three candidates. The number of votes each candidate received then determined when they would next stand for election.
Elections were then scheduled for 2006, 2007, and 2008.
In the council elections on Thursday 1 May 2008, in which one third of the seats were up for re-election, there were two main changes. In the Cheadle & Gatley ward, incumbent councillor Paul Carter of the Liberal Democrats lost his seat to the Conservative candidate Mick Jones. Similarly in the Brinnington and Central Ward, Labour councillor Maureen Rowles lost her seat to the Liberal Democrat candidate Christian Walker. [7] However, a short time after this election, he chose to serve as an independent councillor, [8] later in the year returned to the Liberal Democrats, [9] and then in 2011 declared himself independent again. [10]
During 2009, which was a "fallow year" (one without scheduled elections), there were three by-elections following the deaths of serving councillors. [11] [12] [13] Subsequently, Labour councillor Anne Graham joined the Liberal Democrat group, bringing them to 36 Councillors out of 63. [14]
On 2 February 2011, Councillors David White, Roy Driver and Anne Graham all resigned from the Liberal Democrat Group. All three cited unhappiness with the national party's involvement with a "Tory-led" government. They formed an Independent Left Group on the Council, whilst awaiting the result of membership applications to the Labour Party, and subsequently joined the Labour Group after the 2011 elections. [14] Driver was not selected for a seat in the May 2011 elections, but unsuccessfully contested Bredbury and Woodley for Labour in May 2012. [15] He was eventually elected as councillor for Reddish North in 2015. [16]
On 21 January 2012, Patrick McAuley, Labour councillor for Manor since May 2011, announced on Twitter that he had resigned from the Labour Party but that he would continue to serve as a councillor; [17] he joined the Liberal Democrat group in December 2012, [18] but quit in April 2016, a month after being re-elected. [19]
In October and November 2014, Labour lost three Stockport councillors, with Brian Hendley, Paul Moss, and Laura Booth all leaving the party. Hendley had been deselected without his knowing, Moss resigned due to house building on Reddish Vale Country Park, and Booth quit over allegations of a "culture of systematic bullying". [20]
Following the 2022 Local Elections, the Liberal Democrats had 28 seats, Labour 24, Conservatives four, Heald Green Ratepayers three, the Greens two, and there were two independent councillors. [21] No party then had overall control, but the Liberal Democrats became the largest group on the council and formed a minority administration, with Mark Hunter as Leader of the Council. [22]
Due to boundary changes, at the 2023 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election all 63 seats were contested at the same time. The Liberal Democrats gained two seats, taking them to thirty, with Labour on 24. There were also three Greens, three Heald Green Ratepayers, and three from the Edgeley Community Association. [23]
Mark James Hunter is a British Liberal Democrat politician and leader of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council who became Member of Parliament (MP) for Cheadle at a 2005 by-election. At the 2015 general election, Hunter lost his seat to Mary Robinson of the Conservative Party. Since 19 May 2022, Hunter has served as the leader of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. As leader he is also a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and is the combined authority's portfolio holder for Children and Young People.
The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in England. It is south-east of central Manchester and south of Tameside. As well as the towns of Stockport, Bredbury and Marple, it includes the outlying villages and suburbs of Hazel Grove, Bramhall, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Gatley, Reddish, Woodley and Romiley. In 2022, it had a population of 297,107, making it the fourth-most populous borough of Greater Manchester.
Elections to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election. The Liberal Democrats held overall control of the council.
Reddish North is an electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It elects three Councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council using the first past the post electoral method, electing one Councillor every year without election on the fourth.
The 2010 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
Elections to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 5 May 2011, with one third of the seats up for election.
Cheadle Hulme South is an electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It elects three Councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council using the first past the post electoral method, electing one Councillor every year without election on the fourth.
Bramhall South and Woodford is an electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It elects three councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council using the first-past-the-post electoral method, electing one councillor every year without election on the fourth.
Village was an electoral ward of Trafford, Greater Manchester, covering the eastern part of the village of Timperley, including the Village Centre, and part of Brooklands.
The 2012 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in England. It was on the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections.
Elections to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council took place on 22 May 2014. They coincided with other local elections happening on this day across the UK, as well as the 2014 elections to the European Parliament.
Brinnington and Central is an electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It elects three Councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council using the first past the post electoral method, electing one Councillor every year without election on the fourth.
Cheadle and Gatley is an electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It elects three Councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council using the first past the post electoral method, electing one Councillor every year without election on the fourth.
Manor is an electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It elects three councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council using the first past the post electoral method, electing one councillor every year without election on the fourth.
Offerton is an electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It elects three Councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council using the first-past-the-post electoral method, electing one Councillor every year without election on the fourth.
Stepping Hill was an electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, England, created for the 2004 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election. It elected three councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council using the first past the post electoral method, electing one councillor every year without election on the fourth. The ward was abolished in boundary changes before the 2023 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election and split up, with the largest part of it going to the new ward of Norbury & Woodsmoor. Parts of Great Moor and Little Moor within the ward were moved into the Offerton ward, and a small area into the Hazel Grove ward.
The 2016 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2016 to elect members of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. Stockport Council is elected in thirds which means that in each three member local ward, one councillor is elected every year, except every four years which is classed as fallow year. The last fallow year was 2013, when no local government elections took place in the borough. Those councillors elected with serve a four-year term expiring in 2020, the term was subsequently extended for a further year due to the deferral of the 2020 UK local elections.
The 2021 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election were held on 6 May 2021, to elect members of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.
The 2022 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election took place 5 May 2022 to elect members of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. This was on the same day as other local elections. 21 of the 63 seats were up for election.
The 2023 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council elections took place on 4 May 2023 alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. Due to boundary changes, all 63 seats on Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council were contested.