Voters across Manchester went to the polls on Thursday in elections to fill 32 of the 96 seats on Manchester City Council, as part of the wider set of English local contests being held this week. Polling stations opened at 7am and close at 10pm, with counts beginning Friday morning.
Pre-election projections from polling firms put Labour on roughly 55 per cent of the vote citywide, comfortably ahead of the Green Party at about 18 per cent, the Liberal Democrats at 11 per cent, the Conservatives at 6 per cent and other parties on around 10 per cent. Labour has held overall control of the city for several decades.
The Green Party is expected to make further gains in central and southern Manchester wards with large student and graduate populations, building on its strong showing in 2024. Reform UK is fielding candidates in every ward in the city for the first time, hoping to consolidate support in some outer-ring areas.
Cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability and the council's recent budget settlement have dominated campaigning, with all major parties promising further action on the city's rough sleeping figures and on planning reform to free up housing supply.
A Labour council source said the party was preparing for a "respectable" result given the difficult national picture for Sir Keir Starmer's government, but that retaining safe wards in north Manchester was its priority. Green campaigners said internal canvass returns suggested they were within reach of further gains in Withington and parts of Hulme.
Results from individual wards are expected throughout Friday afternoon, with overall control of the city not in doubt. The wider story across England is expected to be one of significant Labour losses, particularly to Reform UK in working-class areas.