Paul Watson Presses Labour as Manchester Election Results 2026 Awaited

Manchester election results 2026 were still to come as counts continued across the North-West, with Manchester, Rochdale, Bury and Trafford among the councils due later in the day. Six councils had declared by the time of the report, while results from all counts were expected by Saturday.

That left one of the region’s biggest unanswered questions tied to a wider contest covering more than 5,000 seats across 136 local authorities and six mayoral races. Reform had made gains across the North-West as Labour lost seats, and the Liberal Democrats took control of Stockport.

Wigan Count Turns to Reform

In Wigan, Reform leader Councillor Paul Watson said the party had a night of "unprecedented" results and said it won 24 seats. Labour still held overall control in Wigan with 42 seats, but the ward of Ince went to Reform after more than 40 years as a symbol of Labour dominance in the town.

Watson also said, "For Labour, it all comes down to their leadership. Keir Starmer, he has to go," and added, "He has to fall on his sword because when the people speak, the government has to listen and the people have spoken."

Labour Responses in Wigan

Labour councillor Nazia Rehman said, "We were not expecting this but we knew people were not happy and some people voted against us." She added, "I think the government has to do more and we have to do better." Leigh and Atherton MP Jo Platt described the vote as "catastrophic for Labour."

For Manchester, the practical issue was simple: the result was still outstanding while the North-West count moved toward its final declarations. With six councils already declared and more due later that day, the remaining tallies carried the clearest answer to how far the party shifts would reach beyond Wigan.

Manchester, Rochdale, Bury, Trafford

Manchester, Rochdale, Bury and Trafford were among the councils still to announce outcomes later that day. Those declarations sat alongside Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Knowlsey, Pendle, Preston, Sefton, St Helens, West Lancashire and Wigan, leaving a large part of the North-West count open until the full set of results came in.