Full candidates list for 2026 election
Oldham will hold its local elections on 7 May 2026 with a record 127 candidates contesting 20 wards, as Labour defends its minority administration against challenges from Reform UK and the Greens, both standing in every ward for the first time.
Record 127 Candidates Vie for Oldham Council Seats in May 7 Election
Oldham voters will face an unprecedented array of choices when they cast ballots on May 7, as a record 127 candidates compete for the 20 council seats up for election across the borough’s wards. Each ward will elect one representative, with three wards—Alexandra, Crompton and Waterhead—drawing seven candidates each, while most others field five or six hopefuls.
The Labour administration, which holds 27 of the council’s 60 seats, lost its majority in the last local elections and has relied on independent support to survive two no-confidence votes against council leader Arooj Shah. The council’s remaining composition includes nine Liberal Democrats, nine Oldham Group Party members, six Conservatives, three Reform UK representatives, and six independents spanning groups like the Failsworth Independent Party and Royton Independents.
Reform UK and the Green Party are contesting every ward for the first time, while Labour is fielding candidates in all wards except Royton North. The Liberal Democrats have candidates in every ward except Crompton. The Conservative slate includes 13 candidates, the Oldham Group Party has eight (including one backed by George Galloway’s Worker’s Party), and 13 independents are running under various banners including Independent Northern Heart, the National Housing Party, and the Failsworth Independent Party.
Voter registration closes at midnight on April 20, with postal vote applications due by 5pm on April 21.
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