Why Tameside has no elections in May 2025

The Longdendale by-election took place earlier this month, but voters aren't expected to go to the polls again until May 2026

Next month, thousands of voters up and down the country will head to polling stations to vote on ward representatives at the local elections.

People will be choosing who they want as their next councillor or mayor, depending on what type of election they have. In Runcorn and Helsby, they will even get to pick a new MP following the resignation of Mike Amesbury.

Despite Tameside having a council by-election in Longdendale this month, there will be no election in May 2025.

On April 10, Coun Allan Hopwood stormed to victory, becoming the first elected Reform politician in Greater Manchester. This by-election was triggered following the resignation of former deputy leader Jacqueline North in March.

But that is the only taste of democracy the people of Tameside are expecting until May 2026, due to 2025 being a ‘fallow year’ for metropolitan districts.

This is because councillors are elected on staggered terms, with an election in three years out of every four. The remaining year is called a ‘fallow year’, when no elections take place.

Since there has not been another resignation or vacancy left by any other Tameside politician, no by-election will take place in May.

This comes after a bumper year for elections in 2024, with the General Election on July 4 as well as the council and the mayoral elections being held two months prior. Labour saw Angela Rayner, Jonathan Reynolds and Andrew Gwynne elected to the three parliamentary seats in the borough.

Gorton and Denton MP Andrew Gwynne has since been suspended by the Labour Party and currently sits as an independent.

The next general election is expected to take place in 2029, unless the government calls it earlier. Andy Burnham serves a four-year-long term, so the Greater Manchester mayor is not due up for re-election until May 2028.

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