North West Local Elections 2024: Where are they and what could they mean for a general election?

Voters are set to go to the polls on 2 May to vote in a precursor to a highly-anticipated General Election.

The North West region has the highest number of local elections in England with 459 council seats at stake.

In all but one of the 22 councils where ballots are being held, a third of seats are up for election when polls open at 7am.

In Warrington the full borough council is up for election.

Of those local authorities, Labour currently control 17 - which they will be defending.

Both Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region will also be electing metro mayors, while in Salford the city mayor position is also on the ballot.

Police and Crime Commissioners will be chosen in Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Cumbria.

The interactive map below shows the current political composition of the councils with elections in 2024. If you cannot see the map on your device click here.

Five of the North West councils with elections are currently hung - where no one party has more than half the seats - which means there is no working majority which can out-vote all the other parties.

In Rochdale George Galloway is looking to follow up his recent by-election win by, in his words, "wiping Labour off the council".

He is supporting a so-called ‘grand alliance’ of local independent candidates, and his endorsement of a Liberal Democrat candidate, has led to the party suspending her.

The recently elected Workers Party MP appeared in a video encouraging voters to back Rabina Asghar, “to get Labour out of the town hall”.

A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats said Ms Asghar had now been suspended by the party, adding: “We wholly reject the divisive politics of George Galloway and do not want any endorsement or connection to him.”

Both Pendle and Burnley are also councils to keep an eye on. Labour held both, but no party now has overall control in either after councillors quit the party in protest.

In Pendle, 20 local councillors quit the party in April, after accusing its national leadership of bullying.

The councillors, including Pendle Borough Council leader Asjad Mahmood, have formed independent groups on Pendle Borough Council, Brierfield Town Council, and Nelson Town Council.

In Burnley, the leader and 10 other councillors also resigned from the Labour Party in November over Sir Keir Starmer's refusal to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In Stockport, the Liberal Democrats run the council as a minority administration, but if they gain four seats, they will take overall control.

Hyndburn sees 16 Conservative and 16 Labour councillors, with just two Green and one Independent, any sway could see one party take control.

Bolton is a key Labour target, with the party needing only a few gains to win an overall majority.

In the Mayoral elections, Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Steve Rotheram in the Liverpool City Region, are both standing for a third term for Labour.

In Greater Manchester the Liberal Democrats, Reform, the Conservatives, the Green Party and an independent are also running.

In the Liverpool City Region the Green Party, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and an Independent all have candidates up for election.

Voters in most places in the North West will also be able to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner - responsible for the police forces of the county.

In 2021, the last time these elections took place, the Conservatives gained Cheshire and Lancashire from Labour.

What could it mean for a general election? Political Correspondent Andrew Misra takes a look...

Local elections are always important because they arguably make the most difference to the places where people live and work and the services available to them.

This round of local elections, though, takes on extra significance because it is the last before the general election.

Although voter turnout is typically fairly low in local elections, at around 36% last year, they offer more than a glimpse into wider regional and national narratives.

The 'bigger picture' is one of declining popularity for the ruling Conservative party, while Labour surges in opinion polls.

So many are expecting the 2nd May to see the Tories come out second best to Labour. But to what extent will that be true?

Places like Bolton will be a good indicator. The town has large Conservative representation and two of the three Bolton MPs are Tories. On local councils, the biggest shifts in power to look out for are in authorities under No Overall Control - like Bolton Council. Labour is very close to regaining the majority it lost in 2019. If they can win seven seats, like they did last year, that would be enough to take control.

Good headlines for the Conservatives are unlikely to come from the North West in these elections - instead Rishi Sunak will be looking hopefully towards mayoral elections in the North East and the Midlands.

For Labour, majority Muslim wards in Rochdale and Burnley should also give a sense of how widespread dissent is towards Sir Keir Starmer over his party's stance on the war in Gaza.

Elsewhere, if the Liberal Democrats can get an overall majority in Stockport, for the first time since 2011, they will be keen to hold it up as a sure sign that their message isn't just landing in the south, but that it can break through in the so called 'Blue Wall' in the North West too.

Ultimately, these elections will set the tone and the political environment ahead of the general election.

Many of those voted in on 2 May will work alongside the MPs who will be elected to represent their regions in Westminster, later this year.