Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

The Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in the United Kingdom. It consists of 75 Councillors with one-third being elected every three years in four. The borough is separated into 25 wards. Councillors are democratically accountable to the ward they are elected to represent. Each ward is represented on the council by three council members.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Type
Type	Cabinet-style council
History
Founded	1 April 1974
Preceded by	14 councils[notes 1]
Leadership
Mayor of Wigan	Cllr Stephen Dawber, Labour since 22 May 2019
Leader of the Council	Cllr David Molyneux, Labour
Chief executive	Alison McKenzie-Folan since 6 March 2019
Structure
Seats	75 (38 needed for a majority)
Political groups	Administration   Labour (57) Opposition parties   Conservative (7)   Independent (10) Vacant seats   Vacant (1)
Joint committees	Greater Manchester Combined Authority Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
Last election	2016 (one third of councillors) 2018 (one third of councillors) 2019 (one third of councillors)
Next election	2021 (one third of councillors) 2022 (one third of councillors)
Meeting place
Wigan Town Hall United Kingdom
Website
wigan.gov.uk

Council members by ward

This is a list of the current Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council:[1]

Ward	Councillor		Party	Offices[2]
Abram		Eunice Smethurst	Labour	Chair of Confident Council Scrutiny Committee Sitting member of the Constitutional Working Group
		Martyn Smethurst	Labour	Sitting member of the Children and Young People's Services Scrutiny Committee and Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee
		Carl Sweeney	Labour	Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Planning and Environmental Services Sitting member of the Honorary Aldermen Nominations Committee and the Establishment (Ad Hoc) Committee
Ashton		Anthony John Skyes	Labour
		Bill Clarke	Labour	Sitting member of the Planning Committee, the Licensing Committee, and the Regulation Committee
		Jennifer Bullen	Labour	Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People Services
Aspull, New Springs and Whelley		John Hilton	Labour	Sitting member of the Planning Committee, the Licensing Committee, and the Regulation Committee
		Ronald Josef Conway	Labour	Chair of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee Sitting member of the Honorary Aldermen Nominations Committee
		Christopher Ready	Labour	Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Communities and Housing Chair of the Honorary Aldermen Nominations Committee Chair of the Councillor Services Group
Astley Mosley Common		Christine Lillian Roberts	Labour	Sitting member of the Licensing Committee and the Regulation Committee
		Paula Wakefield	Labour Co-operative	Lead Member for Equalities and Domestic Abuse
		Barry John Taylor	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee and the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee
Atherleigh		Mark Aldred	Labour	Vice-Chair of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee
		Debra Wailes	Labour	Sitting member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee
		John Harding	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee and the Planning Committee
Atherton		Stuart Gerrard	Independent Network	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee
		James Paul Watson	Independent Network
		Jamie Hodgkinson	Independent Network	Sitting member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee and the Councillor Services Group
Bryn		Sylvia Wilkinson	Independent
		Andrew Collinson	Independent	Sitting member of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee and the Planning Committee
		Stephen Jones	Independent	Sitting member of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee and the Constitutional Working Group
Douglas		Pat Draper	Labour	Sitting member of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee and the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee
		Sheila Rosaleen Ramsdale	Labour
		Shirley Dewhurst	Labour	Vice-Chair of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee Sitting member of the Planning Committee
Golborne and Lowton West		Susan Gambles	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee and the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee
		Gena Merrett	Labour
		Yvonne Klieve	Labour	Lead Member for District Centres and Night Time Economy
Hindley		Jim Ellis	Independent
		Paul Blay	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee, the Licensing Committee, and the Regulation Committee
		James Talbot	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee, the Planning Committee, the Licensing Committee, and the Regulation Committee
Hindley Green		Robert Brierley	Independent	Sitting member of the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee
		John Vickers	Labour
		Paul Maiden	Independent	Sitting member of the Licensing Committee and the Regulation Committee
Ince		David Trevor Molyneux	Labour	Leader of the Council and Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Regeneration Chair of the Constitutional Working Group
		James Moodie	Labour	Lead Member for Leisure and Public Health and Chair of Confident Council Scrutiny Committee Sitting member of the Councillor Services Group and the Constitutional Working Group
		Janice Sharratt	Labour	Sitting member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee and the Planning Committee
Leigh East		Keith Cunliffe	Labour	Deputy Leader of Wigan Council and Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Adult and Social Care Sitting member of the Constitutional Working Group
		Anita Thorpe	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee and the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee
		Fredrick Bown Walker	Labour	Sitting member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee
Leigh South		Kevin Anderson	Labour Co-operative	Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Police, Crime and Civil Contingencies
		John David O'Brien	Labour	Chair of Confident Places Scrutiny Committee Sitting member of the Establishment (Ad Hoc) Committee and the Councillor Services Group
		Charles Rigby	Labour	Chair of Audit, Governance and Standards Committee
Leigh West		Susan June Greensmith	Labour	Mayor of Wigan Sitting member of the Honorary Aldermen Nominations Committee
		Lord Smith of Leigh	Labour	Sitting member of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee
		Dane Anderton	Labour
Lowton East		Edward Houlton	Conservative	Sitting member of the Licensing Committee, the Regulation Committee
		Kathleen Houlton	Conservative	Sitting member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, the Licensing Committee, and the Regulation Committee
		James Grundy	Conservative	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee and the Councillor Services Group, Member of Parliament for Leigh
Orrell		Vacant	Vacant
		Steven Evans	Conservative
		Michael Winstanley	Conservative	Sitting member of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee, the Honorary Aldermen Nominations Committee, the Establishment (Ad Hoc) Committee, and the Constitutional Working Group
Pemberton		Paul Prescott	Labour	Chair of the Planning Committee Chair of the Regulation Committee Chair of the Licensing Committee
		Jeanette Prescott	Labour	Sitting member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee and the Planning Committee
		Eileen Rigby	Labour
Shevington with Lower Ground		Paul Anthony Collins	Labour	Vice-Chair of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee
		Janet Brown	Shevington Independents	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee and the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee
		Marlaine Whitham	Labour	Sitting member of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee
Standish with Langtree		Raymond Whittingham	Conservative	Sitting member of the Planning Committee
		Debbie Parkinson	Labour
		Adam Marsh	Conservative	Sitting member of the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee
Tyldesley		Nazia Rehman	Labour	Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Resources, Finance and Transformation Chair of the Establishment (Ad Hoc) Committee
		Stephen John Hellier	Labour	Vice-Chair of Planning Committee
		Joanne Marshall	Labour	Lead Member for Greener Wigan
Wigan Central		George Davies	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee
		Lawrence Hunt	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee and the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee
		Michael McLoughlin	Labour	Sitting member of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee, the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee, and the Councillor Services Group
Wigan West		Phyllis Cullen	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee, the Licensing Committee, and the Regulation Committee
		Stephen Dawber	Labour	Deputy Mayor of Wigan Sitting member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, the Licensing Committee, and the Regulation Committee
		Terence William Halliwell	Labour	Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Housing and Welfare Sitting member of the Establishment (Ad Hoc) Committee and the Councillor Services Group
Winstanley		Paul Terence Kenny	Labour Co-operative	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee, the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee, and the Constitutional Working Group
		Clive William Morgan	Labour	Lead Member for Armed Forces and Veterans Sitting member of the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee
		Marie Morgan	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee, the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee, and the Honorary Aldermen Nominations Committee
Worsley Mesnes		Phil Kelly	Labour	Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee, the Licensing Committee, and the Regulation Committee
		Billy Rotherham	Labour	Vice-Chair of the Regulation Committee Vice-Chair of the Licensing Committee Sitting member of the Confident Places Scrutiny Committee
		Patricia Lynne Holland	Labour	Vice-Chair of the Confident Council Scrutiny Committee Sitting member of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee

Cabinet

Eight councillors are appointed to the cabinet who are each a 'Portfolio Holder' for an area of responsibility.[3] (Such as 'Portfolio Holder for Environment').

Portfolio	Current Holder	Notes
Executive Leader	David Molyneux	Responsibility for policy direction, finance, partnership working, external relations within Greater Manchester and at national level, the performance of Cabinet Members and of Leader Members, and implementing the "Deal for the Future" policy.
Deputy Leader	Kieth Cunliffe	Responsible for supporting the Executive Leader.
Economic Development and Regeneration	David Molyneux	Responsible for transportation, delivery of future housing, infrastructure, economic development and skills and green infrastructure needs.
Children and Young People Services	Jenny Bullen	Responsible for issues and services for ages ranging from 0 -19.
Housing and Welfare	Terry Halliwell	Responsible for Wigan and Leigh Housing, chairing the Housing Panel, and Council Welfare Policy
Adult Social Care	Keith Cunliffe	Support for older people and adults with disabilities and for their carers and ensuring vulnerable groups feel safe and protected and that their welfare is promoted. Enhancing self-reliance, improving life opportunities and independence.
Planning and Environmental Services	Carl Sweeney	Responsible for operational delivery of services, including waste collection/disposal, street scene, highways, transport provision, building maintenance, school catering, environmental protection, and environmental health and licensing. .
Communities and Neighbourhoods	Chris Ready	Building Self Reliance, Strengthening Communities and Communications.
Police, Crime and Civil Contingencies	Kevin Anderson	Responsible for Police and safety, with the aim at reducing crime.
Resources, Finance and Transformation	Nazia Rehman	Responsible for improvement and efficiency, and transforming the way the council works and serves its customers, providing joined-up, ‘connected’ services in a customer-focused environment, and adopting the ‘one team, one council’ theme.

Deaths in office

• On 28 January 2013, Councillor Barbara Bourne, a representative of Pemberton since 1996, died in office following a long term illness. She was responsible for a long campaign for a new medical centre, which was opened in the area of Kitt Green, in 2010.[4]

Local election results

See also

• County Borough of Wigan
• Deputy Mayor of Wigan
• Mayor of Wigan
• Metropolitan Borough of Wigan

Notes

1. Abram Urban District Council, Ashton in Makerfield Urban District Council, Aspull Urban District Council, Atherton Urban District Council, Billinge and Winstanley Urban District Council, Hindley Urban District Council, Ince-in-Makerfield Urban District Council, Golborne Urban District Council, Leigh Borough Council, Orrell Urban District Council, Standish-with-Langtree Urban District Council, Tyldesley Urban District Council, Wigan Borough Council, Wigan Rural District Council

References

1. http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0
2. (PDF) http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/documents/s41274/Appx%201%20-%20Appointment%20of%20Committees%20201819.pdf?a=1. Missing or empty |title= (help)"Appx 1 – Appointment of Committees 201819" (PDF). Government of the United Kingdom.
3. "About the Cabinet". Government of the United Kingdom.
4. http://manchestergazette.co.uk/archives/11573

External links

• Official website