The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton shown within England.

Elections to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council were held on in May 1978. The Conservatives retained control of the council.

23 seats were contested, with 11 being won by the Conservative Party and 12 by the Labour Party.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Election result

Bolton Local Election Result 1978
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 11 1 2 -1 (({seats %))} 50.9 36,495 -7.0
  Labour 12 4 1 +3 (({seats %))} 42.1 30,185 +5.1
  Liberal 0 0 1 -1 (({seats %))} 4.7 3,401 +0.8
  Other parties 0 0 1 -1 (({seats %))} 2.2 1,608 +1.1

Ward results

Astley Bridge ward

Astley Bridge ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D Shepherd 2,685 74.0 -3.5
Labour L Hesketh 794 21.9 -0.6
Liberal M Powell 147 4.1 +4.1
Majority 1,891 52.1 -3.0
Turnout 3,626 37.4 -0.6
Conservative hold Swing Con to Lib 3.8

Bradshaw North and South ward

Bradshaw North and South ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B Furlong 1,662 80.0 -5.7
Labour L Sanderson 416 20.0 +5.7
Majority 1,246 60.0 -11.3
Turnout 2,078 31.0 -3.0
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 5.7

Bradford ward

Bradford ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J Foster 1,451 86.0 +17.5
Conservative N Patel 165 9.8 -18.5
Socialist (GB) E Murphy 71 4.2 +1.0
Majority 1,286 76.2 +36.0
Turnout 1,687 41.0 +3.3
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 18.0

Bromley Cross, Eagley and Egerton ward

Bromley Cross, Eagley and Egerton ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D Carr 2,567 80.0 -1.9
Labour E McCracken 642 20.0 +1.9
Majority 1,925 60.0 -3.7
Turnout 3,209 37.1 -1.4
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 1.9

Church East and North ward

Church East and North ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Iddon 1,461 63.8 +37.1
Conservative F Yardley 774 33.8 -7.3
National Front D Ashurst 56 2.4 +2.4
Majority 687 30.0
Turnout 2,291 45.0 -3.3
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 22.2

Darcy Lever cum Breightmet ward

Darcy Lever cum Breightmet ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D Dingwall 2,585 50.6 +6.1
Conservative J Whittingham 2,439 47.8 -7.7
Socialist (GB) N Duffield 83 1.6 +1.6
Majority 146 2.8
Turnout 5,107 37.5 -1.5
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 6.9

Deane cum Lostock ward

Deane cum Lostock ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D Berry 2,069 71.8 -5.9
Labour A Moon 584 20.3 -2.0
Liberal S Roberts 150 5.2 +5.2
National Front L Bromilow 77 2.7 +2.7
Majority 1,485 51.6 -3.8
Turnout 2,880 38.8 -2.2
Conservative hold Swing Con to Lib 5.5

Derby ward

Derby ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G Riley 1,622 74.1 +10.3
Conservative B Lomax 504 23.0 -13.2
Communist Alan Johnson 63 2.9 +2.9
Majority 1,118 51.1 +23.5
Turnout 2,189 37.0 +6.0
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 11.7

Farnworth North ward

Farnworth North ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L Cunliffe 1,500 52.5 +4.8
Conservative D Jones 1,118 39.1 -2.1
Liberal W Crook 238 8.3 -2.8
Majority 382 13.4 +6.9
Turnout 2,856 31.4 -0.5
Labour hold Swing Lib to Labour 3.8

Farnworth South ward

Farnworth South ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J Wild 1,540 60.3 +5.0
Conservative E Holland 775 30.4 +9.3
Liberal L Bale 237 9.3 -14.3
Majority 765 30.0 -1.7
Turnout 2,552 27.5 +2.2
Labour hold Swing Lib to Con 11.8

Great Lever ward

Great Lever ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M Atkinson 1,842 51.0 +11.3
Conservative J Shore 1,772 49.0 -11.3
Majority 70 2.0
Turnout 3,614 34.6 -1.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 11.3

Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E Hamer 1,363 37.1 -7.3
Conservative B Holland 1,299 35.4 -20.2
Liberal J Fish 941 25.6 +25.6
National Front J Bridge 71 1.9 +1.9
Majority 64 1.7
Turnout 3,674 41.0 +9.0
Labour hold Swing Con to Lib 22.9

Heaton ward

Heaton ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B Allanson 1,909 87.6 -2.8
Labour L Williamson 271 12.4 +2.8
Majority 1,638 75.2 -5.6
Turnout 2,180 46.0 -1.0
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 2.8

Horwich North, Central and East ward

Horwich North, Central and East ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R Parkinson 2,184 52.8 -0.1
Labour A Oakley 1,951 47.2 +0.2
Majority 233 5.6 -0.3
Turnout 4,135 38.9 -1.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Con to Labour 0.1

Horwich South and Blackrod ward

Horwich South and Blackrod ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M Butterfield 1,063 37.9 -0.5
Conservative T Mulligan 950 33.9 -27.7
Independent L Fearnhead 791 28.2 +28.2
Majority 113 4.0
Turnout 2,804 42.9 -5.1
Labour gain from Independent Swing Con to Ind 27.9

Hulton and Rumworth ward

Hulton and Rumworth ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J Parkinson 1,961 50.9 -4.2
Labour J Farmer 1,719 44.6 +8.6
National Front J Walsh 176 4.6 -4.3
Majority 242 6.3 -12.7
Turnout 3,856 39.1 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 6.4

Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R Cornthwaite 1,597 43.0 +2.6
Liberal J Rothwell 1,273 34.3 -3.2
Conservative A Longmire 843 22.7 +0.6
Majority 324 8.7 +5.9
Turnout 3,713 43.3 +0.7
Labour gain from Liberal Swing Lib to Labour 2.9

Little Lever ward

Little Lever ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative K Hornby 1,976 62.9 +22.4
Labour E Blackwell 973 31.0 -6.6
Liberal R Richardson 192 6.1 -15.8
Majority 1,003 31.9 +29.0
Turnout 3,141 39.3 +1.3
Conservative hold Swing Lib to Con 19.1

Smithills ward

Smithills ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D Priestley 2,510 71.2 -3.3
Labour G Hart 794 22.5 +0.6
Liberal F Fish 223 6.3 +6.3
Majority 1,716 48.7 -3.9
Turnout 3,527 33.1 -4.8
Conservative hold Swing Con to Lib 4.8

Tonge ward

Tonge ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S Harrison 2,567 54.6 -2.4
Labour K McIvor 1,970 41.9 -1.1
National Front J Hamilton 162 3.4 +3.4
Majority 597 12.7 -1.3
Turnout 4,699 41.7 -0.3
Conservative hold Swing Con to NF 2.9

West ward

West ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R Howarth 1,710 63.8 +9.0
Conservative M Kershaw 913 34.1 -11.1
Socialist (GB) I Heyes 58 2.2 +2.2
Majority 797 29.7 +20.2
Turnout 2,681 34.3 +2.3
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 10.0

Westhoughton East and Hulton ward

Westhoughton East and Hulton ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G Smith 1,753 72.3 -2.6
Labour P Jones 670 27.7 +2.6
Majority 1,083 44.6 -5.2
Turnout 2,423 37.8 -5.0
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 2.6

Westhoughton North, Central and South ward

Westhoughton North, Central and South ward (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W Kettle 1,667 60.2 +13.0
Conservative A Prince 1,100 39.8 -2.2
Majority 567 20.4 +15.2
Turnout 2,767 37.4 -2.4
Labour hold Swing Con to Lab 7.6

References

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