The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton shown within England.

Elections to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 3 May 1979 on the same day as the General Election. The Conservatives retained control of the Council by a majority of 1 seat.

24 seats were contested, with 14 being won by the Labour Party, 9 by the Conservatives and 1 by the Liberal Party.

After the election, the composition of the Council was

Election result

Bolton Local Election Result 1979
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 9 0 10 -10 (({seats %))} 46.7 70,549 -4.2
  Labour 14 10 0 +10 (({seats %))} 46.4 70,115 +4.3
  Liberal 1 1 1 +0 (({seats %))} 6.8 10,279 +2.1

Ward results

Astley Bridge ward

Astley Bridge ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A Hibbert 5,087 66.6 -7.4
Labour E McCracken 2,546 33.4 +11.5
Majority 2541 33.2 -18.9
Turnout 7,633 78.6 +41.2
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 9.4

Bradshaw North and South ward

Bradshaw North and South ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative K Howarth 4,099 73.8 -6.2
Labour C Benjamin 1,457 26.2 +6.2
Majority 2,642 47.6 -12.4
Turnout 5,556 78.9 +47.9
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 6.2

Bradford ward

Bradford ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C Skull 2,348 79.4 -7.6
Conservative H Kolia 648 21.6 +11.8
Majority 1,700 56.7 -19.5
Turnout 2,996 74.7 +33.7
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 9.7

Bromley Cross, Eagley and Egerton ward

Bromley Cross, Eagley and Egerton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A O'Neil 4,670 36.2
Conservative T Mulligan 4,379 33.9
Labour J Mason 1,981 15.3
Labour M Woodcock 1,878 14.5
Majority
Turnout 12,908 72.9 +35.8
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Church East and North ward

Church East and North ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J Farmer 2,270 58.4 -5.4
Conservative M Drinkwater 1,618 41.6 +7.8
Majority 652 16.8 -13.2
Turnout 3,888 76.8 +31.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Labour to Con 6.6

Darcy Lever cum Breightmet ward

Darcy Lever cum Breightmet ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K McIvor 5,203 59.1 +8.5
Conservative A Chadbond 3,598 40.9 -6.9
Majority 1,605 18.2 +15.4
Turnout 8,801 75.3 +37.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 7.7

Deane cum Lostock ward

Deane cum Lostock ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R Ward 3,639 59.4 -12.4
Labour G Harkin 1,928 31.5 +11.2
Liberal S Roberts 563 9.2 +4.0
Majority 1,711 27.9 -23.7
Turnout 6,130 78.9 +40.1
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 11.8

Derby ward

Derby ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S Walsh 3,382 76.7 +2.6
Conservative J Shore 888 20.1 -2.9
Communist A Johnson 139 3.2 +0.3
Majority 2,494 56.6 +5.5
Turnout 4,409 73.2 +36.2
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 2.7

Farnworth North ward

Farnworth North ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D Butterfield 3,152 47.8 -4.7
Conservative D Jones 2,205 33.4 -5.7
Liberal G Barrow 1,238 18.8 +10.5
Majority 947 14.3 +0.9
Turnout 6,595 71.4 +40.0
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Lib 8.1

Farnworth South ward

Farnworth South ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P Johnston 3,689 56.3 -4.0
Conservative B Coote 1,598 24.4 -6.0
Liberal L Bale 1,262 19.3 +10.0
Majority 2,091 31.9 +1.9
Turnout 6,549 70.6 +40.6
Labour hold Swing Con to Lib 8.0

Great Lever ward

Great Lever ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L Williamson 4,408 55.1 +3.9
Conservative L Huyton 3,598 44.9 -3.9
Majority 810 10.1 +8.2
Turnout 8,006 76.9 +42.3
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 3.9

Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J Fish 2,972 43.2 +17.6
Labour R Johnson 2,171 31.5 -5.6
Conservative J Walsh 1,743 25.3 -10.2
Majority 801 11.6
Turnout 6,886 78.0 +37.0
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing Con to Lib 13.9

Heaton ward

Heaton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B Hurst 3,382 83.0 -4.6
Labour J Jenkins 691 17.0 +4.6
Majority 2,691 66.0 -9.0
Turnout 4,073 83.6 +37.6
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 4.6

Horwich North, Central and East ward

Horwich North, Central and East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A Oakley 4,262 66.0 +18.8
Conservative S Dawson 2,193 34.0 -18.8
Majority 2,069 32.0
Turnout 6,455 76.2 +37.3
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 18.8

Horwich South and Blackrod ward

Horwich South and Blackrod ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E Johnson 2,760 51.9 +14.0
Conservative J Jolley 2,560 48.1 -14.2
Majority 200 3.8 N/A
Turnout 5,320 79.4 +36.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 14.1

Hulton and Rumworth ward

Hulton and Rumworth ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T Anderton 4,046 52.7 +8.1
Conservative R Carr 3,629 47.3 -3.6
Majority 417 5.4
Turnout 7,675 78.2 +39.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 5.8

Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W Robinson 2,912 43.6 +0.6
Liberal J Rothwell 2,158 32.3 -2.0
Conservative J Tomlinson 1,602 24.0 +1.3
Majority 754 11.3 +2.6
Turnout 6,672 77.5 +34.2
Labour gain from Liberal Swing Lib to Con 1.6

Little Lever ward

Little Lever ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A Lawton 2,957 45.5 -17.4
Labour L Sanderson 2,542 39.2 +8.2
Liberal W Crook 993 15.3 +9.2
Majority 415 6.4 -25.5
Turnout 6,492 80.5 +41.2
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 12.8

Smithills ward

Smithills ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S Collier 4,475 52.6 -18.6
Labour J Knight 2,932 34.5 +12.0
Liberal D Walmsley 1,093 12.9 +6.6
Majority 1,543 18.1 -30.5
Turnout 8,500 79.3 +46.2
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 15.3

Tonge ward

Tonge ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D Eastwood 4,598 53.2 +11.3
Conservative J Rigby 4,050 46.8 -7.8
Majority 548 6.4
Turnout 8,648 76.4 +34.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Lab 9.5

West ward

West Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G Hart 3,693 66.4 +2.6
Conservative M Kershaw 1,867 33.6 -0.5
Majority 1,826 32.8 +3.1
Turnout 5,560 70.0 +35.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Lab 1.5

Westhoughton East and Hulton ward

Westhoughton East and Hulton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J Smith 3,624 66.2 -6.1
Labour P Jones 1,847 33.8 +6.1
Majority 1,777 32.4 -12.2
Turnout 5,471 79.9 +42.1
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 6.1

Westhoughton North, Central and South ward

Westhoughton North, Central and South ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P Woodcock 3,419 58.4 -1.8
Conservative A Prince 2,440 41.6 +1.8
Majority 979 16.8 -3.8
Turnout 5,859 75.2 +37.8
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 1.8

References

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