1998 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1998 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party kept overall control of the council.[1]

The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton shown within England.

20 seats were contested in the election, with 15 being held by Labour, 3 by the Liberal Democrats and 2 by the Conservatives.[2] The 3 main parties contested all of the 20 seats, with 3 Socialist Labour Party and 4 other candidates standing.[2]

The election saw the lowest turnout in at least 30 years at 23.5%, a significant drop from the 36.8% turnout in the 1996 election.[3] Farnworth ward saw the lowest turnout at 15%, while the highest was 32.6% in Astley Bridge.[3] The Conservatives gained 2 seats in the election to become the main opposition party on the council again.[3] They gained Astley Bridge and Bradshaw wards from Labour, having defeated the Labour candidate in Bradshaw by 2 votes after 5 recounts.[3] However Labour held on in Kearsley by 8 votes and won Westhoughton from the Liberal Democrats to remain firmly in control of the council.[3]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Election result
Bolton Local Election Result 1998[3][4]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 14 1 2 -1 70.0 47.2 23,549 -6.9
  Conservative 4 2 0 +2 20.0 30.3 15,127 +5.3
  Liberal Democrats 2 0 1 -1 10.0 19.5 9,715 -0.1
  Other parties 0 0 0 10.0 3.0 1,503 +3.0

Council Composition

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:

↓
48 6 6
Labour Conservative L

After the election the composition of the council was:

↓
47 8 5
Labour Conservative L

LD - Liberal Democrats

Ward results

Astley Bridge ward
Astley Bridge ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J Walsh 1,742 49.0 +4.7
Labour S Hynes 1,576 42.9 -2.7
Liberal Democrats P Howarth 285 8.0 -2.0
Majority 216 6.1
Turnout 3,553 32.6 -6.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Labour to Con 3.7

Blackrod ward
Blackrod ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J Monaghan 987 38.7 -4.4
Conservative R Barrow 743 29.1 +6.7
Independent Labour L Watkinson 553 21.7 -1.2
Liberal Democrats D Watts 267 10.5 -1.1
Majority 434 17.0 -3.3
Turnout 2,550 25.1 -12.0
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 5.5

Bradshaw ward
Bradshaw ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A Osborn 1,242 44.2 +3.9
Labour L Byrne 1,240 44.1 -4.0
Liberal Democrats M Eidlow 327 11.6 -0.1
Majority 2 0.7
Turnout 2,809 25.8 -8.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Labour to Con 3.9

Breightmet ward
Breightmet ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M Murray 1,155 59.7 -12.9
Conservative P Brierley 565 29.2 +12.5
Liberal Democrats E Hill 214 11.1 +0.4
Majority 590 30.5 -25.4
Turnout 1,934 19.2 -9.3
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 12.7

Bromley Cross ward
Bromley Cross ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D Carr 2,028 60.4 +11.9
Labour E Sherrington 1,041 31.0 -10.7
Liberal Democrats C Atty 287 8.6 -1.2
Majority 987 29.4 -22.5
Turnout 3,356 31.0 -9.7
Conservative hold Swing Labour to Con 11.3

Burnden ward
Burnden ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P Howarth 1,223 66.3 -3.7
Conservative S Jackson 359 19.4 +3.8
Liberal Democrats D Connor 264 14.3 -0.2
Majority 864 46.8 -7.6
Turnout 1,846 19.3 -9.1
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 3.7

Central ward
Central ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J Noble 1,355 68.6 -9.0
Conservative L Beresford 411 20.8 +3.9
Liberal Democrats K Watts 127 6.4 +0.9
Independent R Allen 81 4.1 +4.1
Majority 944 47.8 -12.9
Turnout 1,974 25.1 -8.9
Labour hold Swing Labour to Ind 6.5

Daubhill ward
Daubhill ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G Harkin 1,055 63.2 -13.7
Conservative F Taylor 368 22.1 +7.6
Liberal Democrats L Greensitt 181 10.9 +2.3
Socialist Labour D Kelly 64 3.8 +3.8
Majority 687 41.2 -21.1
Turnout 1,668 18.9 -11.5
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 10.6

Deane-cum-Heaton ward
Deane-cum-Heaton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C Shaw 2,184 57.2 +8.6
Labour J Lavin 1,186 31.1 -7.2
Liberal Democrats L Greenhalgh 446 11.7 -1.4
Majority 998 26.8 +16.5
Turnout 3,716 28.8 -8.5
Conservative hold Swing Labour to Con 7.9

Derby ward
Derby ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G Riley 1,765 78.7 -5.1
Conservative R Wood 307 13.7 +3.4
Liberal Democrats L Bale 172 7.7 +1.7
Majority 1458 65.0 -13.5
Turnout 2,244 24.3 -11.3
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 4.2

Farnworth ward
Farnworth ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P Johnston 903 63.5 -18.5
Liberal Democrats M Rothwell 197 13.8 +4.9
Conservative P Bonomy 180 12.6 +3.5
Socialist Labour W Kelly 143 10.0 +10.0
Majority 706 49.6 -23.3
Turnout 1,423 15.2 -9.1
Labour hold Swing Labour to Soc Lab 14.2

Halliwell ward
Halliwell ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M Kilcoyne 1,353 63.7 -3.1
Conservative J Evans 414 19.5 +6.2
Liberal Democrats S Howarth 356 16.8 -3.1
Majority 939 44.2 -2.7
Turnout 2,123 22.7 -7.3
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 4.6

Harper Green ward
Harper Green ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L Williamson 1,012 63.9 -14.8
Conservative S Kesler 266 16.8 +4.2
Liberal Democrats W Connor 154 9.7 +1.0
Socialist Labour W Kelly 152 9.6 +9.6
Majority 746 47.1 -19.1
Turnout 1,584 15.5 -7.9
Labour hold Swing Labour to Soc Lab 12.2

Horwich ward
Horwich ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats R Ronson 1,963 55.0 -3.4
Labour S Pasquill 1,005 28.2 +5.5
Conservative I Cooper 598 16.8 -3.1
Majority 958 26.9 -8.7
Turnout 3,566 31.0 -12.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing LD to Labour 4.4

Hulton Park ward
Hulton Park ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E Hyland 2,156 48.4 +6.5
Conservative M Perks 1,363 30.6 -4.7
Ind. Conservative C Higson 511 11.5 +11.5
Liberal Democrats D Gradwell 421 9.5 -13.3
Majority 793 17.8 +11.2
Turnout 4,451 24.1 -9.4
Labour hold Swing LD to Ind Con 12.4

Kearsley ward
Kearsley ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P Spencer 1,023 45.9 -15.8
Liberal Democrats J Rothwell 1,015 45.5 +13.6
Conservative J Tyler 193 8.7 +2.3
Majority 8 3.6 -26.1
Turnout 2,231 21.7 -8.0
Labour hold Swing Labour to LD 14.7

Little Lever ward
Little Lever ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A Connell 1,498 58.2 -3.7
Conservative D Bailey 855 33.2 +1.7
Liberal Democrats W Crook 220 8.6 +2.0
Majority 643 25.0 -5.4
Turnout 2,573 27.5 -9.2
Labour hold Swing Labour to LD 2.8

Smithills ward
Smithills ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats R Hayes 1,676 61.5 +5.4
Labour M Ord 567 20.8 -3.0
Conservative D Bagnall 483 17.7 -2.4
Majority 1,109 40.7 +8.4
Turnout 2,726 32.1 -11.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Labour to LD 4.2

Tonge ward
Tonge ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F White 1,499 66.7 -3.5
Conservative S Lever 567 25.2 +5.6
Liberal Democrats M Whittaker 182 8.1 -2.1
Majority 932 41.4 -9.2
Turnout 2,248 28.3 -5.3
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 4.5

Westhoughton ward
Westhoughton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D Chadwick 924 44.3 -4.1
Liberal Democrats D Wilkinson 905 43.3 +1.3
Conservative S Wallen 259 12.4 +2.7
Majority 19 0.9 -5.5
Turnout 2,088 23.6 -13.2
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing Labour to Con 3.4

Sources

Notes
  1. "Local Elections results". The Times. 9 May 1998. p. 46.
  2. "Voters' chance to give verdict on Labour's first 12 months". The Bolton News. 6 May 1998. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  3. "Low poll 'a disgrace'". The Bolton News. 8 May 1998. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  4. "Policy and politics: Local Elections: Analysis: Council poll results". The Guardian. 9 May 1998. p. 16.

References
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