1978 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

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The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton shown within England. EnglandBolton.png
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton shown within England.

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

Contents

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
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1112-150.936,495-7.0
  Labour 1241+342.130,185+5.1
  Liberal 001-14.73,401+0.8
  Other parties 001-12.21,608+1.1

Ward results

Astley Bridge ward

Astley Bridge ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D Shepherd 2,685 74.0 −3.5
Labour L Hesketh79421.9−0.6
Liberal M Powell1474.1+4.1
Majority 1,89152.1−3.0
Turnout 3,62637.4−0.6
Conservative hold Swing Con to Lib 3.8

Bradshaw North and South ward

Bradshaw North and South ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative B Furlong 1,662 80.0 −5.7
Labour L Sanderson41620.0+5.7
Majority 1,24660.0−11.3
Turnout 2,07831.0−3.0
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 5.7

Bradford ward

Bradford ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J Foster 1,451 86.0 +17.5
Conservative N Patel1659.8−18.5
Socialist (GB) E Murphy714.2+1.0
Majority 1,28676.2+36.0
Turnout 1,68741.0+3.3
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 18.0

Bromley Cross, Eagley and Egerton ward

Bromley Cross, Eagley and Egerton ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D Carr 2,567 80.0 −1.9
Labour E McCracken64220.0+1.9
Majority 1,92560.0−3.7
Turnout 3,20937.1−1.4
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 1.9

Church East and North ward

Church East and North ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Brian Iddon 1,461 63.8 +37.1
Conservative F Yardley77433.8−7.3
National Front D Ashurst562.4+2.4
Majority 68730.0
Turnout 2,29145.0−3.3
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 22.2

Darcy Lever cum Breightmet ward

Darcy Lever cum Breightmet ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D Dingwall 2,585 50.6 +6.1
Conservative J Whittingham2,43947.8−7.7
Socialist (GB) N Duffield831.6+1.6
Majority 1462.8
Turnout 5,10737.5−1.5
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 6.9

Deane cum Lostock ward

Deane cum Lostock ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D Berry 2,069 71.8 −5.9
Labour A Moon58420.3−2.0
Liberal S Roberts1505.2+5.2
National Front L Bromilow772.7+2.7
Majority 1,48551.6−3.8
Turnout 2,88038.8−2.2
Conservative hold Swing Con to Lib 5.5

Derby ward

Derby ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G Riley 1,622 74.1 +10.3
Conservative B Lomax50423.0−13.2
Communist Alan Johnson632.9+2.9
Majority 1,11851.1+23.5
Turnout 2,18937.0+6.0
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 11.7

Farnworth North ward

Farnworth North ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L Cunliffe 1,500 52.5 +4.8
Conservative D Jones1,11839.1−2.1
Liberal W Crook2388.3−2.8
Majority 38213.4+6.9
Turnout 2,85631.4−0.5
Labour hold Swing Lib to Labour 3.8

Farnworth South ward

Farnworth South ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J Wild 1,540 60.3 +5.0
Conservative E Holland77530.4+9.3
Liberal L Bale2379.3−14.3
Majority 76530.0−1.7
Turnout 2,55227.5+2.2
Labour hold Swing Lib to Con 11.8

Great Lever ward

Great Lever ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M Atkinson 1,842 51.0 +11.3
Conservative J Shore1,77249.0−11.3
Majority 702.0
Turnout 3,61434.6−1.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Con to Labour 11.3

Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour E Hamer 1,363 37.1 −7.3
Conservative B Holland1,29935.4−20.2
Liberal J Fish94125.6+25.6
National Front J Bridge711.9+1.9
Majority 641.7
Turnout 3,67441.0+9.0
Labour hold Swing Con to Lib 22.9

Heaton ward

Heaton ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative B Allanson 1,909 87.6 −2.8
Labour L Williamson27112.4+2.8
Majority 1,63875.2−5.6
Turnout 2,18046.0−1.0
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 2.8

Horwich North, Central and East ward

Horwich North, Central and East ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R Parkinson 2,184 52.8 −0.1
Labour A Oakley1,95147.2+0.2
Majority 2335.6−0.3
Turnout 4,13538.9−1.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Con to Labour 0.1

Horwich South and Blackrod ward

Horwich South and Blackrod ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M Butterfield 1,063 37.9 −0.5
Conservative T Mulligan95033.9−27.7
Independent L Fearnhead79128.2+28.2
Majority 1134.0
Turnout 2,80442.9−5.1
Labour gain from Independent Swing Con to Ind 27.9

Hulton and Rumworth ward

Hulton and Rumworth ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J Parkinson 1,961 50.9 −4.2
Labour J Farmer1,71944.6+8.6
National Front J Walsh1764.6−4.3
Majority 2426.3−12.7
Turnout 3,85639.1+0.7
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 6.4

Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R Cornthwaite 1,597 43.0 +2.6
Liberal J Rothwell1,27334.3−3.2
Conservative A Longmire84322.7+0.6
Majority 3248.7+5.9
Turnout 3,71343.3+0.7
Labour gain from Liberal Swing Lib to Labour 2.9

Little Lever ward

Little Lever ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative K Hornby 1,976 62.9 +22.4
Labour E Blackwell97331.0−6.6
Liberal R Richardson1926.1−15.8
Majority 1,00331.9+29.0
Turnout 3,14139.3+1.3
Conservative hold Swing Lib to Con 19.1

Smithills ward

Smithills ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D Priestley 2,510 71.2 −3.3
Labour G Hart79422.5+0.6
Liberal F Fish2236.3+6.3
Majority 1,71648.7−3.9
Turnout 3,52733.1−4.8
Conservative hold Swing Con to Lib 4.8

Tonge ward

Tonge ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative S Harrison 2,567 54.6 −2.4
Labour K McIvor1,97041.9−1.1
National Front J Hamilton1623.4+3.4
Majority 59712.7−1.3
Turnout 4,69941.7−0.3
Conservative hold Swing Con to NF 2.9

West ward

West ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R Howarth 1,710 63.8 +9.0
Conservative M Kershaw91334.1−11.1
Socialist (GB) I Heyes582.2+2.2
Majority 79729.7+20.2
Turnout 2,68134.3+2.3
Labour hold Swing Con to Labour 10.0

Westhoughton East and Hulton ward

Westhoughton East and Hulton ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative G Smith 1,753 72.3 −2.6
Labour P Jones67027.7+2.6
Majority 1,08344.6−5.2
Turnout 2,42337.8−5.0
Conservative hold Swing Con to Labour 2.6

Westhoughton North, Central and South ward

Westhoughton North, Central and South ward (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W Kettle 1,667 60.2 +13.0
Conservative A Prince1,10039.8−2.2
Majority 56720.4+15.2
Turnout 2,76737.4−2.4
Labour hold Swing Con to Lab 7.6

References