1998 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.

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]

Contents

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]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1412-170.047.223,549-6.9
  Conservative 420+220.030.315,127+5.3
  Liberal Democrats 201-110.019.59,715-0.1
  Other parties 00010.03.01,503+3.0

Council Composition

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:

4866
LabourConservativeL

After the election the composition of the council was:

4785
LabourConservativeL

LD - Liberal Democrats

Ward results

Astley Bridge ward

Astley Bridge ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J Walsh 1,742 49.0 +4.7
Labour S Hynes1,57642.9−2.7
Liberal Democrats P Howarth2858.0−2.0
Majority2166.1
Turnout 3,55332.6−6.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Labour to Con 3.7

Blackrod ward

Blackrod ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J Monaghan 987 38.7 −4.4
Conservative R Barrow74329.1+6.7
Independent Labour L Watkinson55321.7−1.2
Liberal Democrats D Watts26710.5−1.1
Majority43417.0−3.3
Turnout 2,55025.1−12.0
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 5.5

Bradshaw ward

Bradshaw ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative A Osborn 1,242 44.2 +3.9
Labour L Byrne1,24044.1−4.0
Liberal Democrats M Eidlow32711.6−0.1
Majority20.1
Turnout 2,80925.8−8.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Labour to Con 3.9

Breightmet ward

Breightmet ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M Murray 1,155 59.7 −12.9
Conservative P Brierley56529.2+12.5
Liberal Democrats E Hill21411.1+0.4
Majority59030.5−25.4
Turnout 1,93419.2−9.3
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 12.7

Bromley Cross ward

Bromley Cross ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D Carr 2,028 60.4 +11.9
Labour E Sherrington1,04131.0−10.7
Liberal Democrats C Atty2878.6−1.2
Majority98729.4−22.5
Turnout 3,35631.0−9.7
Conservative hold Swing Labour to Con 11.3

Burnden ward

Burnden ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour P Howarth 1,223 66.3 −3.7
Conservative S Jackson35919.4+3.8
Liberal Democrats D Connor26414.3−0.2
Majority86446.8−7.6
Turnout 1,84619.3−9.1
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 3.7

Central ward

Central ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J Noble 1,355 68.6 −9.0
Conservative L Beresford41120.8+3.9
Liberal Democrats K Watts1276.4+0.9
Independent R Allen814.1+4.1
Majority94447.8−12.9
Turnout 1,97425.1−8.9
Labour hold Swing Labour to Ind 6.5

Daubhill ward

Daubhill ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G Harkin 1,055 63.2 −13.7
Conservative F Taylor36822.1+7.6
Liberal Democrats L Greensitt18110.9+2.3
Socialist Labour D Kelly643.8+3.8
Majority68741.2−21.1
Turnout 1,66818.9−11.5
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 10.6

Deane-cum-Heaton ward

Deane-cum-Heaton ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative C Shaw 2,184 57.2 +8.6
Labour J Lavin1,18631.1−7.2
Liberal Democrats L Greenhalgh44611.7−1.4
Majority99826.8+16.5
Turnout 3,71628.8−8.5
Conservative hold Swing Labour to Con 7.9

Derby ward

Derby ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G Riley 1,765 78.7 −5.1
Conservative R Wood30713.7+3.4
Liberal Democrats L Bale1727.7+1.7
Majority145865.0−13.5
Turnout 2,24424.3−11.3
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 4.2

Farnworth ward

Farnworth ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour P Johnston 903 63.5 −18.5
Liberal Democrats M Rothwell19713.8+4.9
Conservative P Bonomy18012.6+3.5
Socialist Labour W Kelly14310.0+10.0
Majority70649.6−23.3
Turnout 1,42315.2−9.1
Labour hold Swing Labour to Soc Lab 14.2

Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M Kilcoyne 1,353 63.7 −3.1
Conservative J Evans41419.5+6.2
Liberal Democrats S Howarth35616.8−3.1
Majority93944.2−2.7
Turnout 2,12322.7−7.3
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 4.6

Harper Green ward

Harper Green ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L Williamson 1,012 63.9 −14.8
Conservative S Kesler26616.8+4.2
Liberal Democrats W Connor1549.7+1.0
Socialist Labour W Kelly1529.6+9.6
Majority74647.1−19.1
Turnout 1,58415.5−7.9
Labour hold Swing Labour to Soc Lab 12.2

Horwich ward

Horwich ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats R Ronson 1,963 55.0 −3.4
Labour S Pasquill1,00528.2+5.5
Conservative I Cooper59816.8−3.1
Majority95826.9−8.7
Turnout 3,56631.0−12.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing LD to Labour 4.4

Hulton Park ward

Hulton Park ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour E Hyland 2,156 48.4 +6.5
Conservative M Perks1,36330.6−4.7
Ind. Conservative C Higson51111.5+11.5
Liberal Democrats D Gradwell4219.5−13.3
Majority79317.8+11.2
Turnout 4,45124.1−9.4
Labour hold Swing LD to Ind Con 12.4

Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour P Spencer 1,023 45.9 −15.8
Liberal Democrats J Rothwell1,01545.5+13.6
Conservative J Tyler1938.7+2.3
Majority83.6−26.1
Turnout 2,23121.7−8.0
Labour hold Swing Labour to LD 14.7

Little Lever ward

Little Lever ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A Connell 1,498 58.2 −3.7
Conservative D Bailey85533.2+1.7
Liberal Democrats W Crook2208.6+2.0
Majority64325.0−5.4
Turnout 2,57327.5−9.2
Labour hold Swing Labour to LD 2.8

Smithills ward

Smithills ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats R Hayes 1,676 61.5 +5.4
Labour M Ord56720.8−3.0
Conservative D Bagnall48317.7−2.4
Majority1,10940.7+8.4
Turnout 2,72632.1−11.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Labour to LD 4.2

Tonge ward

Tonge ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F White 1,499 66.7 −3.5
Conservative S Lever56725.2+5.6
Liberal Democrats M Whittaker1828.1−2.1
Majority93241.4−9.2
Turnout 2,24828.3−5.3
Labour hold Swing Labour to Con 4.5

Westhoughton ward

Westhoughton ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D Chadwick 924 44.3 −4.1
Liberal Democrats D Wilkinson90543.3+1.3
Conservative S Wallen25912.4+2.7
Majority190.9−5.5
Turnout 2,08823.6−13.2
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing Labour to Con 3.4

Sources

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Local Elections results". The Times . 9 May 1998. p. 46.
  2. 1 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "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