2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. One third of councillors—20 out of 60—were to be elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.

2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

← 2021 5 May 2022 2023 →

20 out of 60 seats to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
31 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Martyn Cox Nick Peel Roger Hayes
Party Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats
Last election 20 seats, 38.8% 19 seats, 35.3% 5 seats, 9.7%
Seats won 9 8 2
Seats after 23 18 5
Seat change Increase3 Decrease1 Steady
Popular vote 23,377 26,041 6,696
Percentage 34.1% 38.0% 9.8%

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Paul Sanders David Grant
Party Farnworth and Kearsley First Horwich and Blackrod First
Last election 5 seats, 5.4% 3 seats, 3.0%
Seats won 0 0
Seats after 3 2
Seat change Decrease2 Decrease1
Popular vote 2,394 2,442
Percentage 3.5% 3.6%

Winner of each seat at the 2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

Council control before election


No overall control

Subsequent council control


No overall control

In the previous council election in 2021, the council remained under no overall control. The Conservatives continued running a minority administration with a confidence and supply arrangement with smaller parties, as they had done prior to the election. Labour formed the main opposition with nineteen seats to the Conservatives' twenty.

Background

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Result of the council election when these seats were last contested in 2018
 
Result of the most recent council election in 2021

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Bolton was a district of the Greater Manchester metropolitan county.[1] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority was created in 2011 and began electing the mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017, which was given strategic powers covering a region coterminous with the former Greater Manchester metropolitan county.[2]

Since its formation, Bolton Council has variously been under Labour control, Conservative control and no overall control. Labour most recently regained its majority in the 2011 council election, which it held until the 2019 election. After the 2019 election, Labour held 23 seats with the Conservatives on 20, the Liberal Democrats on 6, the local party Farnworth and Kearsley First on five, the UK Independence Party on three and the local party Horwich and Blackrod First on two, as well as one independent councillor. The Conservatives formed a confidence and supply agreement with the Liberal Democrats, Farnworth and Kearley First, Horwich and Blackrod First and the UK Independence Party so that they could form a minority administration.[3][4] In the most recent election in 2021, the Conservatives became the largest party with 20 seats to Labour's nineteen, with seven independents, the Liberal Democrats and Farnworth and Kearsley First on five seats each, Horwich and Blackrod First on five and a single UK Independence Party councillor remaining. The Conservatives continued to run a minority administration with support from smaller parties.[5] The Liberal Democrats ended their working arrangement with the Conservatives in January 2021.[6] Marie Brady, the leader of the Horwich and Blackrod First party, defected to the Conservative Party after the two other councillors from her party voted against the Conservative budget.[7]

The positions up for election in 2022 were last elected in 2018. In that election, the Conservatives won nine seats, Labour won eight, and the Liberal Democrats and Farnworth and Kealey First won two each.[8] Prior to this election, Reform UK formed an electoral pact with newly-formed local party Bolton For Change, running joint candidates under the banner of both parties. This arrangement has continued to the present, with candidates standing for 'Reform UK and Bolton For Change' in 2022, 2023 and 2024.[9]

Electoral process

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The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year.[10][11] The election will take place by first-past-the-post voting, with wards generally being represented by three councillors, with one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Bolton aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

Campaign

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The Conservative councillor Adele Warren said that increases in the cost of living would affect the election, with people "frightened about turning their electricity or heating on". She said that the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak "could have gone much, much further" with measures to help people.[12]

Previous council composition

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After 2021 election Before 2022 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Conservative 20 Conservative 22
Labour 19 Labour 18
Independent 7 Independent 7
Liberal Democrats 5 Liberal Democrats 5
Farnworth and Kearsley First 5 Farnworth and Kearsley First 5
Horwich and Blackrod First 3 Horwich and Blackrod First 2
UKIP 1 One Kearsley 1

Changes:

  • June 2021: Diane Parkinson re-joins Conservatives[13]
  • July 2021: David Greenhalgh (Conservative) dies; by-election held October 2021[14]
  • October 2021: Amy Cowen wins by-election for Conservatives[15]
  • February 2022: Shamim Abdullah leaves Labour to sit as an independent[16]
  • March 2022: Marie Brady leaves Horwich and Blackrod First for Conservatives[17]
  • March 2022: Sean Hornby leaves UKIP to form a new party, Little Lever and Darcy Lever First[18]

Results summary

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2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 9   1 45.0 14 23 38.3 23,377 34.1 -4.7
  Labour 8   40.0 10 18 30.0 26,041 38.0 +2.7
  Independent 0   0.0 7 7 11.7 92 0.1 -2.9
  Liberal Democrats 2   10.0 3 5 8.3 6,696 9.8 +0.1
  Farnworth and Kearsley First 0   2 0.0 3 3 5.0 2,394 3.5 -1.9
  Horwich and Blackrod First 0   0.0 2 2 3.3 2,442 3.6 +0.6
  One Kearsley 1   1 5.0 1 2 3.3 1,099 1.6 N/A
  Reform UK & Bolton For Change 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 3,922 5.7 N/A
  Green 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 1,440 2.1 -2.0
  Little Lever & Darcy Lever First 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 634 0.9 N/A
  Westhoughton First 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 361 0.5 N/A

Ward results

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Statements of persons nominated were published on 6 April.[19] Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk (*).

Astley Bridge

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Astley Bridge (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Walsh* 1,743 49.4   12.1
Labour Co-op Steve Sutton 1,193 33.8   9.3
Green Mark Devereux 254 7.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats James Haslam 232 6.6   2.6
Reform UK Aimee Monson 108 3.1 N/A
Majority 550 15.6   21.4
Turnout 3,545 34   6.0
Conservative hold Swing

Bradshaw

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Bradshaw (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mudasir Dean* 1,723 52.5   15.9
Labour James Tibbits 1,069 32.6   9.9
Liberal Democrats Caroline Turner-Preece 301 9.2   6.6
Reform UK Daniel Swarsbrick 191 5.8 ‘’New’’
Majority 654 19.9   26.1
Turnout 3,289 32   9.3
Conservative hold Swing

Breightmet

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Breightmet (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adele Warren* 1,504 49.1  
Labour Co-op George Butler 1,207 39.4   1.3
Reform UK Martin McLoughlin 228 7.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Becky Forrest 127 4.1   2.2
Majority 297 9.7   1.3
Turnout 3,078 32   1.2
Conservative hold Swing

Bromley Cross

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  • Changes relative to 2021 by-election, won by Amy Cowan after the death of David Greenhalgh
Bromley Cross (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Amy Cowen* 2,295 56.4 −13.6
Labour Gaynor Cox 1,227 30.2 +13.7
Green Lee Harrison 187 4.6 −2.1
Reform UK Amy Hare 183 4.5 New’’
Liberal Democrats Warren Fox 174 4.3 +1.6
Majority 1,068 26.2 −27.3
Turnout 4,074 39   3.8
Conservative hold Swing

Crompton

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Crompton (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Emily Mort 1,815 45.7   8.9
Conservative Yusuf Davda 1,783 44.9   13.1
Reform UK Gareth Fitzsimmons 198 5.0 N/A
Liberal Democrats Francine Godfrey 174 4.4   0.6
Majority 32 0.8   22.0
Turnout 3,986 27   9.4
Labour hold Swing

Farnworth

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Farnworth (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Nadeem Ayub 1,406 47.9   7.7
Farnworth and Kearsley First Maureen Flitcroft* 1,118 38.1   11.5
Conservative Mark Derbyshire 216 7.4   1.0
Reform UK Sharon Whitworth 143 4.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Christine MacPherson 52 1.8  
Majority 288 9.8 N/A
Turnout 2,943 27   3.4
Labour gain from Farnworth and Kearsley First Swing

Great Lever

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Great Lever (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mohammed Ayub* 1,963 68.3   10.3
Conservative Zahra Davda 514 17.9   14.4
Reform UK Alex McAllister 149 5.2 N/A
Green Heather Rylance 140 4.9   1.1
Liberal Democrats Duncan MacPherson 107 3.7   0.1
Majority 1,449 50.4   24.8
Turnout 2,887 27   11.5
Labour hold Swing

Halliwell

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Halliwell (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Aktar Zaman* 2,071 74.5   1.1
Conservative Leslie Webb 335 12.1   6.3
Reform UK Norman Cryer 156 5.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Liz Turner-Allen 126 4.5   2.6
Independent Anthony Massey 92 3.3   0.5
Majority 1,736 62.4   7.4
Turnout 2,795 22   9.2
Labour hold Swing

Harper Green

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Harper Green (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hamid Khurram* 1,831 57.0   12.1
Conservative Fred Khan 567 17.7   8.7
Farnworth and Kearsley First Leanne Oliver 561 17.5   4.8
Reform UK Phillip Worthington 180 5.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jaleh Hayes 73 2.3   1.2
Majority 1,264 39.3   20.9
Turnout 3,225 31   3.2
Labour hold Swing

Heaton & Lostock

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Heaton & Lostock (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anne Galloway* 2,239 52.3   4.7
Labour Janahan Kugathas 1,172 27.4   1.5
Reform UK Gordon Campbell 596 13.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jim Priest 270 6.3   3.6
Majority 1,067 24.9   3.2
Turnout 4,290 40   5.9
Conservative hold Swing

Horwich & Blackrod

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Horwich & Blackrod (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Susan Baines* 1,200 32.0   0.6
Horwich and Blackrod First Samantha Williamson 1,143 30.5   2.5
Labour Karen Millington 1,129 30.1   1.5
Green Jackie Anderson 155 4.1   0.3
Liberal Democrats Kevin Walsh 73 1.9   0.1
Reform UK Loren Richards 46 1.2 N/A
Majority 57 1.5 ‘’N/A’’
Turnout 3,755 34   2.2
Conservative hold Swing

Horwich North East

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Horwich North East (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevin McKeon* 1,428 38.0   2.8
Horwich and Blackrod First Ryan Bamforth 1,299 34.6   7.8
Conservative Charles O’Kelly 641 17.1   1.7
Liberal Democrats Matt Turner-Allen 212 5.6   14.2
Green David Ebbitt 133 3.5   0.6
Reform UK Darren Lear 40 1.1 N/A
Majority 129 3.4   5.0
Turnout 3,760 38   2.3
Labour hold Swing

Hulton

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Hulton (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Shafi Patel 1,420 44.4   0.5
Labour Shafaqat Shaikh 1,189 37.2   8.8
Green Wendy Shepherd 241 7.5   15.3
Liberal Democrats Neil Maher 179 5.6   3.8
Reform UK Robert Lowe 171 5.3 N/A
Majority 231 7.2   9.2
Turnout 3,215 32   5.2
Conservative hold Swing

Kearsley

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Kearsley (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
One Kearsley Debbie Newall 1,099 37.9 N/A
Farnworth and Kearsley First Peter Flitcroft 715 24.6   27.7
Labour Jonathan Owen 593 20.4   4.9
Conservative Mark Cunningham 241 8.3   9.3
Reform UK Julie Pattison* 221 7.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Michael Wilkinson 34 1.2   13.3
Majority 384 13.3 N/A
Turnout 2,909 28   4.4
One Kearsley gain from Farnworth and Kearsley First

Little Lever & Darcy Lever

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Little Lever & Darcy Lever (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Meehan 1,243 37.9   4.7
Labour Logan Pratheepan 809 24.7   5.7
Little Lever & Darcy Lever First Rees Gibbon 634 19.3 N/A
Reform UK Kath Harris 485 14.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Scott Turner-Preece 106 3.2   1.4
Majority 434 13.2 +1.0
Turnout 3,280 33   4.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Rumworth

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Rumworth (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Abdul Atcha 2,017 55.2   8.3
Conservative Ayyub Patel 1,297 35.5   6.6
Green Alan Johnson 226 6.2   1.2
Reform UK Christopher Riley 62 1.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats David Cooper 55 1.5   0.8
Majority 720 19.7   14.9
Turnout 3,666 36   1.5
Labour hold Swing

Smithills

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Smithills (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sue Priest 1,931 50.7   6.5
Labour Co-op Sorie Sesay 980 25.7   0.5
Conservative Joan Johnson 612 16.1   6.8
Reform UK Helen Shaw 183 4.8 N/A
Green Rod Riesco 104 2.7   0.7
Majority 951 25.0   5.7
Turnout 3,814 36   1.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Tonge with the Haulgh

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Tonge with the Haulgh (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Nick Peel* 1,288 44.8   0.1
Conservative Wesley McArdle 1,102 38.3   1.3
Reform UK Trevor Jones 401 13.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Rosalind Harasiwka 86 3.0   0.1
Majority 186 6.5   1.1
Turnout 2,889 30   0.9
Labour hold Swing

Westhoughton North & Chew Moor

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Westhoughton North & Chew Moor (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Martyn Cox* 1,648 42.7   3.9
Liberal Democrats Arthur Price 1,266 32.8   3.8
Labour Zulfi Jiva 645 16.7   1.0
Westhoughton First Jack Speight 220 5.7   0.9
Reform UK Jeff Armstrong 84 2.2 N/A
Majority 382 9.9   0.6
Turnout 3,875 35   2.8
Conservative hold Swing

Westhoughton South

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Westhoughton South (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Wilkinson* 1,118 32.7   5.4
Conservative Martin Tighe 1,054 30.8   5.2
Labour David Chadwick 1,009 29.5   4.6
Westhoughton First Richard Brennan 141 4.1   1.4
Reform UK Richard Bates 97 2.8 N/A
Majority 64 1.9   26.5
Turnout 3,427 34   1.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

By-Elections

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Rumworth

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Rumworth (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ayyub Patel 1,610 55.0   19.5
Labour Ismail Patel 1,102 37.6   17.6
Green Alan Johnson 156 5.3   0.9
Liberal Democrats David Cooper 36 1.2   0.3
Reform UK Christopher Riley 23 0.8   0.9
Majority 508 17.4
Turnout 2,928
Conservative gain from Labour Swing 18.55

References

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  1. ^ Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  2. ^ "The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  3. ^ "'We are not in coalition': Conservatives officially take control of the council". The Bolton News. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  4. ^ Dobson, Charlotte (10 May 2019). "Bolton Tories take over council for first time in 40 years". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Tories become largest party after tense Bolton Council election". The Bolton News. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Double body blow for Bolton's ruling Conservatives as two councillors quit party and Liberal Democrats end working arrangement". The Bolton News. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  7. ^ Gee, Chris (25 March 2022). "Councillor and leader of Bolton hyperlocal party defects to join Conservatives". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  8. ^ Council, Bolton. "Local Election Results 2018". Bolton Council. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  9. ^ Gannon, Paul (21 November 2021). "Reform UK and Bolton For Change". Bolton For Change. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Election Timetable in England" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Tory leaders confident of gains in May local elections". The Guardian. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  13. ^ Gee, Chris (7 June 2021). "Councillor rejoins party she stormed off from after making damning accusations". The Bolton News. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  14. ^ George, Thomas; Topping, Stephen (29 July 2021). "Bolton Council leader David Greenhalgh dies". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Bromley Cross Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  16. ^ Gee, Chris (17 February 2022). "Labour councillor quits by telling Conservative leader - not her own party". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  17. ^ Chaudhari, Saiqa (25 March 2022). "Leader and a founder of hyper-local party quits to join Bolton Conservative Group in shock move". The Bolton News. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  18. ^ Finney, Lewis (17 March 2022). "New hyper-local political party formed in Bolton by long serving councillor for May's elections". The Bolton News. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  19. ^ "Local elections Statement of Persons Nominated". Bolton Council. Retrieved 9 April 2022.