1979 UK local government election
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
Conservative 35 Labour 33 Liberal Party 1 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
Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF) . The Elections Centre . The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 12 July 2016 .