2008 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.

The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton shown within England.

20 seats were contested with 9 being won by the Conservatives, 7 by the Labour Party and 4 by the Liberal Democrats.

Overall turnout was 35.03%.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Election result

Bolton Local Election Result 2008
	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Labour	7	1	0	+1		32.4	22,644	-4.1
Conservative	9	2	1	+1		41.9	29,254	+2.1
Liberal Democrats	4	0	2	-2		20.4	14,221	+0.7
Green	0	0	0	0	0	2.5	1,751	-0.7
BNP	0	0	0	0	0	1.2	867	+0.4
You Party	0	0	0	0	0	0.9	637	+0.9
Left Alternative	0	0	0	0	0	0.6	444	+0.6
Independent	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	104	+0.1

Council Composition

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:

↓
26	22	12
Labour	Conservative	Lib Dems

After the election the composition of the council was:

↓
28	23	9
Labour	Conservative	Lib Dems

Ward results

Astley Bridge ward

Astley Bridge ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hilary Fairclough	2,358	64.4	+6.7
	Liberal Democrats	Clive Atty	733	20.0	+1.5
	Labour	Muhammad Rafiq	572	15.6	−8.2
Majority			1,625	44.4	+10.6
Turnout			3,663	36.0	+2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	Labour to Con 7.4

Bradshaw ward

Bradshaw ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Walter Hall	2,535	68.7	+3.2
	Labour	Jim Cottam	620	16.8	−0.5
	Liberal Democrats	Lauren Alergant	342	9.3	−3.2
	Green	Anne Mumberson	195	5.3	+0.6
Majority			1,915	51.9	+3.8
Turnout			3,692	40.7	+1.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	LD to Con 3.2

Breightmet ward

Breightmet ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Arthur Norris	1,696	47.1	+6.2
	Labour	William Gallagher	1,182	32.8	−15.5
	BNP	Carl Hemmings	350	9.7	+9.7
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Howarth	163	4.5	−2.5
	You Party	Norma Armston	137	3.8	+3.8
	Green	Lynne Hyland	74	2.1	−1.9
Majority			514	14.3
Turnout			3,602	36.6	+2.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	Labour to BNP 12.6

Bromley Cross ward

Bromley Cross ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan Wilkinson	2,933	68.9	+2.2
	Labour	Jeremy Foster	705	16.6	+0.4
	Liberal Democrats	David Wibberley	331	7.8	−0.9
	Green	Liz Spencer	147	3.5	−4.9
	You Party	Andy Openshaw	141	3.3	+3.3
Majority			2,228	52.3	+1.8
Turnout			4,257	40.8	+1.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	Green to Con 3.5

Crompton ward

Crompton ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Hanif Darvesh	1,985	50.0	−2.3
	Conservative	John Partington	1,113	28.0	−4.6
	Liberal Democrats	Yakub Khoda	873	22.0	+6.8
Majority			872	21.9	+2.2
Turnout			3,971	38.8	+8.1
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to LD 5.7

Farnworth ward

Farnworth ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jim Lord	1,151	41.5	−1.0
	Liberal Democrats	Tariq Aziz	955	34.4	−0.9
	Conservative	Michelle Ionn	531	19.1	+3.8
	You Party	Andy Allen	138	5.0	+5.0
Majority			196	7.1	−0.1
Turnout			2,775	25.4	+1.4
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to Con 2.4

Great Lever ward

Great Lever ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mohammed Iqbal	1,657	46.3	−0.8
	Conservative	Mudasir Dean	1,299	36.3	−1.2
	Green	Alan Johnson	374	10.5	+4.1
	Liberal Democrats	Mian Akhtar	245	6.9	−2.1
Majority			358	10.0	+0.5
Turnout			3,575	36.5	+1.6
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	LD to Green 3.1

Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Cliff Morris	1,875	62.5	−2.3
	Conservative	Shahid Mahmood	632	21.1	+2.5
	Liberal Democrats	Riaz Gul	494	16.5	−0.1
Majority			1,243	41.4	−4.8
Turnout			3,001	31.6	+3.1
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to Con 2.4

Harper Green ward

Harper Green ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Champak Mistry	1,181	44.7	−6.2
	Conservative	Bill Dawson	1,071	40.5	+9.5
	Liberal Democrats	David Connor	390	14.8	−3.3
Majority			110	4.2	−15.7
Turnout			2,642	26.7	+3.3
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to Con 7.8

Heaton and Lostock ward

Heaton and Lostock ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan Rushton	3,378	70.6	+1.7
	Labour	John Gillatt	831	17.4	−2.1
	Liberal Democrats	Jonathan Evans	326	6.8	−4.8
	Green	Daniel Mann	249	5.2	+5.2
Majority			2,547	53.2	+9.3
Turnout			4,784	45.3	+1.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	LD to Green 5.0

Horwich and Blackrod ward

Horwich and Blackrod ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Pat Barrow	1,469	43.7	+2.5
	Labour	Kevan Jones	1,021	30.4	−5.7
	Liberal Democrats	Ian Hamilton	869	25.9	+3.2
Majority			448	13.3	+8.2
Turnout			3,359	35.0	−1.4
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing	Labour to LD 4.4

Horwich North East ward

Horwich North East ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Barbara Ronson	1,615	44.0	−5.8
	Conservative	Stephen Wallen	1,126	30.7	+2.1
	Labour	Kevin McKeon	832	22.7	+1.0
	You Party	Lucy Openshaw	95	2.6	+2.6
Majority			489	13.3	−7.9
Turnout			3,678	37.2	+0.4
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	LD to Con 3.9

Hulton ward

Hulton ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan Walsh	1,822	54.2	+1.7
	Labour	Paul Fitzpatrick	1,118	33.3	−0.5
	Liberal Democrats	Linden Greensitt	421	12.5	−1.2
Majority			704	20.9	+2.2
Turnout			3,361	34.0	+1.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	LD to Con 1.4

Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	John Rothwell	1,435	46.6	+4.2
	Labour	Guy Harkin	1,052	34.2	−7.3
	Conservative	Diane Bamber	593	19.3	+2.1
Majority			383	12.4	+11.5
Turnout			3,094	29.8	+1.4
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	Labour to LD 5.7

Little Lever and Darcy Lever ward

Little Lever and Darcy Lever ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mary Woodward	1,726	45.5	+3.2
	Labour	Jesamine Kay	1,408	37.1	−6.1
	Liberal Democrats	Eric Hyde	418	11.0	+2.6
	Green	Alwynne Cartmell	243	6.4	−0.7
Majority			318	8.4
Turnout			3,795	38.7	−1.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	Labour to Con 4.6

Rumworth ward

Conservative candidate for Rumworth, Zahid Raja, withdrew before the election.^[1]

Rumworth ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rosa Kay	1,875	63.2	−1.2
	Liberal Democrats	Wendy Connor	647	21.8	+6.9
	Left List	Neil McAlister	444	15.0	+15.0
Majority			1,228	41.4	−2.3
Turnout			2,966	29.3	−1.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Smithills ward

Smithills ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Roger Hayes	1,784	46.6	−1.0
	Conservative	Christine Flanigan	1,216	31.8	+3.6
	Labour	Christopher Peacock	599	15.6	−2.8
	Green	Rachel Mann	136	3.6	−2.3
	You Party	Doug Bagnall	94	2.5	+2.5
Majority			568	14.8	−4.6
Turnout			3,829	37.9	+1.2
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	Labour to Con 3.2

Tonge with the Haulgh ward

Tonge with the Haulgh ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank White	1,289	40.3	−4.6
	Conservative	Nigel Ford	1,109	34.7	+9.2
	BNP	David Wood	517	15.8	−0.3
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Harasiwka	194	6.1	−1.1
	Green	James Tomkinson	68	2.1	−2.0
	You Party	Ryan Barlow	32	1.0	+1.0
Majority			180	5.6	−13.8
Turnout			3,199	34.5	−0.1
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to Con 6.9

Weshoughton North and Chew Moor ward

Weshoughton North and Chew Moor ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christine Wild	1,700	47.6	+5.7
	Labour	Mike Francis	874	24.5	−9.9
	Liberal Democrats	Derek Gradwell	858	24.0	+5.6
	Green	Laura Spencer	141	3.9	−1.4
Majority			826	23.1	+15.7
Turnout			3,573	33.2	−0.5
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing	Labour to Con 6.9

Weshoughton South ward

Weshoughton South ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Wilkinson	1,128	36.2	+10.7
	Conservative	Lynda Winrow	947	30.4	+1.7
	Labour	Harry Bowling	817	26.2	−9.8
	Green	Eric Hyland	124	4.0	−5.8
	Independent	Ainslie Casson	104	3.3	+3.3
Majority			181	5.8
Turnout			3,120	32.3	+2.3
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	Labour to LD 10.2

Sources

Notes

^ "Tight contest forecast in Bolton elections". The Bolton News. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2008.

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.

[tight-1] "Tight contest forecast in Bolton elections". The Bolton News. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2008.

[1]