# 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.
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

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. 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.
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. 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. The Liberal Democrats ended their working arrangement with the Conservatives in January 2021. 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.
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. 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.

## Electoral process

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. 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

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.

## Previous council composition

| After 2021 election | After 2021 election | After 2021 election | Before 2022 election | Before 2022 election | Before 2022 election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Party | 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
* July 2021: David Greenhalgh (Conservative) dies; by-election held October 2021
* October 2021: Amy Cowen wins by-election for Conservatives
* February 2022: Shamim Abdullah leaves Labour to sit as an independent
* March 2022: Marie Brady leaves Horwich and Blackrod First for Conservatives
* March 2022: Sean Hornby leaves UKIP to form a new party, Little Lever and Darcy Lever First

## Results summary

2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | 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

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

### Astley Bridge

Astley Bridge (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 550 | 15.6 | 21.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,545 | 34 | 6.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Bradshaw

Bradshaw (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 654 | 19.9 | 26.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,289 | 32 | 9.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Breightmet

Breightmet (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 297 | 9.7 | 1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,078 | 32 | 1.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Bromley Cross

* Changes relative to 2021 by-election, won by Amy Cowan after the death of David Greenhalgh
Bromley Cross (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,068 | 26.2 | −27.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,074 | 39 | 3.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Crompton

Crompton (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 32 | 0.8 | 22.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,986 | 27 | 9.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Farnworth

Farnworth (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 288 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,943 | 27 | 3.4 |
| | Labour gain from Farnworth and Kearsley First | Labour gain from Farnworth and Kearsley First | Swing | | |

### Great Lever

Great Lever (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,449 | 50.4 | 24.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,887 | 27 | 11.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Halliwell

Halliwell (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Akhtar 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,736 | 62.4 | 7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,795 | 22 | 9.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Harper Green

Harper Green (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,264 | 39.3 | 20.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,225 | 31 | 3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Heaton & Lostock

Heaton & Lostock (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,067 | 24.9 | 3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,290 | 40 | 5.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Horwich & Blackrod

Horwich & Blackrod (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 57 | 1.5 | ‘’N/A’’ |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,755 | 34 | 2.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Horwich North East

Horwich North East (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 129 | 3.4 | 5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,760 | 38 | 2.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Hulton

Hulton (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 231 | 7.2 | 9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,215 | 32 | 5.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Kearsley

Kearsley (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 384 | 13.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,909 | 28 | 4.4 |
| | One Kearsley gain from Farnworth and Kearsley First | One Kearsley gain from Farnworth and Kearsley First | | | |

### Little Lever & Darcy Lever

Little Lever & Darcy Lever (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 434 | 13.2 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,280 | 33 | 4.0 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Rumworth

Rumworth (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 720 | 19.7 | 14.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,666 | 36 | 1.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Smithills

Smithills (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 951 | 25.0 | 5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,814 | 36 | 1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Tonge with the Haulgh

Tonge with the Haulgh (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 186 | 6.5 | 1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,889 | 30 | 0.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Westhoughton North & Chew Moor

Westhoughton North & Chew Moor (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 382 | 9.9 | 0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,875 | 35 | 2.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Westhoughton South

Westhoughton South (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 64 | 1.9 | 26.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,427 | 34 | 1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

## By-Elections
### Rumworth

Rumworth (1 seat) :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 508 | 17.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,928 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 18.55 | |