# Bolton Council

Bolton Council, or Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.
The council has been under no overall control since 2019, and has been led by a Labour minority administration since 2023. It is based at Bolton Town Hall.

## History

The town of Bolton had been incorporated as a municipal borough in 1838, governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Bolton', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Bolton was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it became a county borough, independent from the new Lancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Lancashire.
The larger Metropolitan Borough of Bolton and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of ten metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. The first election was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's eight outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Bolton and Farnworth, and the urban district councils of Blackrod, Horwich, Kearsley, Little Lever, Westhoughton and Turton (the latter in respect of its more built up southern part only, the more rural northern part became the parish of North Turton in Blackburn district). The new metropolitan district and its council formally came into being on 1 April 1974, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.
The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Bolton's series of mayors dating back to 1838. The council styles itself Bolton Council rather than its full formal name of Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council.
From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater Manchester County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Bolton, with some services provided through joint committees.
Since 2011 the council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Bolton Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.

## Governance

Bolton Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Bolton Council sits on the combined authority as Bolton's representative. Blackrod, Horwich and Westhoughton are civil parishes, each with a town council forming an additional tier of local government, the rest of the borough is unparished.

### Political control

Since the 2019 election, Bolton has been under no overall control. Following the 2023 election a Labour minority administration formed to run the council. The minority administration is continuing following the 2024 election.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:
| Party in control | Years |
| Conservative | 1974–1980 |
| Labour | 1980–2003 |
| No overall control | 2003–2011 |
| Labour | 2011–2019 |
| No overall control | 2019–present |

### Leadership

The role of Mayor of Bolton is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The first leader of the metropolitan borough council, John Hanscomb, had been the last leader of the old Bolton County Borough Council. The leaders since 1974 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| John Hanscomb | Conservative | 1974 | 1980 |
| Bob Howarth | Labour | 1980 | 13 Jun 2004 |
| Barbara Ronson | Liberal Democrats | Jun 2004 | May 2006 |
| Cliff Morris | Labour | May 2006 | 31 Dec 2017 |
| Linda Thomas | Labour | 5 Feb 2018 | 22 May 2019 |
| David Greenhalgh | Conservative | 22 May 2019 | 29 Jul 2021 |
| Martyn Cox | Conservative | 25 Aug 2021 | 16 May 2023 |
| Nick Peel | Labour | 16 May 2023 | Incumbent |

### Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Labour | 26 |
| | Conservative | 15 |
| | Horwich and Blackrod First | 6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 |
| | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 5 |
| | Green | 1 |
| | Independent | 1 |
| Total | Total | 60 |
The next election is due in May 2026.

## Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 60 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office.

## Wards and councillors

There are 20 wards, each represented by three councillors.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Date first elected | Term of office |
| Astley Bridge |
| Astley Bridge | Hilary Fairclough | Conservative | 4 May 2000 | 2023–27 |
| Astley Bridge | John Walsh | Conservative | 7 May 1998 | 2023–26 |
| Astley Bridge | Toby Hewitt | Conservative | 2 May 2024 | 2024–28 |
| Bradshaw |
| Bradshaw | James Moller | Conservative | 4 May 2023 | 2023–27 |
| Bradshaw | Les Webb | Conservative | 4 May 2023 | 2023–26 |
| Bradshaw | Jackie Schofield | Labour Co-op | 2 May 2024 | 2024–28 |
| Breightmet |
| Breightmet | Sean Fielding | Labour Co-op | 4 May 2023 | 2023–27 |
| Breightmet | Adele Warren | Conservative | 3 May 2018 | 2023–26 |
| Breightmet | Robert Morrisey | Labour Co-op | 4 May 2023 | 2024–28 |
| Bromley Cross |
| Bromley Cross | Samantha Jayne Connor | Conservative | 2 May 2019 | 2023–27 |
| Bromley Cross | Amy Marie Cowen | Conservative | 28 Oct 2021 | 2023–26 |
| Bromley Cross | Nadim Muslim | Conservative | 3 May 2018 | 2024–28 |
| Farnworth North |
| Farnworth North | Hamid Kurram | Labour | 3 May 2018 | 2023–27 |
| Farnworth North | Nadeem Ayub | Labour | 5 May 2022 | 2023–26 |
| Farnworth North | Susan Haworth | Labour | 16 October 2014 | 2024–28 |
| Farnworth South |
| Farnworth South | Maureen Flitcroft | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 4 May 2023 | 2023–27 |
| Farnworth South | Paul Sanders | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 9 March 2018 | 2023–26 |
| Farnworth South | Paula Connor-Bennett | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 2 May 2024 | 2024–28 |
| Great Lever |
| Great Lever | Mohammed Ayub | Labour | 4 May 2006 | 2023–27 |
| Great Lever | Mohammed Iqbal | Labour | 1 May 2008 | 2023–26 |
| Great Lever | Karen Hon | Labour | 4 May 2023 | 2024–28 |
| Halliwell |
| Halliwell | Rabiya Jiva | Labour | 6 May 2021 | 2023–27 |
| Halliwell | Safwaan Patel | Labour | 4 May 2023 | 2023–26 |
| Halliwell | Hanif Alli | Green | 2 May 2024 | 2024–28 |
| Heaton, Lostock and Chew Moor |
| Heaton, Lostock and Chew Moor | Martyn Cox | Conservative | 6 May 2010 | 2023–27 |
| Heaton, Lostock and Chew Moor | Anne Galloway | Conservative | 3 May 2018 | 2023–26 |
| Heaton, Lostock and Chew Moor | Andrew Morgan | Conservative | 7 May 2015 | 2024–28 |
| Horwich North |
| Horwich North | Ryan Bamforth | Horwich and Blackrod First | 4 May 2023 | 2023–27 |
| Horwich North | Craig Rotheram | Horwich and Blackrod First | 4 May 2023 | 2023–26 |
| Horwich North | Victoria Rigby | Horwich and Blackrod First | 4 May 2023 | 2024–28 |
| Horwich South and Blackrod |
| Horwich South and Blackrod | David Grant | Horwich and Blackrod First | 6 May 2021 | 2023–27 |
| Horwich South and Blackrod | Peter Wright | Horwich and Blackrod First | 2 May 2019 | 2023–26 |
| Horwich South and Blackrod | Samantha Williamson | Horwich and Blackrod First | 3 May 2018 | 2024–28 |
| Hulton |
| Hulton | Aalaina Khan | Labour | 4 May 2023 | 2023–27 |
| Hulton | Shafaqat Shaikh | Labour | 4 May 2023 | 2023–26 |
| Hulton | Fazeelah Khan | Labour | 2 May 2024 | 2024–28 |
| Kearsley |
| Kearsley | Debbie Newall | Labour | 5 May 2022 | 2023–27 |
| Kearsley | Tracey Wilkinson | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 16 November 2023. | 2023–26 |
| Kearsley | Sylvia Crossley | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 2 May 2024 | 2024–28 |
| Little Lever and Darcy Lever |
| Little Lever and Darcy Lever | Andrea Taylor-Burke | Conservative | 6 May 2021 | 2023–27 |
| Little Lever and Darcy Lever | David Meehan | Conservative | 5 May 2022 | 2023–26 |
| Little Lever and Darcy Lever | Liam Barnard | Labour | 4 May 2023 | 2024–28 |
| Queens Park and Central |
| Queens Park and Central | Akhtar Zaman | Labour | 2 May 2002 | 2023–27 |
| Queens Park and Central | Richard Silvester | Labour Co-op | 5 May 2011 | 2023–26 |
| Queens Park and Central | Linda Thomas | Labour Co-op | 5 October 1995 | 2024–28 |
| Rumworth |
| Rumworth | Abdul Atcha | Labour | 5 May 2022 | 2023–27 |
| Rumworth | Sajid Ali | Labour | 4 May 2023 | 2023–24 |
| Rumworth | Ayyub Patel | Independent | 2 May 2024 | 2024–28 |
| Smithills |
| Smithills | Roger Hayes | Liberal Democrats | 7 May 1998 | 2023–27 |
| Smithills | Susan Priest | Liberal Democrats | 5 May 2022 | 2023–26 |
| Smithills | Garry Veevers | Liberal Democrats | 2 May 2019 | 2024–28 |
| Tonge with The Haulgh |
| Tonge with The Haulgh | Martin Donaghy | Labour Co-op | 3 May 2012 | 2023–27 |
| Tonge with The Haulgh | Nick Peel | Labour Co-op | 4 May 2000 | 2023–26 |
| Tonge with The Haulgh | Emily Mort | Labour Co-op | 5 May 2022 | 2024–28 |
| Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill |
| Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill | Arthur Price | Liberal Democrats | 4 May 2023 | 2023–27 |
| Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill | Martin Tighe | Conservative | 4 May 2023 | 2023–26 |
| Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill | Deirdre McGeown | Liberal Democrats | 16 November 2023 | 2024–28 |
| Westhoughton South |
| Westhoughton South | David Chadwick | Labour | 4 May 2023 | 2023–27 |
| Westhoughton South | David Wilkinson | Liberal Democrats | 3 May 2018 | 2023–26 |
| Westhoughton South | John McHugh | Labour | 2 May 2024 | 2024–28 |
* ↑ Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group
* ↑ Leader of Farnworth and Kearsley First
* ↑ Leader of the Conservative Group
* ↑ Elected in May 2022 as a One Kearsley candidate and crossed the floor to the Labour Party in October 2023
* ↑ Elected in a by-election following the resignation of Paul Heslop, Leader of One Kearsley
* ↑ Deputy Leader of the Labour Group
* ↑ Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group
* ↑ Leader of the Labour Group
* ↑ By-election following the resignation of Bernadette Eckersley-Fallon.

## Premises

The council is based at Bolton Town Hall on Victoria Square in the centre of Bolton. The building was completed in 1873 for the old Bolton Borough Council.