# 1987 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1987 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1987 to elect members of Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party kept overall control of the council.
20 seats were contested in the election: 13 were won by the Labour Party, 6 by the Conservative Party, and 1 by the Liberal Party. After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Labour 38
* Conservative 16
* Liberal Party 5
* Social Democratic Party 1

## Election result

Bolton Local Election Result 1987 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41.1 | 36,959 | -4.5 |
| Conservative | 6 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 35.8 | 32,191 | +4.4 |
| Alliance | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 22.3 | 20,051 | -0.4 |
| Other parties | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 | 811 | +0.9 |

## Council Composition

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:
| 38 | 17 | 5 |
| Labour | Conservative | L |
After the election the composition of the council was:
| 38 | 16 | 6 |
| Labour | Conservative | L |
LD – Liberal / SDP Alliance

## Ward results
### Astley Bridge ward

Astley Bridge ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J Walsh | 2,752 | 54.7 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | S Marsland | 1,488 | 29.6 | −4.1 |
| | SDP | M Langdon | 787 | 15.7 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,264 | 25.1 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,027 | 48.3 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Labour to Con 3.6 | |

### Blackrod ward

Blackrod ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K Helsby | 1,646 | 37.0 | −9.0 |
| | Conservative | J Barrow | 1,533 | 34.4 | −0.9 |
| | SDP | C Kay | 806 | 18.1 | +5.1 |
| | Independent Labour | L Watkinson | 467 | 10.5 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 113 | 2.5 | −12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,452 | 46.4 | +9.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to SDP 7.0 | |

### Bradshaw ward

Bradshaw ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E Crook | 2,537 | 55.5 | +6.8 |
| | Labour | P McFadden | 1,068 | 23.4 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal | A Steele | 966 | 21.1 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,469 | 32.1 | +11.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,571 | 42.0 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Labour to Con 5.9 | |

### Breightmet ward

Breightmet ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D Grime | 2,185 | 48.3 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative | P Jones | 1,626 | 35.9 | +3.8 |
| | SDP | B Dunning | 578 | 15.8 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 559 | 12.3 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,527 | 40.9 | +6.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Con 4.3 | |

### Bromley Cross ward

Bromley Cross ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A Wilkinson | 2,665 | 54.3 | +12.0 |
| | Labour | D Doxsey | 1,236 | 25.2 | −3.9 |
| | SDP | D Poole | 1,010 | 20.6 | −8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,429 | 29.1 | +16.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,911 | 46.7 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | SDP to Con 10.0 | |

### Burnden ward

Burnden ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | P Birch | 2,041 | 52.4 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative | F Hunter | 1,299 | 33.3 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal | P Howarth | 558 | 14.3 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 742 | 19.0 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,898 | 43.6 | +4.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Liberal 1.6 | |

### Central ward

Central ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J Sherrington | 2,257 | 67.7 | −7.0 |
| | Liberal | S Vickers | 682 | 20.5 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative | N Baxter | 392 | 11.8 | +3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,575 | 47.3 | −6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,331 | 41.3 | +0.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Liberal 5.4 | |

### Daubhill ward

Daubhill ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M Donaghy | 2,308 | 56.9 | −7.4 |
| | Conservative | J Cosgrove | 1,234 | 30.4 | +6.2 |
| | Liberal | R Ronson | 439 | 10.6 | −1.0 |
| | Independent | J Hamilton | 82 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,074 | 26.5 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,055 | 44.2 | +4.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Con 6.8 | |

### Deane-cum-Heaton ward

Deane-cum-Heaton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J Hanscomb | 3,484 | 58.4 | +4.3 |
| | Labour | P Boardman | 1,288 | 21.6 | −2.8 |
| | SDP | C Macpherson | 1,193 | 20.0 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,196 | 36.8 | +7.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,965 | 45.5 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Labour to Con 2.5 | |

### Derby ward

Derby ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K Peters | 3,123 | 72.8 | −9.7 |
| | Conservative | W Ingham | 731 | 17.0 | +6.4 |
| | SDP | L Easterman | 436 | 10.2 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,392 | 55.7 | −16.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,290 | 44.0 | +4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Con 8.0 | |

### Farnworth ward

Farnworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W Hardman | 2,230 | 65.1 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative | C Adams | 700 | 20.4 | +7.0 |
| | Liberal | L Sanderson | 493 | 14.4 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,530 | 44.7 | −3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,423 | 36.0 | +6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Liberal to Con 5.8 | |

### Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C Morris | 2,282 | 50.1 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal | A Halliwell | 1,226 | 26.9 | −9.3 |
| | Conservative | E Holland | 1,049 | 23.0 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,056 | 23.2 | +12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,557 | 46.3 | +2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Liberal to Con 7.7 | |

### Harper Green ward

Harper Green ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M Atkinson | 2,479 | 59.3 | −10.2 |
| | Conservative | L Cosgrave | 885 | 21.2 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal | G Willis | 817 | 19.5 | +7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,594 | 38.1 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,181 | 40.6 | +7.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Liberal 8.7 | |

### Horwich ward

Horwich ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E McCracken | 2,309 | 38.8 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal | I Hamilton | 1,916 | 32.2 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative | S Dawson | 1,725 | 29.0 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 393 | 6.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,950 | 53.0 | +5.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Liberal to Con 4.4 | |

### Hulton Park ward

Hulton Park ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G Smith | 2,267 | 42.9 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal | P Cooper | 1,961 | 37.1 | −2.6 |
| | Labour | P Entwistle | 1,053 | 19.9 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 306 | 5.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,281 | 48.3 | +8.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Labour to Con 4.9 | |

### Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W Robinson | 2,210 | 49.2 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal | J Rothwell | 1,595 | 35.5 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | N Houlcroft | 687 | 15.3 | +5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 615 | 13.7 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,492 | 46.2 | +6.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Liberal to Con 4.7 | |

### Little Lever ward

Little Lever ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D Dziubas | 2,229 | 50.2 | +4.3 |
| | Labour | S Jones | 1,580 | 35.6 | −7.8 |
| | SDP | K Banks | 632 | 14.2 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 649 | 14.6 | +12.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,441 | 47.6 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Labour to Con 6.0 | |

### Smithills ward

Smithills ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | F Harasiwka | 2,376 | 48.4 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | C Shaw | 1,899 | 38.7 | +3.8 |
| | Labour | J Ward | 631 | 12.9 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 477 | 9.7 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,906 | 54.9 | +8.0 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | Liberal to Con 2.6 | |

### Tonge ward

Tonge ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D Clare | 2,317 | 53.6 | −10.7 |
| | Conservative | T Ryle | 1,438 | 33.2 | +4.5 |
| | SDP | L Shepherd | 570 | 13.2 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 879 | 20.3 | −17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,325 | 47.3 | +1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Liberal 8.6 | |

### Westhoughton ward

Westhoughton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | P Finch | 1,228 | 35.8 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal | P Mather | 1,170 | 34.1 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | J Cowburn | 769 | 22.4 | +0.2 |
| | Independent | P James | 262 | 7.6 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | 1.7 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,429 | 50.2 | +9.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Con 2.2 | |