# 1979 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

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 | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A Hibbert | 5,087 | 66.6 | −7.4 |
| | Labour | E McCracken | 2,546 | 33.4 | +11.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2541 | 33.2 | −18.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,633 | 78.6 | +41.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Con to Labour 9.4 | |

### Bradshaw North and South ward

Bradshaw North and South ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | K Howarth | 4,099 | 73.8 | −6.2 |
| | Labour | C Benjamin | 1,457 | 26.2 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,642 | 47.6 | −12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,556 | 78.9 | +47.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Con to Labour 6.2 | |

### Bradford ward

Bradford ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C Skull | 2,348 | 79.4 | −7.6 |
| | Conservative | H Kolia | 648 | 21.6 | +11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,700 | 56.7 | −19.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,996 | 74.7 | +33.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Con 9.7 | |

### Bromley Cross, Eagley and Egerton ward

Bromley Cross, Eagley and Egerton ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,908 | 72.9 | +35.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Church East and North ward

Church East and North ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J Farmer | 2,270 | 58.4 | −5.4 |
| | Conservative | M Drinkwater | 1,618 | 41.6 | +7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 652 | 16.8 | −13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,888 | 76.8 | +31.8 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Labour to Con 6.6 | |

### Darcy Lever cum Breightmet ward

Darcy Lever cum Breightmet ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K McIvor | 5,203 | 59.1 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative | A Chadbond | 3,598 | 40.9 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,605 | 18.2 | +15.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,801 | 75.3 | +37.8 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Labour 7.7 | |

### Deane cum Lostock ward

Deane cum Lostock ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,711 | 27.9 | −23.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,130 | 78.9 | +40.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Con to Labour 11.8 | |

### Derby ward

Derby ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 2,494 | 56.6 | +5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,409 | 73.2 | +36.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Con to Labour 2.7 | |

### Farnworth North ward

Farnworth North ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 947 | 14.3 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,595 | 71.4 | +40.0 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Lib 8.1 | |

### Farnworth South ward

Farnworth South ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 2,091 | 31.9 | +1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,549 | 70.6 | +40.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Con to Lib 8.0 | |

### Great Lever ward

Great Lever ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | L Williamson | 4,408 | 55.1 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | L Huyton | 3,598 | 44.9 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 810 | 10.1 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,006 | 76.9 | +42.3 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Labour 3.9 | |

### Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 801 | 11.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,886 | 78.0 | +37.0 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Lib 13.9 | |

### Heaton ward

Heaton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | B Hurst | 3,382 | 83.0 | −4.6 |
| | Labour | J Jenkins | 691 | 17.0 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,691 | 66.0 | −9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,073 | 83.6 | +37.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Con to Labour 4.6 | |

### Horwich North, Central and East ward

Horwich North, Central and East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A Oakley | 4,262 | 66.0 | +18.8 |
| | Conservative | S Dawson | 2,193 | 34.0 | −18.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,069 | 32.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,455 | 76.2 | +37.3 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Labour 18.8 | |

### Horwich South and Blackrod ward

Horwich South and Blackrod ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E Johnson | 2,760 | 51.9 | +14.0 |
| | Conservative | J Jolley | 2,560 | 48.1 | −14.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 200 | 3.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,320 | 79.4 | +36.5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Labour 14.1 | |

### Hulton and Rumworth ward

Hulton and Rumworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T Anderton | 4,046 | 52.7 | +8.1 |
| | Conservative | R Carr | 3,629 | 47.3 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 417 | 5.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,675 | 78.2 | +39.1 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Labour 5.8 | |

### Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 754 | 11.3 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,672 | 77.5 | +34.2 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | Lib to Con 1.6 | |

### Little Lever ward

Little Lever ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 415 | 6.4 | −25.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,492 | 80.5 | +41.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Con to Labour 12.8 | |

### Smithills ward

Smithills ward :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,543 | 18.1 | −30.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,500 | 79.3 | +46.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Con to Labour 15.3 | |

### Tonge ward

Tonge ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D Eastwood | 4,598 | 53.2 | +11.3 |
| | Conservative | J Rigby | 4,050 | 46.8 | −7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 548 | 6.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,648 | 76.4 | +34.7 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Lab 9.5 | |

### West ward

West Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G Hart | 3,693 | 66.4 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative | M Kershaw | 1,867 | 33.6 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,826 | 32.8 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,560 | 70.0 | +35.7 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Lab 1.5 | |

### Westhoughton East and Hulton ward

Westhoughton East and Hulton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J Smith | 3,624 | 66.2 | −6.1 |
| | Labour | P Jones | 1,847 | 33.8 | +6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,777 | 32.4 | −12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,471 | 79.9 | +42.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Con to Labour 6.1 | |

### Westhoughton North, Central and South ward

Westhoughton North, Central and South ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | P Woodcock | 3,419 | 58.4 | −1.8 |
| | Conservative | A Prince | 2,440 | 41.6 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 979 | 16.8 | −3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,859 | 75.2 | +37.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Con 1.8 | |