# 2018 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2018 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2018 to elect members of Bolton Council in Greater Manchester, England. This was on the same day as other local elections. The Labour Party retained overall control of the Council with a majority of 1.
21 seats were contested and the Conservative Party won 9 seats, the Labour Party won 8 seats, the Liberal Democrats won 2 seats, and Farnworth and Kearsley First won 2 seats.
After the election, the total composition of the council was as follows:
* Labour 31
* Conservative 19
* UK Independence Party 3
* Liberal Democrats 4
* Farnworth and Kearsley First 3

## Election results

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election results :
| Party | Party | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Party | Party | Stood | Elected | Gained | Unseated | Net | % of total | % | No. | Net % |
| | Labour | 21 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 38.0 | 38.5 | 29,467 | 2.3 |
| | Conservative | 21 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 42.8 | 34.0 | 26,084 | 8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.7 | 13.8 | 10,583 | 2.7 |
| | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9.5 | 5.8 | 4,460 | N/A |
| | UKIP | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 2,263 | 16.4 |
| | Green | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.7 | 2,072 | 0.3 |
| | Independent | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1,599 | 1.7 |
| | Totals | 93 | 21 | | | | 100.0 | 100.0 | 76,528 | 3,956 |

## Council Composition

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:
| 35 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Labour | Conservative | LD | U | FK |
After the election the composition of the council was:
| 31 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Labour | Conservative | LD | U | FK |
LD - Liberal Democrats U - UKIP FK - Farnworth and Kearsley First

## Ward results
### Astley Bridge ward

Astley Bridge ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Walsh | 1,842 | 42.5 | +0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Warren Fox | 1,564 | 36.1 | +15.6 |
| | Labour | Zulfi Jiva | 930 | 21.4 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 278 | 6.4 | −11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,336 | 42.0 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | UKIP to Lib Dem 12.7 | |

### Bradshaw ward

Bradshaw ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mudasir Dean | 1,949 | 57.1 | +6.5 |
| | Labour | Tony Shepherd | 880 | 25.8 | +1.0 |
| | Independent | Eric Hyland | 278 | 8.1 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Howarth | 173 | 5.1 | +2.4 |
| | Green | Laura Diggle | 135 | 3.9 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,069 | 31.3 | +5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,415 | 38.1 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | UKIP to Conservative 10.3 | |

### Breightmet ward

Breightmet ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Adele Warren | 1,549 | 47.4 | +21.5 |
| | Labour | Francesca Platt | 1,278 | 39.1 | +3.3 |
| | UKIP | Harry Lamb | 242 | 7.4 | −25.5 |
| | Green | Dan Bolton | 138 | 4.2 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Bates | 61 | 1.9 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 271 | 8.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,268 | 34.4 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | UKIP to Conservative 23.5 | |

### Bromley Cross ward

Bromley Cross ward (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Greenhalgh | 2,928 | 73.3 | |
| | Conservative | Nadim Muslim | 2,257 | 56.5 | |
| | Labour | Steve Sutton | 1,023 | 25.6 | |
| | Labour | Deb Whenlock | 910 | 22.8 | |
| | Green | Liz Spencer | 374 | 9.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elliott Bermudez-Galton | 303 | 7.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Walsh | 196 | 4.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | (Greenhalgh) 1,905 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | (Muslim) 1,234 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,996 | 38.4 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Crompton ward

Crompton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bilkis Ismail | 2,258 | 57.1 | −10.4 |
| | Conservative | Daniel Wheatley | 737 | 18.6 | +9.2 |
| | Independent | Siraj Patel | 706 | 17.8 | +17.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Langdon | 252 | 6.4 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,521 | 38.5 | −9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,953 | 36.8 | +0.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | UKIP to Ind 18.6 | |

### Farnworth ward

Farnworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Farnworth and Kearsley First | Maureen Flitcroft | 1,699 | 53.9 | +53.9 |
| | Labour | Martin McMulkin | 1,172 | 37.3 | −11.1 |
| | Conservative | Jennifer Kirk | 142 | 4.5 | −4.1 |
| | UKIP | Dave Harvey | 92 | 2.9 | −33.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Cooper | 44 | 1.4 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 522 | 16.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,154 | 30.0 | |
| | Farnworth and Kearsley First gain from Labour | Farnworth and Kearsley First gain from Labour | Swing | UKIP to FKF 43.7 | |

### Great Lever ward

Great Lever ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohammed Ayub | 2,422 | 76.0 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Mohammed Waqas | 389 | 12.2 | +4.6 |
| | Green | David Figgins | 232 | 7.3 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Francine Godfrey | 143 | 4.5 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,033 | 63.8 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,186 | 32.9 | −1.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | UKIP to Labour 9.7 | |

### Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Akhtar Zaman | 2,181 | 70.2 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | Jolyon Coombs | 418 | 13.6 | +5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Falch | 120 | 3.8 | −0.2 |
| | Green | Ian McHugh | 118 | 3.8 | −0.7 |
| | Independent | Martin McLoughlin | 114 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| | Independent | Sarfraz Nawaz | 83 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| | Independent | Anthony Massey | 71 | 2.3 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,767 | 56.8 | +6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,110 | 35.2 | −0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | UKIP to Conservative 10.7 | |

### Harper Green ward

Harper Green ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hamid Khurram | 1,910 | 53.3 | +3.8 |
| | Farnworth and Kearsley First | Lisa Weatherby | 897 | 25.1 | +25.1 |
| | Conservative | Robert Tyler | 477 | 13.4 | +1.7 |
| | UKIP | Amy Wunderley | 157 | 4.4 | −27.9 |
| | Green | Matthew Barnes | 63 | 1.8 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kevin Walsh | 62 | 1.7 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,013 | 28.4 | +11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,566 | 36.1 | +4.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | UKIP to FKF 26.5 | |

### Heaton and Lostock ward

Heaton and Lostock ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anne Galloway | 3,000 | 66.4 | +10.2 |
| | Labour | John Gillatt | 1,247 | 27.6 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Garry Veevers | 269 | 5.9 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,753 | 38.8 | +9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,516 | 42.3 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | UKIP to Conservative 9.3 | |

### Horwich and Blackrod ward

Horwich and Blackrod ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Susan Baines | 1,668 | 47.6 | +18.0 |
| | Labour | Michael Jarvis | 1,437 | 41.0 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rebecca Forrest | 231 | 6.6 | +3.1 |
| | Green | Keith Cocker | 169 | 4.8 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 231 | 6.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,505 | 33.7 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | UKIP to Conservative 18.5 | |

### Horwich North East ward

Horwich North East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin McKeon | 1,345 | 36.0 | −4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Rock | 1,288 | 34.5 | +14.3 |
| | Conservative | Joan Johnson | 887 | 23.8 | +3.5 |
| | Green | Rod Riesco | 213 | 5.7 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | 1.5 | −19.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,733 | 38.0 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | UKIP to Lib Dem 14.0 | |

### Hulton ward

Hulton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Diane Parkinson | 1,858 | 50.2 | +17.5 |
| | Labour | Rabiya Jiva | 1,451 | 39.2 | +2.2 |
| | UKIP | Beverley Fletcher | 215 | 5.8 | −18.7 |
| | Green | Chris Taylor | 107 | 2.9 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kevin Mulligan | 68 | 1.8 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 407 | 11.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,699 | 37.0 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | UKIP to Conservative 18.1 | |

### Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Farnworth and Kearsley First | Julie Pattison | 1,864 | 52.3 | +52.3 |
| | Labour | Stephen Langley | 882 | 24.7 | −13.5 |
| | UKIP | Will Pilkington | 399 | 11.2 | −34.0 |
| | Conservative | Kamaran Fathulla | 290 | 8.1 | −1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Connor Goodwin | 131 | 3.7 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 982 | 27.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,566 | 34.1 | +2.3 |
| | Farnworth and Kearsley First gain from Labour | Farnworth and Kearsley First gain from Labour | Swing | UKIP to FKF 43.1 | |

### Little Lever and Darcy Lever ward

Little Lever and Darcy Lever ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Evans | 1,249 | 37.5 | +10.1 |
| | Conservative | David Meehan | 1,000 | 30.0 | +19.3 |
| | UKIP | Paul Richardson | 926 | 27.8 | −11.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine MacPherson | 159 | 4.8 | −15.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 249 | 7.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,334 | 34.7 | −7.5 |
| | Labour gain from UKIP | Labour gain from UKIP | Swing | Lib Dem to Conservative 17.4 | |

### Rumworth ward

Rumworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ismail Ibrahim | 2,570 | 75.7 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Hafiz Butt | 379 | 11.2 | +0.7 |
| | Green | Alan Johnson | 251 | 7.4 | +2.4 |
| | Independent | Damien Walsh | 111 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Duncan MacPherson | 55 | 2.5 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,191 | 64.5 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,396 | 34.4 | −2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | UKIP to Labour 6.7 | |

### Smithills ward

Smithills ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doug Bagnall | 2,031 | 48.9 | −1.9 |
| | Labour | Ryan Quick | 1,260 | 30.3 | +4.7 |
| | Conservative | Sam Rimmer | 751 | 18.1 | +8.9 |
| | Green | Elizabeth McManus | 111 | 2.7 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 771 | 18.6 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,154 | 40.2 | −4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | UKIP to Conservative 10.5 | |

### Tonge with The Haulgh ward

Tonge with The Haulgh ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nick Peel | 1,379 | 50.4 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Matthew Littler | 928 | 33.9 | +19.4 |
| | UKIP | Derek Wunderley | 232 | 8.5 | −24.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rosalind Harasiwka | 113 | 4.1 | +0.6 |
| | Green | James Tomkinson | 82 | 3.0 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 451 | 16.5 | +4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,734 | 31.0 | −4.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | UKIP to Conservative 22.1 | |

### Westhoughton North and Chew Moor ward

Westhoughton North and Chew Moor ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Martyn Cox | 1,831 | 42.6 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bernadette Eckersley-Fallon | 1,386 | 32.2 | +23.4 |
| | Labour | Ged Carter | 784 | 18.2 | −14.3 |
| | Independent | Jack Speight | 236 | 5.5 | +5.5 |
| | Green | Heather Rylance | 61 | 2.6 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 445 | 10.5 | +4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,300 | 39.7 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | UKIP to Lib Dem 20.2 | |

### Westhoughton South ward

Westhoughton South ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Wilkinson | 1,934 | 53.2 | +24.2 |
| | Labour | Ryan Battersby | 899 | 24.7 | −8.0 |
| | Conservative | Martin Tighe | 804 | 22.1 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,035 | 28.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,637 | 37.0 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | UKIP to Lib Dem 21.1 | |