# 1996 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1996 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 2 May 1996 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, with 16 being won by the Labour Party, 2 by the Liberal Democrats and 2 by the Conservatives.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Labour 48
* Conservative 6
* Liberal Democrat 6

## Election result

Bolton Local Election Result 1996 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 16 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 54.1 | 36,393 | -0.5 |
| Conservative | 2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 25.0 | 16,798 | +1.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0 | 19.6 | 13,184 | -0.4 |

## Council Composition

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:
| 43 | 11 | 6 |
| Labour | Conservative | L |
After the election the composition of the council was:
| 48 | 6 | 6 |
| Labour | Conservative | L |
LD – Liberal Democrats

## Ward results
### Astley Bridge ward

Astley Bridge ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B Ramsden | 1,954 | 45.6 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | H Fairclough | 1,899 | 44.3 | +6.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | S Howarth | 429 | 10.0 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 55 | 1.3 | −10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,282 | 39.3 | −4.7 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Labour to Con 5.1 | |

### Blackrod ward

Blackrod ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E Johnson | 1,589 | 43.1 | −20.8 |
| | Independent Labour | L Watkinson | 842 | 22.9 | +22.9 |
| | Conservative | C Moss | 824 | 22.4 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | D Watts | 428 | 11.6 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 747 | 20.3 | −21.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,683 | 37.1 | +1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Ind Lab 21.8 | |

### Bradshaw ward

Bradshaw ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G Butterworth | 1,782 | 48.1 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | W Hall | 1,492 | 40.3 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | I Peacock | 432 | 11.7 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 290 | 7.8 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,706 | 34.1 | −3.5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Labour to LD 1.5 | |

### Breightmet ward

Breightmet ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J Byrne | 2,134 | 72.6 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative | P Brown | 491 | 16.7 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | E Hill | 315 | 10.7 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,643 | 55.9 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,940 | 28.5 | −1.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Con to LD 0.9 | |

### Bromley Cross ward

Bromley Cross ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | N Critchley | 2,072 | 48.5 | +1.7 |
| | Labour | R McCawley | 1,778 | 41.7 | −0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | C Atty | 418 | 9.8 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 294 | 6.8 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,268 | 40.7 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | LD to Con 1.5 | |

### Burnden ward

Burnden ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D Eastwood | 1,907 | 70.0 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative | R Wood | 425 | 15.6 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | D Connor | 394 | 14.5 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,482 | 54.4 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,726 | 28.4 | −2.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to LD 4.2 | |

### Central ward

Central ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R Howarth | 2,052 | 77.6 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | J Bradley | 447 | 16.9 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | R Silvester | 146 | 5.5 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,605 | 60.7 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,645 | 34.0 | −3.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | LD to Con 0.7 | |

### Daubhill ward

Daubhill ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T Anderton | 2,024 | 76.9 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | F Tebbutt | 383 | 14.5 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | M Rothwell | 226 | 8.6 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,641 | 62.4 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,633 | 30.4 | −1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | LD to Labour 1.3 | |

### Deane-cum-Heaton ward

Deane-cum-Heaton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A Rushton | 2,383 | 48.6 | −4.2 |
| | Labour | E Walker | 1,877 | 38.3 | +38.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | C Gregory | 640 | 13.1 | −34.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 506 | 10.3 | +4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,900 | 37.3 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | LD to Labour 36.2 | |

### Derby ward

Derby ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J Foster | 2,604 | 83.8 | +10.3 |
| | Conservative | J Walsh | 319 | 10.3 | −12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | L Bale | 186 | 6.0 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,285 | 73.5 | +22.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,109 | 33.6 | −7.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Con to Labour 11.1 | |

### Farnworth ward

Farnworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | N Spencer | 1,874 | 82.0 | +28.6 |
| | Conservative | D Bailey | 208 | 9.1 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | W Crook | 204 | 8.9 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,666 | 72.9 | +54.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,286 | 24.3 | −6.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Halliwell ward

Halliwell ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | L Thomas | 1,919 | 66.8 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | I Greenhalgh | 572 | 19.9 | −3.2 |
| | Conservative | A Osborn | 382 | 13.3 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,347 | 46.9 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,873 | 30.0 | −5.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | LD to Con 3.1 | |

### Harper Green ward

Harper Green ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M Clare | 1,862 | 78.7 | −1.8 |
| | Conservative | K Ward | 297 | 12.6 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | R Harasiwka | 206 | 8.7 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,565 | 66.2 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,365 | 23.4 | −4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to Con 1.8 | |

### Horwich ward

Horwich ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | B Ronson | 2,837 | 58.4 | +29.3 |
| | Labour | I Alli | 1,105 | 22.7 | −25.4 |
| | Conservative | P Barron | 917 | 18.9 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,732 | 35.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,859 | 43.0 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | Labour to LD 27.3 | |

### Hulton Park ward

Hulton Park ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J Kellett | 1,677 | 41.9 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | C Higson | 1,411 | 35.3 | +8.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | D Gradwell | 911 | 22.8 | −4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 266 | 6.6 | −11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,999 | 33.5 | −1.7 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | LD to Con 6.2 | |

### Kearsley ward

Kearsley ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D Burrows | 1,847 | 61.7 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | J Rothwell | 956 | 31.9 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative | A Bonomy | 191 | 6.4 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 891 | 29.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,994 | 30.1 | −4.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | LD to Labour 3.8 | |

### Little Lever ward

Little Lever ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M Connell | 2,117 | 61.9 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative | S Jinks | 1,078 | 31.5 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | L Barron | 227 | 6.6 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,039 | 30.4 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,422 | 36.7 | −3.8 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to Labour 5.6 | |

### Smithills ward

Smithills ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | C Sawrbrick | 2,088 | 56.1 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | A Page | 885 | 23.8 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | J Walsh | 746 | 20.1 | +6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,203 | 32.3 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,719 | 43.9 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | Labour to Con 5.0 | |

### Tonge ward

Tonge ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M Mcfadden | 1,913 | 70.2 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | J Evans | 535 | 19.6 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | P Howarth | 277 | 10.2 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,378 | 50.6 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,725 | 33.6 | −5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Labour to LD 1.0 | |

### Westhoughton ward

Westhoughton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K Jones | 1,493 | 48.4 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | E Hill | 1,296 | 42.0 | +4.3 |
| | Conservative | D Bagnall | 298 | 9.7 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 197 | 6.4 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,087 | 36.8 | −1.3 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | Con to LD 2.3 | |