Council profile
Bolton
Metropolitan borough · North West · 60 seats in 20 wards · A third of seats elected in three years out of four · Next election 6 May 2027
Bolton Council is run by a Labour / Conservative / Liberal Democrats / Independent coalition. The council has 60 councillors in 20 wards. Seats by party: Labour 18, Reform 10, Other 10, Conservative 10, Lib Dem 6, Green 5. The next election is on 6 May 2027.
Control
Seats by party
Vote share at the 7 May 2026 election (20 seats, all wards)
ShareSeats won
Reform32.6%9
Labour19.5%2
Green17.6%3
Conservative14.4%3
Other8.5%2
Lib Dem7.4%1
Next election
6 May 2027
20 of 60 seats up, elected by thirds
Largest party
Labour 18
13 short of the 31 needed for a majority
Voted Leave in 2016
58%
GB 52%
Wards
Who holds each ward
LabourConservativeLib DemReformGreenOther
Under 5 pts5 to 1010 to 20Over 20No contest data
Winning margin at the last election, in points.
Coloured by the party holding most of the ward's seats today; where seats are split evenly, by the party with the higher share at the last election.
All 20 wards
Councillors and last results
Select a ward for its full results, candidates and last by-election.
| Ward and councillors | Last election |
|---|---|
| Astley Bridge Hilary Fairclough, Ryan Bailey, Toby Hewitt | 7 May 2026 Reform 32.7% lead 7.7 pts |
| Bradshaw Jackie Schofield, James Moller, Les Webb | 7 May 2026 Conservative 37.4% lead 1.8 pts |
| Breightmet Robert Morrisey, Sean Fielding, Mike Tucker | 7 May 2026 Reform 47.3% lead 22.9 pts |
| Bromley Cross Charlotte Cadden, Nadim Muslim, Samantha Connor | 7 May 2026 Conservative 36.3% lead 2.5 pts |
| Farnworth North Nadeem Ayub, Susan Haworth, Hamid Khurram | 7 May 2026 Labour 29.0% lead 0.6 pts |
| Farnworth South Julie Pattison, Paula Connor-Bennett, Maureen Flitcroft | 7 May 2026 Reform 41.3% lead 9.0 pts |
| Great Lever Mohammed Ayub, Mohammed Iqbal, Karen Hon | 7 May 2026 Labour 45.8% lead 16.2 pts |
| Halliwell Hanif Alli, Rabiya Jiva, Baggy Khan | 7 May 2026 Green 41.8% lead 7.3 pts |
| Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor Andrew Morgan, Martyn Cox, Anne Galloway | 7 May 2026 Conservative 37.6% lead 13.1 pts |
| Horwich North Andrea Finney, Victoria Rigby, John Scoble | 7 May 2026 Horwich & Blackrod First Independents 39.3% lead 13.7 pts |
| Horwich South & Blackrod Peter Wright, Samantha Williamson, David Grant | 7 May 2026 Horwich & Blackrod First Independents 44.3% lead 17.9 pts |
| Hulton Shafaqat Shaikh, Derek Bullock, Fazeelah Khan | 7 May 2026 Reform 43.1% lead 21.3 pts |
| Kearsley Debbie Newall, Roger Pedley, Sylvia Crossley | 7 May 2026 Reform 46.4% lead 12.2 pts |
| Little Lever & Darcy Lever Liam Barnard, Andrea Taylor-Burke, Derek Wunderley | 7 May 2026 Reform 49.6% lead 27.1 pts |
| Queens Park & Central Linda Thomas, Akhtar Zaman, Zan Arif | 7 May 2026 Green 35.1% lead 1.5 pts |
| Rumworth Ismail Ibrahim, Ayyub Patel, Yusuf Davda | 7 May 2026 Green 49.7% lead 14.6 pts |
| Smithills Susan Priest, Garry Veevers, Roger Hayes | 7 May 2026 Lib Dem 37.6% lead 3.3 pts |
| Tonge with the Haulgh Martin Donaghy, Trevor Jones, Emily Mort | 7 May 2026 Reform 47.1% lead 17.1 pts |
| Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill Arthur Price, David Lewis, Deirdre McGeown | 7 May 2026 Reform 38.2% lead 15.2 pts |
| Westhoughton South John McHugh, Vacant, Glen Clarke | 7 May 2026 Reform 37.5% lead 2.2 pts |
Astley Bridge
Hilary Fairclough ConservativeRyan Bailey ReformToby Hewitt Conservative
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Bailey Elected | Reform | 1,635 | 32.7% |
| John Walsh | Conservative | 1,248 | 25.0% |
| Lee Thorne | Green | 1,147 | 23.0% |
| Phil Warren | Labour | 807 | 16.2% |
| Sarita Chohan | Lib Dem | 106 | 2.1% |
| Pete Hopkinson | Independent | 53 | 1.1% |
Bradshaw
Jackie Schofield LabourJames Moller ConservativeLes Webb Conservative
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Les Webb Elected | Conservative | 1,801 | 37.4% |
| Sandra Harris | Reform | 1,712 | 35.6% |
| Peter Dennis Firth | Labour | 745 | 15.5% |
| Jennifer Entwistle | Green | 423 | 8.8% |
| Christine Anne Strawbridge | Lib Dem | 130 | 2.7% |
Breightmet
Mike Tucker ReformRobert Morrisey LabourSean Fielding Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Tucker Elected | Reform | 1,890 | 47.3% |
| Adele Kay Warren | Conservative | 974 | 24.4% |
| Kate Elizabeth Taylor | Labour | 605 | 15.1% |
| Gillian Fernley | Green | 413 | 10.3% |
| Derek John Gradwell | Lib Dem | 80 | 2.0% |
| Wendy Ann Hopkinson | Independent | 33 | 0.8% |
Bromley Cross
Charlotte Cadden ConservativeNadim Muslim ConservativeSamantha Connor Conservative
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Anne Cadden Elected | Conservative | 1,794 | 36.3% |
| Jayden Cain | Reform | 1,669 | 33.8% |
| Joe Burton | Green | 718 | 14.5% |
| Bill Lovat | Labour | 597 | 12.1% |
| Jim Priest | Lib Dem | 164 | 3.3% |
Farnworth North
Hamid Khurram LabourNadeem Ayub LabourSusan Haworth Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nadeem Ayub Elected | Labour | 1,131 | 29.0% |
| Rees Gibbon | Reform | 1,109 | 28.4% |
| Philip Kochitty | Green | 648 | 16.6% |
| Sandra Baker | Farnworth and Kearsley First Party | 642 | 16.4% |
| Champak Mistry | Independent | 235 | 6.0% |
| Ryan Cain | Conservative | 103 | 2.6% |
| Andrew John Tonge | Lib Dem | 35 | 0.9% |
Farnworth South
Julie Pattison ReformMaureen Flitcroft Farnworth and Kearsley First PartyPaula Connor-Bennett Farnworth and Kearsley First Party
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Pattison Elected | Reform | 1,220 | 41.3% |
| Paul Sanders | Farnworth and Kearsley First Party | 956 | 32.3% |
| Wesley McArdle | Labour | 343 | 11.6% |
| David Wright | Green | 338 | 11.4% |
| Kubbar Alom | Conservative | 59 | 2.0% |
| Jennifer Louise Tonge | Lib Dem | 40 | 1.4% |
Great Lever
Karen Hon LabourMohammed Ayub LabourMohammed Iqbal Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Iqbal Elected | Labour | 1,918 | 45.8% |
| Mahboob Alom | Green | 1,239 | 29.6% |
| Gus Heyes | Reform | 755 | 18.0% |
| Yusuf Butt | Conservative | 159 | 3.8% |
| Rishikesh Ratilal Chohan | Lib Dem | 116 | 2.8% |
Halliwell
Baggy Khan GreenHanif Alli GreenRabiya Jiva Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baggy Khan Elected | Green | 1,752 | 41.8% |
| Safwaan Patel | Labour | 1,444 | 34.5% |
| Philip Booth | Reform | 744 | 17.8% |
| Elizabeth Anne Elliott | Conservative | 136 | 3.2% |
| Caroline Anne Turner-Preece | Lib Dem | 115 | 2.7% |
Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor
Andrew Morgan ConservativeAnne Galloway ConservativeMartyn Cox Conservative
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Barbara Galloway Elected | Conservative | 2,112 | 37.6% |
| Hetan Ajwani | Reform | 1,374 | 24.5% |
| Salim Qureshi | Labour | 1,065 | 19.0% |
| Alexander James Rostron | Green | 760 | 13.5% |
| Paul Martin | Lib Dem | 299 | 5.3% |
Horwich North
Andrea Finney Horwich & Blackrod First IndependentsJohn Scoble Horwich & Blackrod First IndependentsVictoria Rigby Horwich & Blackrod First Independents
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Jane Finney Elected | Horwich & Blackrod First Independents | 1,905 | 39.3% |
| Stephen Martindale | Reform | 1,243 | 25.6% |
| Helena Carman | Green | 585 | 12.1% |
| Graham Dawson | Labour | 536 | 11.0% |
| Carol Forshaw | Conservative | 257 | 5.3% |
| Charlotte Chloe Minnie Moncado-Sears | Independent | 252 | 5.2% |
| Scott James Turner-Preece | Lib Dem | 74 | 1.5% |
Last by-election, 2 July 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Francis Scoble Elected | Horwich & Blackrod First Independents | 1,186 | 50.0% |
| Wendy Parkinson | Reform | 541 | 22.8% |
| Graham Dawson | Labour | 343 | 14.5% |
| Nicola Salmon | Green | 189 | 8.0% |
| Raymond Ndokwo | Conservative | 71 | 3.0% |
| Scott James Turner-Preece | Lib Dem | 27 | 1.1% |
| Pete Hopkinson | Independent | 13 | 0.5% |
Horwich South & Blackrod
David Grant Horwich & Blackrod First IndependentsPeter Wright Horwich & Blackrod First IndependentsSamantha Williamson Lib Dem
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Wright Elected | Horwich & Blackrod First Independents | 1,775 | 44.3% |
| Matthew Kyle | Reform | 1,060 | 26.4% |
| Joshua Johnathan Callum Cook | Labour | 378 | 9.4% |
| Michael Jarvis | Green | 375 | 9.4% |
| Paul Norris | Conservative | 293 | 7.3% |
| John William Strawbridge | Lib Dem | 79 | 2.0% |
| Antony Moncado-Sears | Independent | 49 | 1.2% |
Hulton
Derek Bullock ReformFazeelah Khan LabourShafaqat Shaikh Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Bullock Elected | Reform | 1,939 | 43.1% |
| Emma Julia Schofield | Labour | 979 | 21.8% |
| Alan Johnson | Green | 947 | 21.1% |
| Shafi Patel | Conservative | 470 | 10.5% |
| Linda Christine Maher | Lib Dem | 160 | 3.6% |
Kearsley
Debbie Newall LabourRoger Pedley ReformSylvia Crossley Farnworth and Kearsley First Party
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Pedley Elected | Reform | 1,564 | 46.4% |
| Tracey Wilkinson | Farnworth and Kearsley First Party | 1,155 | 34.2% |
| George Butler | Labour | 255 | 7.6% |
| Tony Peers | Green | 176 | 5.2% |
| Glenys Ratcliffe | Conservative | 103 | 3.1% |
| Jack Tebay | Advance UK | 71 | 2.1% |
| David Charles Tyas Cooper | Lib Dem | 49 | 1.5% |
Last by-election, 16 November 2023
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracey Wilkinson Elected | Farnworth and Kearsley First Party | 1,081 | 66.0% |
| Jackie Schofield | Labour | 365 | 22.3% |
| Dale Gregory | Reform | 121 | 7.4% |
| Malaika Noor Ayesha Jabeen Taj Dean | Conservative | 38 | 2.3% |
| Alan Johnson | Green | 18 | 1.1% |
| Charles Cooper | Lib Dem | 15 | 0.9% |
Little Lever & Darcy Lever
Andrea Taylor-Burke IndependentDerek Wunderley ReformLiam Barnard Labour
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Wunderley Elected | Reform | 2,040 | 49.6% |
| David Michael Meehan | Conservative | 924 | 22.5% |
| Rach Gilmour | Labour | 618 | 15.0% |
| Ben Dolata | Green | 345 | 8.4% |
| Susan Mary Martin | Lib Dem | 143 | 3.5% |
| Fin Cozens-Stott | Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 40 | 1.0% |
Queens Park & Central
Akhtar Zaman LabourLinda Thomas LabourZan Arif Green
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zan Arif Elected | Green | 1,090 | 35.1% |
| Richard Silvester | Labour | 1,044 | 33.6% |
| Nimesh Vara | Reform | 609 | 19.6% |
| Richard Elliott | Conservative | 206 | 6.6% |
| Rebekah Susan Mary Fairhurst | Lib Dem | 160 | 5.1% |
Rumworth
Ayyub Patel IndependentIsmail Ibrahim GreenYusuf Davda Green
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ismail Ibrahim Elected | Green | 2,346 | 49.7% |
| Sajid Ali | Labour | 1,659 | 35.1% |
| Gansham Hiriji Patel | Reform | 463 | 9.8% |
| Gillian Elizabeth Wroe | Lib Dem | 137 | 2.9% |
| Shahjahan Shah | Conservative | 119 | 2.5% |
Last by-election, 30 July 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yusuf Davda Elected | Independent | 1,458 | 42.3% |
| Sajid Pathan | Labour | 1,054 | 30.6% |
| Alan Johnson | Green | 517 | 15.0% |
| Gansham Hiriji Patel | Reform | 279 | 8.1% |
| Marcellus Mbah | Conservative | 60 | 1.7% |
| Wendy Ann Hopkinson | Independent | 45 | 1.3% |
| Gillian Elizabeth Wroe | Lib Dem | 37 | 1.1% |
Smithills
Garry Veevers Lib DemRoger Hayes Lib DemSusan Priest Lib Dem
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sue Priest Elected | Lib Dem | 1,713 | 37.6% |
| Simon Roscoe | Reform | 1,565 | 34.3% |
| Elora Hunt | Green | 563 | 12.4% |
| Liam O'Callaghan | Labour | 533 | 11.7% |
| Raymond Ndokwo | Conservative | 184 | 4.0% |
Tonge with the Haulgh
Emily Mort LabourMartin Donaghy LabourTrevor Jones Reform
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Jones Elected | Reform | 2,089 | 47.1% |
| Nick Peel | Labour | 1,329 | 30.0% |
| Gaynor Margaret Richards | Green | 600 | 13.5% |
| Hafiz Tahir-Mahmood Butt | Conservative | 251 | 5.7% |
| Rebecca Forrest | Lib Dem | 166 | 3.7% |
Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill
Arthur Price Lib DemDavid Lewis ReformDeirdre McGeown Lib Dem
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Lewis Elected | Reform | 1,781 | 38.2% |
| Neil Maher | Lib Dem | 1,071 | 23.0% |
| Martin Tighe | Conservative | 964 | 20.7% |
| Louise Warburton | Green | 439 | 9.4% |
| Paul Leslie Saunders | Labour | 403 | 8.7% |
Last by-election, 16 November 2023
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deirdre Janice McGeown Elected | Lib Dem | 959 | 41.5% |
| Andrea Jane Finney | Conservative | 665 | 28.8% |
| Karen Millington | Labour | 440 | 19.0% |
| Jack Speight | Westhoughton First Independents | 118 | 5.1% |
| Jeff Armstrong | Reform | 101 | 4.4% |
| Wendy Ann Hopkinson | Green | 28 | 1.2% |
Westhoughton South
Glen Clarke ReformJohn McHugh LabourVacant Vacant
Last scheduled election, 7 May 2026
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Clarke Elected | Reform | 1,644 | 37.5% |
| David Wilkinson | Lib Dem | 1,550 | 35.3% |
| Christina Ruth Saunders | Labour | 455 | 10.4% |
| Simon Penhallow | Green | 306 | 7.0% |
| Colin Higson | Conservative | 276 | 6.3% |
| Jack Speight | Westhoughton First Independents | 100 | 2.3% |
| Richard Adam Bates | Independent | 57 | 1.3% |
Councillors
Changed party since the election
1 councillor now sit for a different party from the one they were elected for.
| Ward | Councillor | Elected as | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rumworth | Yusuf Davda | Independent 2026 | Green |
Next election
Seats up on 6 May 2027
20 of 60 seats are up. Seats held now, by party:
Labour 8 Conservative 4 Other 3 Lib Dem 2 Independent 1 Green 1 Vacant 1
| Ward | Councillor whose term ends |
|---|---|
| Astley Bridge | Hilary Fairclough Conservative |
| Bradshaw | James Moller Conservative |
| Breightmet | Sean Fielding Labour |
| Bromley Cross | Samantha Connor Conservative |
| Farnworth North | Hamid Khurram Labour |
| Farnworth South | Maureen Flitcroft Farnworth and Kearsley First Party |
| Great Lever | Mohammed Ayub Labour |
| Halliwell | Rabiya Jiva Labour |
| Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor | Martyn Cox Conservative |
| Horwich North | John Scoble Horwich & Blackrod First Independents |
| Horwich South & Blackrod | David Grant Horwich & Blackrod First Independents |
| Hulton | Shafaqat Shaikh Labour |
| Kearsley | Debbie Newall Labour |
| Little Lever & Darcy Lever | Andrea Taylor-Burke Independent |
| Queens Park & Central | Akhtar Zaman Labour |
| Rumworth | Yusuf Davda Green |
| Smithills | Roger Hayes Lib Dem |
| Tonge with the Haulgh | Martin Donaghy Labour |
| Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill | Arthur Price Lib Dem |
| Westhoughton South | Vacant Vacant |
Term end dates from Open Council Data.
By-elections
Every council by-election since 2021
5 by-elections since July 2021, 3 of them gains.
| Date | Ward | Result | Winner's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 July 2026 | Rumworth | Independent gain from Labour | |
| 2 July 2026 | Horwich North | Local party hold | |
| 16 November 2023 | Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill | Lib Dem gain from Conservative | 41.5% |
| 16 November 2023 | Kearsley | Other hold | 66.0% |
| 15 September 2022 | Rumworth | Conservative gain from Labour | 55.0% |
Parliament
Parliamentary constituencies
| Constituency | Share of council | 2024 winner | Projected now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton North East | 39% | Labour | Labour 38% |
| Bolton West | 34% | Labour | Labour 33% |
| Bolton South and Walkden | 27% | Labour | Labour 43% |
Share of the council: the proportion of its census neighbourhoods (2021 LSOAs) in each seat. The projection is PollCheck's demographic model at current polling, not a forecast.
People
Who lives in Bolton
295,950 residents in 118,787 households
Voted Leave in 2016
58% 6 above GB
Degree or higher
27% 7 below GB
No qualifications
23% 5 above GB
Own their home
62% 1 above GB
Rent from a council or housing association
20% 3 above GB
Rent privately
18% 2 below GB
Aged 15 to 34
31% same as GB
Aged 65 and over
22% same as GB
GB figure. 2021 Census (Scotland: 2022): age as a share of residents aged 15 and over, qualifications of residents aged 16 and over, housing as a share of households. Leave: 2016 EU referendum, Electoral Commission results by counting area.
Similar
Councils most like this one
RochdaleLabour (Majority)TamesideLabour (Minority)NewportLabour (Majority)OldhamNo Overall ControlRedditchConservative / Independent Coalition
Closest on the measures above: the 2016 Leave vote, age, qualifications and housing. Maps show which party holds each ward.
Sources
Sources and method
Seat totals and control: PollCheck council control tracker. Councillors: Open Council Data (CC BY-SA 4.0). Election results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), with some vote counts from DCLEAPIL, Leman (2025) (CC BY-SA 4.0), and corrections checked against councils' official declarations. Ward boundaries: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Census: Office for National Statistics and National Records of Scotland.
Councillor lists and DCLEAPIL-derived vote counts on this page are available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
In wards electing more than one councillor, a party's share counts only its leading candidate (the Rallings and Thrasher method). Independents count individually. The lead is the gap between the top two parties' shares.