The 2026 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One third of the 60 members of Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester were elected.

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 26 Labour 25
Conservative 15 Conservative 15
Liberal Democrats 6 Liberal Democrats 6
Farnworth and Kearsley First 5 Farnworth and Kearsley First 5
Horwich and Blackrod First 6 Horwich and Blackrod First 3
Green 1[d] Green 1[d]
Independent 1 Independent 5
Reform 0 Reform 1

Changes 2024–2026:

  • June 2024: Ryan Bamforth (Horwich and Blackrod First) leaves party to sit as an independent[e][2]
  • November 2024: Charlotte Sears (Horwich and Blackrod First) and Samantha Williamson (Horwich and Blackrod First) leave party to sit as independents[e][3]
  • August 2025: Susan Haworth (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[4]
  • December 2025: Susan Haworth (Independent) joins Reform[5]

Summary

Background

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. The Conservatives briefly held control until Labour won their first majority in 1976.[6] Labour formed a majority administration until 2003 when the council fell into no overall control. This lasted until 2011.[7]

The 2019 election saw Labour reduced to minority status with 24 seats. The Conservatives formed a minority administration with support from UKIP, Farnworth and Kearsley First, and Horwich and Blackrod First.[8] The Conservatives became the largest party on the council in 2021, and retained minority control until 2023 when Labour once again became the largest party.[9] Labour formed a minority administration with the support of Farnworth and Kearsley First and Horwich and Blackrod First which continues to govern.[10]

The 2023 election was held under a new set of boundaries, meaning that this election is for the councillors who placed second in each of the three-member wards.[11] Labour will be defending 7 seats, the Conservatives will be defending 7, the Liberal Democrats will be defending 2, Horwich and Blackrod First will be defending 2, and Farnworth and Kearsley First will be defending 2 (including a seat in Kearsley gained in a 2023 by-election).[12]

Election result

2026 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 2 Decrease 5 10.0 18 20 33.3 16,844 19.5 -14.2
  Conservative 3 Decrease 4 15.0 8 11 18.3 12,433 14.4 -5.1
  Reform 9 Increase 9 45.0 1 10 16.7 28,105 32.6 +21.6
  Liberal Democrats 1 Decrease 1 5.0 4 5 8.3 6,387 7.4 ±0.0
  Green 3 Increase 3 15.0 1 4 6.7 15,210 17.6 +8.7
  Horwich and Blackrod First 2 Increase 1 10.0 2 4 6.7 3,680 4.3 -3.1
  Farnworth and Kearsley First 0 Decrease 2 0.0 3 3 5.0 2,753 3.2 -0.8
  Independent 0 Decrease 1 0.0 3 3 5.0 679 0.8 -4.7
  Westhoughton First Independents 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 100 0.1 -0.4
  Advance UK 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 71 0.1 N/A
  TUSC 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 40 0.0 N/A

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Astley Bridge John Walsh Conservative Yes
Bradshaw Les Webb Conservative Yes
Breightmet Adele Warren Conservative Yes
Bromley Cross Amy Cowen Conservative No
Farnworth North Nadeem Ayub Labour Yes
Farnworth South Paul Sanders Farnworth and Kearsley First Yes
Great Lever Mohammed Iqbal Labour Yes
Halliwell Safwaan Patel Labour Yes
Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor Anne Galloway Conservative Yes
Horwich North Charlotte Moncado-Sears Independent Yes
Horwich South & Blackrod Peter Wright Horwich and Blackrod First Yes
Hulton Aalaina Khan Labour No
Kearsley Tracey Wilkinson Farnworth and Kearsley First Yes
Little Lever & Darcy Lever David Meehan Conservative Yes
Queens Park & Central Richard Silvester Labour Co-op Yes
Rumworth Sajid Ali Labour Yes
Smithills Susan Priest Liberal Democrats Yes
Tonge with the Haulgh Nicholas Peel Labour Co-op Yes
Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill Martin Tighe Conservative Yes
Westhoughton South David Wilkinson Liberal Democrats Yes

Wards

Astley Bridge

Astley Bridge[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Ryan Bailey 1,635 32.7 +22.2
Conservative John Walsh 1,248 25.0 −13.0
Green Lee Thorne 1,147 23.0 +9.5
Labour Phil Warren 807 16.2 −21.8
Liberal Democrats Sarita Chohan 106 2.1 N/A
Independent Peter Brett Hopkinson 53 1.1 N/A
Majority 387 7.7
Turnout 4,996
Reform gain from Conservative

Bradshaw Ward

Bradshaw[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Les Webb 1,801 37.4 −1.6
Reform Sandra Harris 1,712 35.6 +23.4
Labour Co-op Peter Firth 745 15.5 −24.8
Green Jennifer Entwistle 423 8.8 +3.3
Liberal Democrats Christine Strawbridge 130 2.7 −0.8
Majority 89 1.8
Turnout 4,811
Conservative hold

Breightmet

Breightmet[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Mike Tucker 1,890 47.3 +33.4
Conservative Adele Warren 974 24.4 −12.7
Labour Co-op Kate Taylor 605 15.1 −27.3
Green Gillian Fernley 413 10.3 +5.7
Liberal Democrats Derek Gradwell 80 2.0 −/+ 0
Independent Wendy Hopkinson 33 0.8 N/A
Majority 916 22.9
Turnout 3,995
Reform gain from Conservative

Bromley Cross

Bromley Cross[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charlotte Cadden 1,794 36.3 −10.0
Reform Jayden Cain 1,669 33.8 +24.1
Green Joe Burton 718 14.5 +9.1
Labour Bill Lovat 597 12.1 −23.6
Liberal Democrats Jim Priest 164 3.3 +0.3
Majority 125 2.5
Turnout 4,942
Conservative hold

Farnworth North

Farnworth North[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Nadeem Ayub 1,131 29.0 −3.8
Reform Rees Gibbon 1,109 28.4 +17.6
Green Philip Kochitty 648 16.6 +6.7
Farnworth and Kearsley First Sandra Baker 642 16.4 −8.9
Independent Champak Mistry 235 6.0 N/A
Conservative Ryan Cain 103 2.6 −16.2
Liberal Democrats Andrew Tonge 35 0.9 −1.7
Majority 22 0.6
Turnout 3,903
Labour hold

Farnworth South

Farnworth South[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Julie Pattison 1,220 41.4 +28.5
Farnworth and Kearsley First Paul Sanders 956 32.2 −10.9
Labour Wesley McArdle 343 11.6 −21.6
Green David Wright 338 11.5 +6.9
Conservative Kubbar Alom 59 2.0 −2.6
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Tonge 40 1.4 −0.1
Majority 270 9.2
Turnout 2,956
Reform gain from Farnworth and Kearsley First

Great Lever

Great Lever[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mohammed Iqbal 1,918 45.8 −2.6
Green Mahboob Alom 1,239 29.6 −2.5
Reform Gus Heyes 755 18.0 +6.7
Conservative Yusuf Butt 159 3.8 −4.4
Liberal Democrats Rishikesh Ratilal Chohan 116 2.8 N/A
Majority 679 16.2
Turnout 4,187
Labour hold

Halliwell

Halliwell[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Baggy Khan 1,752 41.8 −3.3
Labour Safwaan Patel 1,444 34.5 −3.2
Reform Philip Booth 744 17.8 N/A
Conservative Elizabeth Elliott 136 3.2 −0.7
Liberal Democrats Caroline Turner-Preece 115 2.7 −2.6
Majority 308 7.3
Turnout 4,191
Green gain from Labour

Heaton, Lostock and Chew Moor

Heaton, Lostock and Chew Moor[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anne Galloway 2,112 37.6 −6.6
Reform Hetan Ajwani 1,374 24.5 +17.4
Labour Salim Qureshi 1,065 19.0 −6.3
Green Alexander James Rostron 760 13.5 +5.5
Liberal Democrats Paul Martin 299 5.3 +1.0
Majority 738 13.2
Turnout 5,610
Conservative hold

Horwich North

Horwich North[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Horwich and Blackrod First Andrea Finney 1,905 39.3 −13.5
Reform Stephen Martindale 1,243 25.6 +22.0
Green Helena Carman 585 12.1 +8.2
Labour Graham Dawson 536 11.0 −25.5
Conservative Carol Forshaw 257 5.3 −4.7
Independent Charlotte Moncado-Sears 252 5.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Scott Turner-Preece 74 1.5 −1.8
Majority 662 13.6
Turnout 4,852
Horwich and Blackrod First gain from Independent

Horwich South and Blackrod

Horwich South and Blackrod[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Horwich and Blackrod First Peter Wright 1,775 44.3 −4.1
Reform Matthew Kyle 1,060 26.4 +22.0
Labour Joshua Cook 378 9.4 −18.8
Green Michael Jarvis 375 9.4 +5.9
Conservative Paul Norris 293 7.3 −5.7
Liberal Democrats John Strawbridge 79 2.0 −0.5
Independent Antony Moncado-Sears 49 1.2 N/A
Majority 715 17.8
Turnout 4,009
Horwich and Blackrod First hold

Hulton

Hulton[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Derek Bullock 1,939 43.1 −34.4
Labour Emma Schofield 979 21.8 −8.1
Green Alan Johnson 947 21.1 +15.4
Conservative Shafi Patel 470 10.5 −9.8
Liberal Democrats Linda Maher 160 3.6 +0.9
Majority 960 21.4
Turnout 4,495
Reform gain from Labour

Kearsley

Kearsley[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Roger Pedley 1,564 46.3 +40.2
Farnworth and Kearsley First Tracey Wilkinson 1,155 34.2 −15.7
Labour Co-op George Butler 255 7.6 −27.2
Green Tony Peers 176 5.2 +3.1
Conservative Glenys Ratcliffe 103 3.1 −2.7
Advance UK Jack Tebay 71 2.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats David Charles Tyas Cooper 49 1.5 +0.2
Majority 408 12.1
Turnout 3,373
Reform gain from Farnworth and Kearsley First

Little Lever & Darcy Lever

Little Lever & Darcy Lever[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Derek Wunderley 2,040 48.9 +36.5
Conservative David Meehan 924 22.1 −5.0
Labour Rach Gilmour 618 16.3 −21.4
Green Ben Dolata 345 8.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Susan Martin 143 3.4 −0.1
TUSC Fin Cozens-Stott 40 1.0 N/A
Majority 1,116 26.7
Turnout 4,110
Reform gain from Conservative

Queen's Park & Central

Queen's Park & Central[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Zan Arif 1,090 35.5 +27.9
Labour Co-op Richard Silvester 1,044 34.0 −9.7
Reform Nimesh Vara 609 19.9 N/A
Conservative Richard Elliott 206 6.7 +0.9
Liberal Democrats Rebekah Fairhurst 160 3.8 +0.5
Majority 46 1.5 N/A
Turnout 3,109
Green gain from Labour Co-op

Rumworth

Rumworth[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Ismail Ibrahim 2,346 49.7 +36.4
Labour Sajid Ali 1,659 35.1 +4.9
Reform Ghansham Hirji Patel 463 9.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Gillian Wroe 137 2.9 +1.7
Conservative Shahjahan Shah 119 2.5 −1.2
Majority 687 14.5 N/A
Turnout 4,724
Green gain from Labour

Smithills

Smithills[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sue Priest 1,713 37.6 −8.3
Reform Simon Roscoe 1,565 34.3 +24.4
Green Elora Hunt 563 12.4 +0.2
Labour Liam O'Callaghan 533 11.7 −11.6
Conservative Raymond Ndokwo 184 4.0 −4.7
Majority 148 3.2
Turnout 4,558
Liberal Democrats hold

Tonge with the Haulgh

Tonge with the Haulgh[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Trevor Jones 2,089 47.1 +18.6
Labour Co-op Nick Peel 1,329 30.0 −14.8
Green Gaynor Richards 600 13.5 +6.6
Conservative Hafiz Butt 251 5.7 −10.3
Liberal Democrats Rebecca Forrest 166 3.7 −0.2
Majority 760 17.1 N/A
Turnout 4,435
Reform gain from Labour Co-op

Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill

Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform David Lewis 1,781 38.2 +28.9
Liberal Democrats Neil Maher 1,071 23.0 −10.8
Conservative Martin Tighe 964 20.7 −4.3
Green Louise Warburton 439 9.4 +6.4
Labour Paul Leslie Saunders 403 8.7 −14.4
Majority 710 15.2
Turnout 4,658
Reform gain from Conservative

Westhoughton South

Westhoughton South[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Glen Clarke 1,644 37.5 +28.5
Liberal Democrats David Wilkinson 1,550 35.3 +3.7
Labour Christina Saunders 455 10.4 −24.8
Green Simon Penhallow 306 7.0 +4.3
Conservative Colin Higson 276 6.3 −6.3
Westhoughton First Jack Speight 100 2.3 −3.7
Independent Richard Bates 57 1.3 N/A
Majority 94 2.1
Turnout 4,388
Reform gain from Liberal Democrats

References

  1. ↑ As their local affiliate "Bolton for Change"
  2. ↑ Labour minority.
  3. ↑ Labour minority.
  4. 1 2 Sits as part of the Communities First group with the label "Green Party/Communities First".
  5. 1 2 Part of the Communities First group, which is not registered as a political party.
  1. ↑ "Bolton Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  2. ↑ Tooth, Jack (13 June 2024). "Councillor leaves Horwich and Blackrod hyper-local party". The Bolton News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Gee, Chris (11 November 2024). "Two Bolton councillors quit their party". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Gee, Chris (10 December 2025). "Bolton gets first Reform councillor as former Labour member joins party". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  5. ↑ Harrigan, Joe (11 December 2025). "Reform UK gets first Bolton councillor as ex-Labour member switches parties". The Bolton News. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  6. ↑ "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Bolton". BBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  8. ↑ Dobson, Charlotte (10 May 2019). "Bolton Tories take over council for first time in 40 years". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "Local elections 2023: Labour replace Conservatives as Bolton Councils's biggest party". ITV News. 5 May 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Bolton Council leader confirmed in eight-minute meeting at town hall". The Bolton News. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  11. ↑ The Bolton (Electoral Changes) Order 2022
  12. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Kearsley Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Local election results 2026". Bolton Council. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Bolton_Metropolitan_Borough_Council_election