2008 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.

20 seats were contested with 9 being won by the Conservatives, 7 by the Labour Party and 4 by the Liberal Democrats.

Overall turnout was 35.03%.

After the election, the composition of the council was

• Labour 27
• Conservative 23
• Liberal Democrat 9
• Independent 1

Bolton Local Election Result 2008

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	7	1	0	+1		32.4	22,644	-4.1
	Conservative	9	2	1	+1		41.9	29,254	+2.1
	Liberal Democrats	4	0	2	-2		20.4	14,221	+0.7
	Green	0	0	0	0	0	2.5	1,751	-0.7
	BNP	0	0	0	0	0	1.2	867	+0.4
	You Party	0	0	0	0	0	0.9	637	+0.9
	Left Alternative	0	0	0	0	0	0.6	444	+0.6
	Independent	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	104	+0.1

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:

↓

26	22	12
Labour	Conservative	Lib Dems

After the election the composition of the council was:

↓

28	23	9
Labour	Conservative	Lib Dems

Astley Bridge ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hilary Fairclough	2,358	64.4	+6.7
	Liberal Democrats	Clive Atty	733	20.0	+1.5
	Labour	Muhammad Rafiq	572	15.6	−8.2
Majority			1,625	44.4	+10.6
Turnout			3,663	36.0	+2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	Labour to Con 7.4

Bradshaw ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Walter Hall	2,535	68.7	+3.2
	Labour	Jim Cottam	620	16.8	−0.5
	Liberal Democrats	Lauren Alergant	342	9.3	−3.2
	Green	Anne Mumberson	195	5.3	+0.6
Majority			1,915	51.9	+3.8
Turnout			3,692	40.7	+1.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	LD to Con 3.2

Breightmet ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Arthur Norris	1,696	47.1	+6.2
	Labour	William Gallagher	1,182	32.8	−15.5
	BNP	Carl Hemmings	350	9.7	+9.7
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Howarth	163	4.5	−2.5
	You Party	Norma Armston	137	3.8	+3.8
	Green	Lynne Hyland	74	2.1	−1.9
Majority			514	14.3
Turnout			3,602	36.6	+2.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	Labour to BNP 12.6

Bromley Cross ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan Wilkinson	2,933	68.9	+2.2
	Labour	Jeremy Foster	705	16.6	+0.4
	Liberal Democrats	David Wibberley	331	7.8	−0.9
	Green	Liz Spencer	147	3.5	−4.9
	You Party	Andy Openshaw	141	3.3	+3.3
Majority			2,228	52.3	+1.8
Turnout			4,257	40.8	+1.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	Green to Con 3.5

Crompton ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Hanif Darvesh	1,985	50.0	−2.3
	Conservative	John Partington	1,113	28.0	−4.6
	Liberal Democrats	Yakub Khoda	873	22.0	+6.8
Majority			872	21.9	+2.2
Turnout			3,971	38.8	+8.1
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to LD 5.7

Farnworth ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jim Lord	1,151	41.5	−1.0
	Liberal Democrats	Tariq Aziz	955	34.4	−0.9
	Conservative	Michelle Ionn	531	19.1	+3.8
	You Party	Andy Allen	138	5.0	+5.0
Majority			196	7.1	−0.1
Turnout			2,775	25.4	+1.4
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to Con 2.4

Great Lever ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mohammed Iqbal	1,657	46.3	−0.8
	Conservative	Mudasir Dean	1,299	36.3	−1.2
	Green	Alan Johnson	374	10.5	+4.1
	Liberal Democrats	Mian Akhtar	245	6.9	−2.1
Majority			358	10.0	+0.5
Turnout			3,575	36.5	+1.6
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	LD to Green 3.1

Halliwell ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Cliff Morris	1,875	62.5	−2.3
	Conservative	Shahid Mahmood	632	21.1	+2.5
	Liberal Democrats	Riaz Gul	494	16.5	−0.1
Majority			1,243	41.4	−4.8
Turnout			3,001	31.6	+3.1
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to Con 2.4

Harper Green ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Champak Mistry	1,181	44.7	−6.2
	Conservative	Bill Dawson	1,071	40.5	+9.5
	Liberal Democrats	David Connor	390	14.8	−3.3
Majority			110	4.2	−15.7
Turnout			2,642	26.7	+3.3
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to Con 7.8

Heaton and Lostock ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan Rushton	3,378	70.6	+1.7
	Labour	John Gillatt	831	17.4	−2.1
	Liberal Democrats	Jonathan Evans	326	6.8	−4.8
	Green	Daniel Mann	249	5.2	+5.2
Majority			2,547	53.2	+9.3
Turnout			4,784	45.3	+1.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	LD to Green 5.0

Horwich and Blackrod ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Pat Barrow	1,469	43.7	+2.5
	Labour	Kevan Jones	1,021	30.4	−5.7
	Liberal Democrats	Ian Hamilton	869	25.9	+3.2
Majority			448	13.3	+8.2
Turnout			3,359	35.0	−1.4
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing	Labour to LD 4.4

Horwich North East ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Barbara Ronson	1,615	44.0	−5.8
	Conservative	Stephen Wallen	1,126	30.7	+2.1
	Labour	Kevin McKeon	832	22.7	+1.0
	You Party	Lucy Openshaw	95	2.6	+2.6
Majority			489	13.3	−7.9
Turnout			3,678	37.2	+0.4
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	LD to Con 3.9

Hulton ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan Walsh	1,822	54.2	+1.7
	Labour	Paul Fitzpatrick	1,118	33.3	−0.5
	Liberal Democrats	Linden Greensitt	421	12.5	−1.2
Majority			704	20.9	+2.2
Turnout			3,361	34.0	+1.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	LD to Con 1.4

Kearsley ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	John Rothwell	1,435	46.6	+4.2
	Labour	Guy Harkin	1,052	34.2	−7.3
	Conservative	Diane Bamber	593	19.3	+2.1
Majority			383	12.4	+11.5
Turnout			3,094	29.8	+1.4
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	Labour to LD 5.7

Little Lever and Darcy Lever ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mary Woodward	1,726	45.5	+3.2
	Labour	Jesamine Kay	1,408	37.1	−6.1
	Liberal Democrats	Eric Hyde	418	11.0	+2.6
	Green	Alwynne Cartmell	243	6.4	−0.7
Majority			318	8.4
Turnout			3,795	38.7	−1.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	Labour to Con 4.6

Conservative candidate for Rumworth, Zahid Raja, withdrew before the election.^[1]

Rumworth ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rosa Kay	1,875	63.2	−1.2
	Liberal Democrats	Wendy Connor	647	21.8	+6.9
	Left List	Neil McAlister	444	15.0	+15.0
Majority			1,228	41.4	−2.3
Turnout			2,966	29.3	−1.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Smithills ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Roger Hayes	1,784	46.6	−1.0
	Conservative	Christine Flanigan	1,216	31.8	+3.6
	Labour	Christopher Peacock	599	15.6	−2.8
	Green	Rachel Mann	136	3.6	−2.3
	You Party	Doug Bagnall	94	2.5	+2.5
Majority			568	14.8	−4.6
Turnout			3,829	37.9	+1.2
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	Labour to Con 3.2

Tonge with the Haulgh ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank White	1,289	40.3	−4.6
	Conservative	Nigel Ford	1,109	34.7	+9.2
	BNP	David Wood	517	15.8	−0.3
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Harasiwka	194	6.1	−1.1
	Green	James Tomkinson	68	2.1	−2.0
	You Party	Ryan Barlow	32	1.0	+1.0
Majority			180	5.6	−13.8
Turnout			3,199	34.5	−0.1
	Labour hold		Swing	Labour to Con 6.9

Weshoughton North and Chew Moor ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christine Wild	1,700	47.6	+5.7
	Labour	Mike Francis	874	24.5	−9.9
	Liberal Democrats	Derek Gradwell	858	24.0	+5.6
	Green	Laura Spencer	141	3.9	−1.4
Majority			826	23.1	+15.7
Turnout			3,573	33.2	−0.5
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing	Labour to Con 6.9

Weshoughton South ward

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Wilkinson	1,128	36.2	+10.7
	Conservative	Lynda Winrow	947	30.4	+1.7
	Labour	Harry Bowling	817	26.2	−9.8
	Green	Eric Hyland	124	4.0	−5.8
	Independent	Ainslie Casson	104	3.3	+3.3
Majority			181	5.8
Turnout			3,120	32.3	+2.3
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	Labour to LD 10.2

• Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 12 July 2016.