2026 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

2026 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2026 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election will take 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 will be elected.

Council composition

2026 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

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		Green	1
	Independent	1		Independent	5

• June 2024: Ryan Bamforth (Horwich and Blackrod First) leaves party to sit as an independent • November 2024: Charlotte Sears (Horwich and Blackrod First) and Samantha Williamson (Horwich and Blackrod First) leave party to sit as independents • August 2025: Susan Haworth (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent

Summary

Background

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. The Conservatives briefly held control until Labour won their first majority in (/wiki/1976BoltonMetropolitanBoroughCouncil?action=edit&redlink=1). Labour formed a majority administration until (/wiki/2003BoltonMetropolitanBoroughCouncilelection) when the council fell into no overall control. This lasted until (/wiki/2011BoltonMetropolitanBoroughCouncilelection).

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. The Conservatives became the largest party on the council in (/wiki/2021BoltonMetropolitanBoroughCouncilelection), and retained minority control until (/wiki/2023BoltonMetropolitanBoroughCouncilelection) when Labour once again became the largest party. Labour formed a minority administration with the support of Farnworth and Kearsley First and Horwich and Blackrod First which continues to govern.

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. 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).

Election result

2026 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Party	This election	Full council	This election
Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Labour				18
	Conservative				8
	Liberal Democrats				4
	Independent				3
	Farnworth and Kearsley First				3
	Horwich and Blackrod First				2
	Bolton for Change				1
	Green				1

Incumbents

2026 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

<table><thead><tr><th>Ward</th><th>Incumbent councillor</th><th>Party</th><th>Re-standing</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Astley Bridge</td><td>John Walsh</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bradshaw</td><td>Les Webb</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Breightmet</td><td>Adele Warren</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bromley Cross</td><td>Amy Cowen</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Farnworth North</td><td>Nadeem Ayub</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Farnworth South</td><td>Paul Sanders</td><td></td><td>Farnworth and Kearsley First</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Great Lever</td><td>Mohammed Iqbal</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Halliwell</td><td>Safwaan Patel</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor</td><td>Anne Galloway</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Horwich North</td><td>Charlotte Moncado-Sears</td><td></td><td>Independent</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Horwich South & Blackrod</td><td>Peter Wright</td><td></td><td>Horwich and Blackrod First</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hulton</td><td>Aalaina Khan</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kearsley</td><td>Tracey Wilkinson</td><td></td><td>Farnworth and Kearsley First</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Little Lever & Darcy Lever</td><td>David Meehan</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Queens Park & Central</td><td>Richard Silvester</td><td></td><td>Labour Co-op</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Rumworth</td><td>Sajid Ali</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Smithills</td><td>Susan Priest</td><td></td><td>Liberal Democrats</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tonge with the Haulgh</td><td>Nicholas Peel</td><td></td><td>Labour Co-op</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill</td><td>Martin Tighe</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Westhoughton South</td><td>David Wilkinson</td><td></td><td>Liberal Democrats</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>