THE Conservatives seem likely to continue leading Bolton Council after they became the largest party after the local elections. They won three more seats and lost one and now have 20 councillors of the borough’s 60. Labour also gained a councillor and held on to the seven seats they were defending and now have a total of 19 councillors. There were 21 seats fought for on Thursday in 20 wards across Bolton, with 99 candidates standing. The results were announced after a lengthy counting process at the University of Bolton stadium with counting and verification starting at 9am and the last result announced after 6pm.
Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, May 6 in all 20 wards in the borough. In 19 wards voters will elect a single councillor with voters in Astley Bridge electing two members as there is an additional vacancy there. The 60-strong council is currently led by the Conservative group, who have 17 councillors. They retain control by virtue of a working arrangement with Farnworth and Kearsley First, who have four councillors, Horwich and Blackrod Independents, who have two representatives and UKIP, who also have two. The Liberal Democrats, who have six sitting councillors, were part of the ‘working arrangement’ with the Tories until earlier this year, but they pulled out of that agreement after a row about a councillor joining the Conservative group.