Labour are now the largest party on Bolton Council after a night of high drama at ‘all out’ elections to decide who runs the borough. They gained seats from the Conservatives to finish the night with 26 councillors, the Tories, who previously controlled the council lost 10 seats and now have 16.
At the count held at Bolton Arena, the Liberal Democrats gained a seat to leave them with six councillors and Horwich and Blackrod Independent’s swept the board in the town to leave them with six members, tripling their group’s number at the Town Hall. One Kearsley took all three seats in the Kearsley ward and Farnworth and Kearsley First now have two members, down from three.
There is one independent member, Derek Bullock, who was nominated as a Conservative but was later ditched from the party and will not retain the Tory whip at council meetings. Labour took two seats from the Conservatives in Rumworth ward and gained other seats from them in Astley Bridge, Hulton and Breightmet.
