2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election explained

Election Name:2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Country:Greater Manchester
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2021 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Previous Year:2021
Next Election:2023 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Next Year:2023
Majority Seats:31
Election Date:5 May 2022
Party1:Conservative Party (UK)
Last Election1:20 seats, 38.8%
Seats1:9
Seats After1:23
Seat Change1:3
Popular Vote1:23,377
Percentage1:34.1%
Leader2:Nick Peel
Party2:Labour Party (UK)
Last Election2:19 seats, 35.3%
Seats2:8
Seats After2:18
Seat Change2:1
Popular Vote2:26,041
Percentage2:38.0%
Leader3:Roger Hayes
Party3:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Last Election3:5 seats, 9.7%
Seats3:2
Seats After3:5
Popular Vote3:6,696
Percentage3:9.8%
Leader4:Paul Sanders
Party4:Farnworth and Kearsley First
Last Election4:5 seats, 5.4%
Seats4:0
Seats After4:3
Seat Change4:2
Popular Vote4:2,394
Percentage4:3.5%
Leader5:David Grant
Party5:Horwich and Blackrod First
Last Election5:3 seats, 3.0%
Seats5:0
Seats After5:2
Seat Change5:1
Popular Vote5:2,442
Percentage5:3.6%
Map Size:300px
Council control
Posttitle:Subsequent council control
Before Party:No overall control
After Party:No overall control

The 2022 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. One third of councillors—20 out of 60—were to be elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.

In the previous council election in 2021, the council remained under no overall control. The Conservatives continued running a minority administration with a confidence and supply arrangement with smaller parties, as they had done prior to the election. Labour formed the main opposition with nineteen seats to the Conservatives' twenty.

Background

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Bolton was a district of the Greater Manchester metropolitan county.[1] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority was created in 2011 and began electing the mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017, which was given strategic powers covering a region coterminous with the former Greater Manchester metropolitan county.[2]

Since its formation, Bolton Council has variously been under Labour control, Conservative control and no overall control. Labour most recently regained its majority in the 2011 council election, which it held until the 2019 election. After the 2019 election, Labour held 23 seats with the Conservatives on 20, the Liberal Democrats on 6, the local party Farnworth and Kearsley First on five, the UK Independence Party on three and the local party Horwich and Blackrod First on two, as well as one independent councillor. The Conservatives formed a confidence and supply agreement with the Liberal Democrats, Farnworth and Kearley First, Horwich and Blackrod First and the UK Independence Party so that they could form a minority administration.[3] [4] In the most recent election in 2021, the Conservatives became the largest party with 20 seats to Labour's nineteen, with seven independents, the Liberal Democrats and Farnworth and Kearsley First on five seats each, Horwich and Blackrod First on five and a single UK Independence Party councillor remaining. The Conservatives continued to run a minority administration with support from smaller parties.[5] The Liberal Democrats ended their working arrangement with the Conservatives in January 2021.[6] Marie Brady, the leader of the Horwich and Blackrod First party, defected to the Conservative Party after the two other councillors from her party voted against the Conservative budget.[7]

The positions up for election in 2022 were last elected in 2018. In that election, the Conservatives won nine seats, Labour won eight, and the Liberal Democrats and Farnworth and Kealey First won two each.[8] Prior to this election, Reform UK formed an electoral pact with newly-formed local party Bolton For Change, running joint candidates under the banner of both parties. This arrangement has continued to the present, with candidates standing for 'Reform UK and Bolton For Change' in 2022, 2023 and 2024.[9]

Electoral process

The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year.[10] [11] The election will take place by first-past-the-post voting, with wards generally being represented by three councillors, with one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Bolton aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

Campaign

The Conservative councillor Adele Warren said that increases in the cost of living would affect the election, with people "frightened about turning their electricity or heating on". She said that the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak "could have gone much, much further" with measures to help people.[12]

Previous council composition

After 2021 electionBefore 2022 election
PartySeatsPartySeats
2022
1918
77
55
55
32
1One Kearsley1

Changes:

Ward results

Statements of persons nominated were published on 6 April.[19] Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk (*).

Bromley Cross

Westhoughton South

By-Elections

Rumworth

Notes and References

  1. Book: Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System . 1974 . . London . 0-11-750847-0 . 7 .
  2. Web site: The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011 . Legislation.gov.uk . 2015-09-07.
  3. Web site: 'We are not in coalition': Conservatives officially take control of the council. 2022-01-22. The Bolton News. en.
  4. Web site: Dobson. Charlotte. 2019-05-10. Bolton Tories take over council for first time in 40 years. 2022-01-22. Manchester Evening News. en.
  5. Web site: Tories become largest party after tense Bolton Council election. 2022-01-22. The Bolton News. en.
  6. Web site: Double body blow for Bolton's ruling Conservatives as two councillors quit party and Liberal Democrats end working arrangement. 2022-01-22. The Bolton News. en.
  7. Web site: Gee . Chris . 2022-03-25 . Councillor and leader of Bolton hyperlocal party defects to join Conservatives . 2022-03-26 . Manchester Evening News . en.
  8. Web site: Council . Bolton . Local Election Results 2018 . 2022-03-28 . Bolton Council . en.
  9. Web site: Gannon . Paul . 2021-11-21 . Reform UK and Bolton For Change . 2024-07-31 . Bolton For Change . en.
  10. News: Local government structure and elections. GOV.UK. 2018-04-27. en.
  11. Web site: Election Timetable in England.
  12. Web site: 2022-03-25 . Tory leaders confident of gains in May local elections . 2022-03-28 . The Guardian . en.
  13. News: Gee . Chris . Councillor rejoins party she stormed off from after making damning accusations . 15 April 2022 . The Bolton News . 7 June 2021 . en.
  14. News: George . Thomas . Topping . Stephen . Bolton Council leader David Greenhalgh dies . 15 April 2022 . Manchester Evening News . 29 July 2021 . en.
  15. Web site: Local Elections Archive Project — Bromley Cross Ward . www.andrewteale.me.uk . 15 April 2022.
  16. News: Gee . Chris . Labour councillor quits by telling Conservative leader - not her own party . 15 April 2022 . Manchester Evening News . 17 February 2022 . en.
  17. News: Chaudhari . Saiqa . Leader and a founder of hyper-local party quits to join Bolton Conservative Group in shock move . 15 April 2022 . The Bolton News . 25 March 2022 . en.
  18. News: Finney . Lewis . New hyper-local political party formed in Bolton by long serving councillor for May's elections . 15 April 2022 . The Bolton News . 17 March 2022 . en.
  19. Web site: Local elections Statement of Persons Nominated. 2022-04-09 . Bolton Council . en.