THE fallout from last week's election continues in Bolton as the party groups hold talks to form an administration.

No party has overall control in the borough but it seems highly likely that a Conservative minority-led council will be formed with the continuation of working agreement between the Tories and smaller party groups which has been in place since 2019.

That arrangement is primarily with Farnworth and Kearsley First and Horwich and Blackrod First Independents, who each won another seat in the chamber last Thursday. 

The Conservative position is now strengthened and they are now the biggest party on the council with 20 of the 60 councillors.

Labour closely matches them in terms of numbers with 19 councillors, however their leader, Cllr Nick Peel said it was 'highly unlikely' he would seek to form an alliance with other parties at this time, acknowledging that
the Conservatives 'had won the popular vote' within the whole of Bolton after the polls had closed.

The political horse trading is set to continue this week as the talks between parties continue.

Council leader David Greenhalgh said after the count that he was 'taking nothing for granted' in terms of continuing his party's lead role and would be having 'contructive talks with other party groups' during the early part of this week.

Farnworth and Kearsley First now match the Liberal Democrats as the third largest grouping on the council with five councillors each after Paul Sanders retained his seat in the Farnworth ward and Tracey Wilkinson beat sitting Conservative councillor Mark Cunningham in Kearsley.

Cllr Wilkinson said she was 'humbled and overwhelmed' with her support and pledged to 'work hard for the town that we love'.

That means the group has a strong foothold in the south of the borough with five out of the six councillors who represent the two wards of Farnworth and Kearsley.

Cllr Paul Sanders, said: "Farnworth and Kearsley First are delighted by our election results.

"For the first time ever Farnworth ward and Kearsley ward are represented entirely by local people and not the national parties.

"Farnworth and Kearsley First's vision for betterment of our towns and our communities will now be accelerated and Bolton Council will have to continue to listen to the people of Farnworth and Kearsley towns."

Horwich and Blackrod First Independents now have three councillors with the election of David Grant in the Horwich and Blackrod ward.

The Liberal Democrats did form part of the 2019 working arrangement which gave the Conservatives power in Bolton but withdrew from the agreement earlier this year after a row about party defections.

Their leader Roger Hayes, who kept his Smithills seat last week said it would be 'highly unlikely' for the Liberal democrats to work with the Tories in any new administration.

He said: "I'd never rule anything out but at the moment there is lot of anger in our party about some of the tactics of the Conservative group, particularly in Westhoughton so I think there would be strong resistance.

"But we're always happy to be pragmatic and listen to what people have to say.

"It's very unlikely but we would consider anything that was said to us."

He added that the Conservatives had not been in touch with him but he believed that other parties had been approached for talks about the new council leadership.