Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Bolton East was won by Labour at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 1,852 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Bolton East from 1950 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1950–1979
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1950
Alfred Booth (Labour)
24,826
45.5%
Philip Ingress Bell (Conservative)
3,709 (6.8 pts)
87.3%
1951
Philip Ingress Bell (Conservative)
27,106
50.3%
Alfred Booth (Labour)
355 (0.7 pts)
84.8%
1955
Philip Ingress Bell (Conservative)
26,145
53.6%
Alfred Booth (Labour)
3,511 (7.2 pts)
79.2%
1959
Philip Ingress Bell (Conservative)
25,885
52.8%
Ronald Haines (Labour)
2,732 (5.6 pts)
80.9%
1964
Robert Howarth (Labour)
21,937
46.1%
Edwin Taylor (Conservative)
3,152 (6.6 pts)
80.4%
1966
Robert Howarth (Labour)
26,613
59.2%
Edwin Taylor (Conservative)
8,282 (18.4 pts)
77.0%
1970
Laurance Reed (Conservative)
22,769
50.5%
Robert Howarth (Labour)
471 (1.1 pts)
73.6%
Feb 1974
David Young (Labour)
19,833
41.3%
Laurance Reed (Conservative)
1,613 (3.4 pts)
80.5%
Oct 1974
David Young (Labour)
21,569
46.8%
Bentley Heddle (Conservative)
4,065 (8.8 pts)
76.7%
1979
David Young (Labour)
21,920
47.6%
Roger Miles Baldwin (Conservative)
1,852 (4.0 pts)
78.7%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1950
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alfred Booth
Labour
24,826
45.5%
Yes
Philip Ingress Bell
Conservative
21,117
38.7%
No
Arthur Frederick Holt
Liberal
8,647
15.8%
No
1951
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Philip Ingress Bell
Conservative
27,106
50.3%
Yes
Alfred Booth
Labour
26,751
49.7%
No
1955
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Philip Ingress Bell
Conservative
26,145
53.6%
Yes
Alfred Booth
Labour
22,634
46.4%
No
1959
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Philip Ingress Bell
Conservative
25,885
52.8%
Yes
Ronald Haines
Labour
23,153
47.2%
No
1964
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Robert Howarth
Labour
21,937
46.1%
Yes
Edwin Taylor
Conservative
18,785
39.5%
No
Alan Cooper
Liberal
6,873
14.4%
No
1966
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Robert Howarth
Labour
26,613
59.2%
Yes
Edwin Taylor
Conservative
18,331
40.8%
No
1970
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Laurance Reed
Conservative
22,769
50.5%
Yes
Robert Howarth
Labour
22,298
49.5%
No
Feb 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
David Young
Labour
19,833
41.3%
Yes
Laurance Reed
Conservative
18,220
37.9%
No
Timothy John Ackroyd
Liberal
8,728
18.2%
No
Geoffrey Booth
National Front
1,259
2.6%
No
Oct 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
David Young
Labour
21,569
46.8%
Yes
Bentley Heddle
Conservative
17,504
38.0%
No
Timothy John Akeroyd
Liberal
5,792
12.6%
No
Geoffrey Booth
National Front
1,106
2.4%
No
Harold Smith
Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain
149
0.3%
No
1979
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
David Young
Labour
21,920
47.6%
Yes
Roger Miles Baldwin
Conservative
20,068
43.6%
No
Sara Patricia Lawrence
Liberal
3,603
7.8%
No
John Hamilton
National Front
457
1.0%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Bolton East has been contested at 10 general elections on record since 1950. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Labour, Conservative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Bolton East in the 1979 general election?
Labour won Bolton East in 1979 with 21,920 votes (47.6%), a majority of 1,852 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Bolton East since 1950?
Since 1950, Bolton East has been won by: Conservative, Labour.
What was the closest result in Bolton East?
The closest result on record for Bolton East was 1951, when Conservative beat Labour by just 355 votes (0.7 percentage points).