Bolton’s election stalemate has captured the mood of the country that has seen a mixed picture for both parties.

Neither the Conservatives nor Labour succeeded in taking any seats off each other in Tuesday’s poll with no single party capable of commanding a majority, reflecting results nationwide which has seen the Tories lose ground Labour make only modest gains across the country.

But Bolton North East Conservative MP Mark Logan believes it shows his party has made progress.

Mr Logan said: “There was a sense that in seats like those in Bolton people had lent their votes to the Conservatives but in every election people lend their votes to particular candidates.”

Turning to local results he added: “We came very close to winning in Crompton and Crompton has always been Labour in the past.

“We’ve won in Little Lever and it shows that Bolton has a very bright future working with the Conservative Party.

He added: “We always have to be positive that going into the next election we can win a majority.”

The Bolton News:

Bolton North East MP Mark Logan

Though some councils around the country have yet to declare, the Conservatives’ loss of areas like Wandsworth and Southampton has been contrasted with Labour’s failure to make significant gains elsewhere, with Bolton a prime example.

But the inconclusive results this week have shown that though the Tories hold over these areas is not yet secure, Labour has not won them back.

But the election also indicated that many people had become jaded with the political process, with turnout low across the board, reaching lows of just 22 per cent in Halliwell.

Most wards had turnouts in the 30s with none reaching above 50 per cent.

Even the highest turnout only reached 40 per cent in Heaton and Lostock.

The Bolton News:

Cllr Rabiya Jiva, of Crompton, with her volunteers

Labour’s Cllr Rabiya Jiva, who represents Crompton paid tribute to the volunteers who had helped her campaign but admitted that this was likely to be indicative of people becoming disillusioned across the country.

She said: “It seems to be all across the board really, people just seem to have had enough and to be fed up.”