13 December 1960

End of the Liberal-Tory pact in Bolton

The Times reports that Bolton Conservatives have decided to contest the Bolton West constituency at the next general election. The seat had been held since 1951 by Liberal MP Arthur Holt under an arrangement with the local Tories whereby the Tories would not oppose Holt in Bolton West in return for the Liberals not fighting Bolton East. This arrangement ended in November 1960 when Frank Byers stood as Liberal candidate in the Bolton East by-election. As a result Holt was opposed by a Conservative at the 1964 general election when he lost his seat to Labour.