Before (end of 1985) (48 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 26 · Labour 22 · Other 0 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 0
After (end of 1986) (48 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 30 · Conservative 18 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 0 · Other 0
Ward results
Elton1 seat
| Jamieson R. | Labour | 2,015 |
| R. Brown | Conservative | 1,659 |
| J. Eagle | Lib/Sdp | 449 |
Holyrood1 seat
| D. Wright | Labour | 1,491 |
| A. Maders | Conservative | 1,459 |
| V. D'Albert | Lib/Sdp | 763 |
Moorside1 seat
| D. Dickinson | Labour | 2,287 |
| D. Read | Conservative | 1,599 |
| R. Johnson | Lib/Sdp | 373 |
Pilkington Park1 seat
| J. Swinburn | Conservative | 1,559 |
| G. Colin | Labour | 1,528 |
| H. Cohen | Lib/Sdp | 416 |
Radcliffe Central1 seat
| C. Jones | Labour | 2,401 |
| R. Wade | Conservative | 808 |
| R. Petts | Lib/Sdp | 304 |
Radcliffe North2 seats
| R. Fletcher | Labour | 2,243 |
| J. Vickery | Labour | 1,808 |
| H. Kay | Conservative | 1,648 |
| M. Chudleigh | Conservative | 1,482 |
| F. Stockbridge | Lib/Sdp | 453 |
Radcliffe South1 seat
| S. Perkins | Labour | 2,119 |
| J. McGilvray | Conservative | 1,230 |
Ramsbottom1 seat
| B. Rigby | Labour | 2,418 |
| A. Little | Conservative | 1,955 |
| N. Larder | Lib/Sdp | 1,013 |
Redvales1 seat
| R. Palmieri | Labour | 2,509 |
| P. Morris | Conservative | 813 |
| G. Young | Lib/Sdp | 353 |
St. Mary's1 seat · turnout 43.3%
| M. Wilson | Labour | 1,772 ✓ |
| E. Ward | Conservative | 1,407 |
| W. Davison | SDP-Liberal Alliance | 669 |
Tottington1 seat
| D. Higgin | Conservative | 2,117 |
| J. Costello | Labour | 1,271 |
| J. Turner | Lib/Sdp | 1,033 |
Unsworth1 seat
| G. Sharkey | Labour | 1,763 |
| N. Singer | Conservative | 1,662 |
| A. Bowman | Lib/Sdp | 500 |
