Before (end of 1985) (54 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 39 · Conservative 12 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 3 · Other 0
After (end of 1986) (54 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 45 · Conservative 9 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 0 · Other 0
Ward results
Billinge & Seneley Green1 seat
| B. Griffin | Labour | 2,129 |
| B. Lowe | Conservative | 2,009 |
| R. Ferry | Lib/Sdp | 616 |
Blackbrook1 seat
| S. Rigby | Labour | 1,658 |
| M. McCooey | Conservative | 536 |
Broad Oak2 seats
| J. Rigby | Labour | 1,629 |
| R. Urnevitch | Labour | 1,528 |
| D. Dawson | Lib/Sdp | 457 |
| M. Collins | Conservative | 322 |
Grange Park1 seat
| J. Shaw | Labour | 1,315 |
| P. Varnes | Lib/Sdp | 556 |
| L. Mulliner | Conservative | 425 |
Haydock1 seat
| S. Gallagher | Labour | 2,498 |
| K. Waterworth | Lib/Sdp | 628 |
| R. Jones | Conservative | 422 |
Marshalls Cross1 seat
| E. Hutchinson | Labour | 1,296 ✓ |
| P. Briers | Lib/Sdp | 656 |
| I. Hunter | Conservative | 206 |
| A. Edwards | Independent | 53 |
Moss Bank2 seats
| J. Guthrie | Labour | 1,665 |
| R. Waugh | Labour | 1,496 |
| J. Burrows | Conservative | 814 |
| W. Highcock | Conservative | 755 |
| P. Pennington | Lib/Sdp | 681 |
| T. Davidson | Lib/Sdp | 636 |
Newton East1 seat
| A. Whamond | Labour | 1,672 |
| E. Sherlock | Lib/Sdp | 1,581 |
| A. Johnson | Conservative | 517 |
Newton West1 seat
| K. Deakin | Labour | 1,987 |
| S. Derbyshire | Lib/Sdp | 1,487 |
| B. Honey | Conservative | 325 |
Parr & Hardshaw1 seat
| G. Shuttleworth | Labour | 1,831 |
| L. Rigby | Lib/Sdp | 278 |
| P. Brosnan | Conservative | 172 |
Queens Park1 seat · turnout 31.7%
| M. Newman | Labour | 1,387 ✓ |
| B. Sutch | SDP-Liberal Alliance | 545 |
| E. Eccleston | Conservative | 437 |
Rainford1 seat
| J. Collins | Conservative | 1,561 |
| S. Fitzpatrick | Labour | 1,043 |
| I. Smith | Lib/Sdp | 940 |
Rainhill2 seats
| L. Tucker | Labour | 1,561 |
| J. Hesdon | Labour | 1,551 |
| J. Haddock | Conservative | 1,432 |
| P. Mimnagh | Conservative | 1,242 |
| R. Lowe | Lib/Sdp | 648 |
Sutton & Bold1 seat
| D. Callan | Labour | 1,520 |
| B. Spencer | Lib/Sdp | 1,256 |
| I. Jameson | Conservative | 223 |
Thatto Heath1 seat
| P. Robinson | Labour | 1,996 |
| J. Mooney | Lib/Sdp | 499 |
| E. Anderton | Conservative | 369 |
West Sutton1 seat
| M. Ennis | Labour | 1,589 |
| T. Gilligan | Lib/Sdp | 658 |
| C. Lindon | Conservative | 220 |
Windle1 seat
| B. Tandy | Conservative | 1,409 |
| A. Worth | Labour | 1,098 |
| R. Watmough | Lib/Sdp | 744 |