Before (end of 1985) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 40 · Conservative 16 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 4 · Other 0
After (end of 1986) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 43 · Conservative 11 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 6 · Other 0
Ward results
Alexandra1 seat · turnout 31.9%
| A. McConnell | Labour | 1,748 ✓ |
| D. Bowman | Conservative | 521 |
| G. Gibson | SDP-Liberal Alliance | 386 |
Chadderton Central1 seat
| J. Greenwood | Labour | 1,760 |
| M. Moore | Conservative | 872 |
| G. Mayers | Lib/Sdp | 495 |
Chadderton North1 seat
| L. Greenwood | Labour | 1,272 |
| M. Curran | Conservative | 1,132 |
| K. Taylor | Lib/Sdp | 645 |
Chadderton South1 seat
| R. Semple | Labour | 2,091 |
| J. McDermott | Conservative | 642 |
| P. Connolly | Lib/Sdp | 419 |
Crompton1 seat
| A. Dillon | Lib/Sdp | 1,282 |
| K. Howard | Conservative | 1,150 |
| R. Mellett | Labour | 1,047 |
Failsworth East1 seat
| A. Buckley | Labour | 2,020 |
| Rowlands K. | Conservative | 940 |
| M. Doyle | Lib/Sdp | 467 |
Failsworth West1 seat
| D. Phelan | Labour | 1,420 ✓ |
| A. Dollman | Conservative | 737 |
| D. Stanton | Lib/Sdp | 512 |
| C. Tucker | Independent | 500 |
Hollinwood2 seats
| B. Wright | Labour | 1,605 |
| M. Hall | Labour | 1,539 |
| T. Dean | Conservative | 360 |
| R. Brown | Lib/Sdp | 322 |
| D. Ritchie | Lib/Sdp | 290 |
Lees1 seat
| J. Fitzpatrick | Labour | 1,667 |
| P. McRae | Conservative | 748 |
| D. Clayton | Lib/Sdp | 474 |
Royton North1 seat
| B. Judge | Labour | 1,545 |
| E. McKinley | Conservative | 1,179 |
| M. Pilkington | Lib/Sdp | 693 |
Royton South1 seat
| B. Heywood | Conservative | 1,077 |
| F. Liles | Labour | 1,063 |
| A. Nuttall | Lib/Sdp | 593 |
Saddleworth East1 seat
| R. Knowles | Lib/Sdp | 2,337 |
| J. Hudson | Conservative | 1,721 |
| S. Johnson | Labour | 864 |
Saddleworth West1 seat
| E. Shaw | Lib/Sdp | 1,953 |
| D. Needham | Conservative | 1,354 |
| P. McCoy | Labour | 662 |
Shaw1 seat
| A. Griffiths | Lib/Sdp | 1,904 ✓ |
| E. Watkins | Labour | 822 |
| R. Barker | Conservative | 683 |
| S. Barker | Green | 118 |
St James'1 seat
| A. McFadyen | Labour | 1,340 |
| J. Thomas | Conservative | 457 |
| A. Burton | Lib/Sdp | 352 |
St Mary's1 seat
| G. Thompson | Labour | 1,583 |
| T. Huston | Conservative | 662 |
| M. Pollard | Lib/Sdp | 360 |
St Pauls1 seat
| M. Murphy | Labour | 1,661 |
| J. Hughes | Conservative | 1,293 |
| K. Pendlebury | Lib/Sdp | 623 |
Waterhead1 seat
| R. Mallinson | Labour | 1,553 |
| J. Anchor | Lib/Sdp | 1,298 |
| S. Tomlinson | Conservative | 736 |
Werneth1 seat
| E. Brierley | Labour | 1,997 |
| H. Henthorn | Conservative | 576 |
| J. Crees | Lib/Sdp | 354 |