1973 Reading Borough Council election

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1973 Reading Borough Council election
Flag of Berkshire.svg
7 June 1973 (1973-06-07) 1976  

46 seats (whole council)
24 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Lab
Con
Lib
LeaderBob TownerEdward BusbyJim Day
Party Labour Conservative Liberal
Seats after161614
Popular vote43,92943,73131,524
Percentage36.3%36.2%26.1%

The 1973 Reading District Council election was the first election to the reconstituted Reading Borough Council, which changed from being a county borough to a non-metropolitan district under the Local Government Act 1972. At the time of the election it had yet to be decided whether the new district would hold borough status and so contemporary reports describe the election as being to "Reading District Council", although it was subsequently confirmed that the new council would be a borough.

Contents

The elections were held on 7 June 1973, in common with other new non-metropolitan district councils in England and Wales. The councillors elected in 1973 were to shadow the outgoing corporation until they formally took over on 1 April 1974. The election left the council with no overall control, with Labour winning most votes by a very narrow margin, but holding the same number of seats (16) as the Conservatives. The Liberals with 14 seats held the balance of power. [1] [2]

The Labour leader on the old corporation was Bob Towner and the Conservative leader was Edward Busby. Both led their parties into the elections, but neither man stood for a seat on the new council. After the election, Chris Goodall was appointed Labour group leader, and William Badnall the Conservative group leader. The Liberal group leader remained Jim Day, who had been party leader on the old corporation. A Labour / Liberal administration was eventually formed, with Jim Day being appointed to the council's top political job as chair of the policy committee. [3]

Results

Reading Borough Council Election, 1973
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1634.836.343,929
  Conservative 1634.836.243,731
  Liberal 1430.426.131,524
  Independent 00.01.51,760

Ward results

The results in each ward were as follows: [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Abbey Ward (two seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William George Mander
(Bill Mander)
486
Labour Roger Scaife 447
Conservative Bryan Jones325
Labour win
Labour win
Battle Ward (two seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Reginald Harry Bristow
(Joe Bristow)
813
Labour Frank Wise 771
Conservative Roger Brown369
Labour win
Labour win
Castle Ward (three seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Graham Anthony Rush 900
Labour Robert J. Garnett
(Bob Garnett)
840
Labour Antony William Page
(Tony Page)
816
Conservative Eric Gordon Davis736
Conservative Frederick Llywelyn Pugh
(Fred Pugh)
706
Conservative F. Tim Rose684
Liberal David Scott413
Liberal Mary Clarke372
Liberal Leon D. Summers366
Labour win
Labour win
Labour win
Caversham Ward (three seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ronald William Jewitt
(Ron Jewitt)
1,127
Conservative George Robinson 1,119
Conservative Michael Francis 1,061
Labour Charles Evans914
Labour Harry Young896
Labour Tom Clifton875
Conservative win
Conservative win
Conservative win
Christchurch Ward (four seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Fred L. Roberts 1,347
Labour Christopher John Goodall
(Chris Goodall)
1,286
Labour Marian Jeanne Absolom 1,271
Labour William Maurice John Huntley
(John Huntley)
1,262
Conservative Kitty C. Foote915
Liberal Hester M. Crichton912
Liberal Elizabeth M. O'Rourke910
Conservative Patricia Mellows838
Liberal Richard W. Hellier800
Conservative Frances A. Spark766
Labour win
Labour win
Labour win
Labour win
Katesgrove Ward (two seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Harry Wheeler 820
Labour Geoffrey Robert Mander
(Geoff Mander)
738
Conservative Stanley Beamish441
Independent John Still317
Labour win
Labour win
Minster Ward (six seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Wykeham Edward Badnall 2,342
Conservative Geoffrey Gascoigne Lawrence 2,291
Conservative Simon Christopher Coombs 2,284
Conservative Charles Frederick Sage 2,247
Conservative Joyce A. Talbot 2,247
Conservative Kenneth Loder
(Ken Loder)
2,243
Labour Frances Margaret Nash
(Bunty Nash)
2,140
Labour Leslie Glanville1,934
Labour John Allen1,929
Labour Lawrence Brennan1,898
Labour Robert Mitchell
(Bob Mitchell)
1,896
Labour Daphne A. Dunkason1,890
Conservative win
Conservative win
Conservative win
Conservative win
Conservative win
Conservative win
Norcot Ward (six seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Terence James Francis
(Terry Francis)
2,240
Liberal Geoffrey David Salisbury
(Geoff Salisbury)
2,210
Liberal John Freeman 2,195
Liberal Peter Beard 2,162
Liberal Dennis L. Hopkins 2,137
Liberal Peter I. Pratt 2,042
Labour William (Bill) Gothard914
Conservative Peter S. Madges913
Conservative Francis W. Rogers885
Labour Ian R. Hills885
Labour Ann Watkins843
Labour Peter Watkins827
Labour F. J. S. Ribero
(Chico Ribero)
803
Labour Ron J. Tyler757
Liberal win
Liberal win
Liberal win
Liberal win
Liberal win
Liberal win
Park Ward (three seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Roland Kirby 1,367
Conservative Douglas Alan Chilvers 1,360
Conservative Veronica McCarthy 1,314
Labour Jean Thomas1,226
Labour Bernard Lyons1,223
Labour Brian Thomas1,221
Conservative win
Conservative win
Conservative win
Redlands Ward (three seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Eric G. Baxter 1,317
Liberal Victor John Angell
(Vic Angell)
1,312
Liberal Antony G. Milano
(Tony Milano)
1,079
Conservative R. John Goodman987
Conservative Gladys Emily Matthews917
Conservative John A. Thornley875
Labour Robert H. Smith271
Labour Pam M. Nixon260
Labour Ron Nixon253
Liberal win
Liberal win
Liberal win
Thames Ward (four seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Kathleen Sage 2,487
Conservative Ivy Sylvia Blagrove
(Silvia Blagrove)
2,457
Conservative Cyril William Aucock 2,452
Conservative Deryck Mitchell Morton 2,425
Labour Margaret Mander597
Labour Patricia Mary Mander
(Pat Mander)
593
Labour Eva Harding585
Labour Priscilla Mares567
Conservative win
Conservative win
Conservative win
Conservative win
Tilehurst Ward (five seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Ronald James Day
(Jim Day)
2,416
Liberal Desmond A. Allen
(Des Allen)
2,227
Liberal George Henry Ford 2,150
Liberal Margaret M. S. McEwen 2,149
Liberal Michael Ingrey 2,115
Conservative Peter C. Boyce926
Conservative Michael J. Caseley847
Conservative A. J. (Tony) Guy778
Labour David W. Asquith555
Labour Ron J. S. Williams552
Labour Marilyn M. Marshall549
Labour James T. Green545
Labour A. J. Hinder536
Liberal win
Liberal win
Liberal win
Liberal win
Liberal win
Whitley Ward (three seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jack Price 1,094
Labour Doris Ellen Lawrence 1,059
Labour Herbert Williams
(Bert Williams)
1,045
Independent Barbara Morrison743
Independent Roy Giles700
Labour win
Labour win
Labour win

By-elections 19731976

Whitley By-Election 11 December 1975
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mike Orton 1,038 48.5
Conservative Gladys Matthews72033.7
Liberal Keith Townsend38217.9
Majority 31714.8
Turnout 2,13931
Labour hold Swing

The Whitley ward by-election in 1975 was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Bert Williams. [12]

References

  1. "Parties "must end their bickering"". Evening Post. Reading. 11 June 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  2. "First political crack". Evening Post. Reading. 20 June 1973. p. 11. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  3. "Get ready for heavy rate rise, warns new Liberal committee chief". Evening Post. Reading. 4 October 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 5 April 2022. Liberals took the helm of the new Reading Council's top committee yesterday... Councillor Day was voted policy committee chairman on the new district council...
  4. "Next mayor must fight town elections". Evening Post. Reading. 9 May 1973. p. 8. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  5. "Now Day bids for his Reading seat". Evening Post. Reading. Reading. 10 May 1973. p. 11. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  6. "Reading Young Conservatives ready to invade Tilehurst". Evening Post. Reading. 11 May 1973. p. 3. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  7. "Liberal 'rebel' to fight Whitley seat". Evening Post. Reading. 14 May 1973. p. 3. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  8. "Evening Post Election Special". Evening Post. Reading. 8 June 1973. p. 9. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  9. "Election round-up". Evening Post. Reading. 9 June 1973. p. 9. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  10. "Liberals 'can win third of seats'". Evening Post. Reading. 17 May 1973. p. 4. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  11. "Candidates line up". Evening Post. Reading. 26 April 1973. p. 6. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  12. "Labour holds Whitley seat". Evening Post. Reading. 12 December 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 6 April 2022.