1973 United Kingdom local elections

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1973 United Kingdom local elections
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  1972 12 April 1973 (England & Wales)
1 May 1973 (Scotland)
10 May 1973 (England & Wales)
30 May 1973 (Northern Ireland)
7 June 1973 (England)
1974  

1 Unicameral area, all 6 metropolitan counties, all 39 non-metropolitan counties,
all 36 metropolitan boroughs, all 296 English districts, 1 sui generis authority,
all 26 Northern Irish districts, all 8 Welsh counties and all 37 Welsh districts
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
  Harold Wilson (1967).jpg Heathdod.JPG No image.svg
Leader Harold Wilson Edward Heath Jeremy Thorpe
Party Labour Conservative Liberal

1973 United Kingdom local elections - England and Wales.svg
Map of the results of the elections in England and Wales, showing party control by district (left) and county (right).

The first elections to the new local authorities established by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales and the new Northern Ireland district councils created by the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 took place in 1973. Elections to the existing Greater London Council also took place. [1]

Contents

England and Wales

The elections took place on three dates: [2]

Elections took place for all the seats on the councils. In the case of the new councils, they became shadow authorities, taking over from the existing local authorities on 1 April 1974. The elections for the new councils had been brought forward from an originally planned date in November 1973, to allow the councils more time to act as shadow authorities - the final dates were set in May 1972. [3] [4]

The April elections

The elections held on 12 April saw a very impressive performance by the Labour Party, which regained control of the Greater London Council and took control of all six of the new metropolitan county councils. In the rest of England, they won seven county councils, including two of the new "estuary" counties: Cleveland and Humberside. The party also won Gwent and the three Glamorgan county councils (West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan) in Wales.

The poor Conservative vote in London and the metropolitan counties was somewhat compensated by winning thirteen of the non-metropolitan counties. Failure to gain Essex or Hertfordshire were disappointments to the party, but taking control of Gloucestershire was a success. The party also failed to gain its only realistic Welsh prospect, South Glamorgan.

There were no great successes for the Liberal party, which found itself in third place in all the metropolitan counties. They did however gain representation on the GLC for the first time, winning two seats at Sutton and Cheam and Richmond upon Thames. This followed the previous year's by-election success in winning the Sutton and Cheam parliamentary seat from the Conservatives.

Independents won two English counties outright: Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. They also formed the largest grouping on a number of other councils, and entered agreements with the Conservatives in the running of some of these. In Wales, Independents controlled three mainly rural counties. [5] [6]

The May elections

The results of the elections in May saw an improvement in the performance by the Conservatives since the county council elections, and a slight fall back in the Labour vote. The Liberals had a notable success, becoming the largest group on Liverpool council.

The Conservatives took control of five metropolitan districts, gaining seats in areas where they had been beaten in the elections to the county councils. They also gained one Welsh district, Monmouth.

The Labour party declared it was pleased with the results, especially as opinion polls had shown them losing support. They took control of most of the metropolitan districts, making a clean sweep of councils in Tyne and Wear and South Yorkshire and important councils such as Birmingham, Coventry and Manchester. Labour also took control of most districts in South Wales including Cardiff. The party's organiser for Wales also pointed to the fact that official Labour candidates won rural seats in north and west Wales for the first time.

Apart from forming a minority administration in Liverpool, the Liberals were able to hold the balance of power at Leeds, Stockport and Wirral. They were however disappointed with their performance at Calderdale which was won by Labour. [7]

The June elections

In the June elections for 296 non-metropolitan districts, Labour won control of 71, the Conservatives 59, the Liberals 1, Democratic Labour 1, and Independents 67. 97 councils were under no overall control: in many of these councils Conservative and Independent groups formed an administration.

The Labour party won 4,327 seats, the Conservatives 4,286, Independents 3,534, and the Liberals 919; with the remaining 449 seats going to various other groupings.

It was a good result for the Liberal party who took control of Eastbourne and became the largest group on Adur, Newbury, Pendle and Waverley councils. The other two main parties also had notable successes: Labour considered control of Cambridge, Dacorum, Ipswich and Oxford to be good results; while the Conservatives celebrated taking Gloucester, Great Yarmouth, Lewes and Warrington councils. [8] [9]

The break-away Lincoln Democratic Labour Association won twenty of the thirty seats on Lincoln District council. The group were supporters of Dick Taverne, member of parliament for Lincoln who had been expelled from the Labour Party. Taverne had earlier in the year resigned his seat to force a by-election in protest against his expulsion, which he won against the official Labour candidate.

The Results

Metropolitan county councils

CouncilConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControl
Greater Manchester 23691310Labour
Merseyside 2653190Ratepayers 1Labour
South Yorkshire 1382140Labour
Tyne and Wear 2674130Labour
West Midlands 2674400Labour
West Yorkshire 25511110Labour

Non-metropolitan county councils

CouncilConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Avon County Council 3632230NOC Details
Bedfordshire County Council 3239831 VacancyNOC Details
Berkshire County Council 42261350NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Buckinghamshire 36184120Conservative Details
Cambridgeshire County Council 28225130NOC Details
Cheshire County Council 3129160NOC Details
Cleveland 3552020Labour Details
Cornwall County Council 310750Independent Details
Cumbria County Council 3138160NOC Details
Derbyshire County Council 2660570Labour Details
Devon County Council 542011120Conservative Details
Dorset County Council 471311200Conservative Details
Durham 256670Labour Details
East Sussex County Council 4819980Conservative Details
Essex 4740550NOC (Conservative minority) Details
Gloucestershire County Council 3118570Conservative Details
Hampshire County Council 44276200NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Hereford and Worcester County Council 37308170NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Hertfordshire County Council 333332Ratepayers 1NOC Details
Humberside County Council 3651372 VacanciesLabour Details
Isle of Wight County Council 667230Independent Details
Kent County Council 6331720Conservative Details
Lancashire County Council 523373Ratepayers 1Conservative Details
Leicestershire County Council 4137780NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Lincolnshire County Council 34103220NOC Details
Norfolk County Council 5227040Conservative Details
North Yorkshire County Council 391212290NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Northamptonshire County Council 3846342 VacanciesLabour Details
Northumberland 10280210NOC Details
Nottinghamshire County Council 3554000Labour Details
Oxfordshire County Council 36210100Conservative Details
Salop 14163300NOC Details
Somerset County Council 3572120Conservative Details
Staffordshire County Council 2847190Labour Details
Suffolk County Council 4729303Conservative Details
Surrey County Council 4612950Conservative Details
Warwickshire County Council 2721520NOC Details
West Sussex County Council 5210713Ratepayers 1Conservative Details
Wiltshire County Council 40226110Conservative Details

Welsh county councils

CouncilConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControl
Clwyd County Council 11204301 VacancyNOC
Dyfed 029840Plaid Cymru 1
Ratepayers 1
Independent
Gwent 125931Ratepayers 2

Plaid Cymru 1

Labour
Gwynedd County Council 04056Plaid Cymru 6Independent
Mid Glamorgan County Council 36326Plaid Cymru 6
Communist 2
Labour
Powys County Council      Independent
South Glamorgan County Council 3542030Labour
West Glamorgan County Council 95224Plaid Cymru 1

Progressive Labour 1
Ratepayers 1

Labour

Greater London Council

ConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
3258200Labour Details

Metropolitan districts

DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Barnsley South Yorkshire 05701Independent Labour 1

Democratic Labour 1

Labour Details
Birmingham West Midlands 4473900Labour Details
Bolton Greater Manchester 3531210Conservative Details
Bradford West Yorkshire 5331900Conservative Details
Bury Greater Manchester 2120700NOC Details
Calderdale West Yorkshire1828500Labour Details
Coventry West Midlands1242000Labour Details
Doncaster South Yorkshire124304Democratic Labour 1Labour Details
Dudley West Midlands244011Independent Labour 1Labour Details
Gateshead Tyne and Wear 67100Rent and Ratepayers 1Labour Details
Kirklees West Yorkshire1845810Labour Details
Knowsley Merseyside 65240Kirkby Householders Federation 1Labour Details
Leeds West Yorkshire38441400NOC Details
Liverpool Merseyside9424800NOC(1) Details
Manchester Greater Manchester4059000Labour Details
Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear2351130Labour Details
North Tyneside Tyne and Wear1948740Labour Details
Oldham Greater Manchester642513 VacanciesLabour Details
Rochdale Greater Manchester1437900Labour Details
Rotherham South Yorkshire350010Labour Details
St Helens Merseyside936000Labour Details
Salford Greater Manchester1550100Labour Details
Sandwell West Midlands2466000Labour Details
Sefton Merseyside372432Ratepayers 3Conservative Details
Sheffield South Yorkshire1869300Labour Details
Solihull West Midlands2812290Conservative Details
South Tyneside Tyne and Wear34500Progressive 18Labour Details
Stockport Greater Manchester27161340NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Sunderland Tyne and Wear2156010Labour Details
Tameside Greater Manchester1438200Labour Details
Trafford Greater Manchester32161200Conservative Details
Wakefield West Yorkshire658011Labour Details
Walsall West Midlands114402Ratepayers 3Labour Details
Wigan Greater Manchester566010Labour Details
Wirral Merseyside29241300NOC Details
Wolverhampton West Midlands2040000Labour Details

(1) A minority Liberal administration was formed

Welsh Districts

DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalPlaid CymruIndependentOtherControl
Aberconwy Gwynedd 4300340Independent
Alyn-Dee Clwyd 9254070Labour
Afan West Glamorgan 021000Tenants Association 3

Ratepayers 5 Unofficial Labour 1

Labour
Arfon Gwynedd0805270Independent
Blaenau Gwent Gwent 031311Independent Labour 7

Ratepayers 7
Tenants and Residents 1

Labour
Brecknock Powys 41710290Independent
Cardiff South Glamorgan 33420000Labour
Carmarthen Dyfed 070028Ratepayers 1Independent
Ceredigion Dyfed0490300Independent
Colwyn Clwyd10100220Independent
Cynon Valley Mid Glamorgan02301203Labour
Delyn Clwyd11102260Independent
Dinefwr Dyfed0171013Independent Socialist 1Labour
Dwyfor Gwynedd0001280Independent
Glyndŵr Clwyd0300300Independent
Islwyn Gwent030023Communist 1Labour
Llanelli Dyfed0290040Labour
Lliw Valley West Glamorgan0270230Labour
Meirionydd Gwynedd0000390Independent
Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glamorgan0250413Labour
Monmouth Gwent2990010Conservative
Montgomery Powys0230440Independent
Neath West Glamorgan024022Ratepayers 1

4 Vacancies

Labour
Newport Gwent8362050Labour
Ogwr Mid Glamorgan642113Ratepayers 3

Independent Labour 1

Labour
Preseli Dyfed0000430Independent
Radnor Powys0000310Independent
Rhondda Mid Glamorgan030010Ratepayers 1

Communist 1

Labour
Rhuddlan Clwyd9410220Independent
Rhymney Valley Mid Glamorgan038042Ratepayers 4Labour
South Pembrokeshire Dyfed0001300Independent
Swansea West Glamorgan1230103Independent Ratepayers 3

Ratepayers 2

Labour
Taff-Ely Mid Glamorgan030427Ratepayers 4Labour
Torfaen Gwent036002Communist 2

Rent and Ratepayers 3

Labour
Vale of Glamorgan South Glamorgan152300110NOC (Conservative-Independent)
Wrexham Maelor Clwyd42421140Labour
Ynys Môn (Anglesey)Gwynedd0400410Independent

Non-metropolitan Districts

A
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Adur West Sussex 136160Shoreham Beach Residents Association 4NOC Details
Allerdale Cumbria 4250270NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Alnwick Northumberland 040240Independent Details
Amber Valley Derbyshire 4323021Labour Details
Arun West Sussex334451Conservative Details
Ashfield Nottinghamshire 152020Labour Details
Ashford Kent 2281040NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Aylesbury Vale Buckinghamshire 10121310Independent Details
B
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Babergh Suffolk 7110200Independent Details
Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria625020Labour Details
Basildon Essex 931006Labour Details
Basingstoke Hampshire 18143200NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Bassetlaw Nottinghamshire11290101Labour Details
Bath Avon 1917900NOC Details
Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire271392Conservative Details
Bedford Bedfordshire 20222120NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Berwick-upon-Tweed Northumberland020260Independent Details
Beverley Humberside 1617360Independent Details
Blaby Leicestershire 807200Independent Details
Blackburn Lancashire 19271130NOC Details
Blackpool Lancashire4010330Conservative Details
Blyth Valley Northumberland52912122Labour Details
Bolsover Derbyshire128043Labour Details
Boothferry Humberside 450260Independent Details
Boston Lincolnshire 955150NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Bosworth Leicestershire 4148130NOC Details
Bournemouth Dorset 3814320Conservative Details
Bracknell Berkshire 91711Ratepayers 3Labour Details
Braintree Essex 1419121Ratepayers 1NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Breckland Norfolk 1910021Independent Conservative 1NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Brentwood Essex 2411120Conservative Details
Bridgnorth Salop 001310Independent Details
Brighton East Sussex 3128000Conservative Details
Bristol Avon 2556300Labour Details
Broadland Norfolk 1960240NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Bromsgrove Hereford and Worcester 251300Ratepayers 4Conservative Details
Broxbourne Hertfordshire 2812000Conservative Details
Broxtowe Nottinghamshire 242001Socialist Independent 1Conservative Details
Burnley Lancashire 1239120Labour Details
C
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Cambridge Cambridgeshire 1126500Labour Details
Cannock Chase Staffordshire 136000Labour Details
Canterbury Kent 34525Ratepayers 30 Details
Caradon Cornwall 000410Independent Details
Carlisle Cumbria12251100Labour Details
Carrick Cornwall454320Independent Details
Castle Morpeth Northumberland117213Ratepayers 1NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Castle Point Essex1920000Labour Details
Charnwood Leicestershire28145130NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Chelmsford Essex3116850Conservative Details
Cheltenham Gloucestershire 21742Ratepayers 2Conservative Details
Cherwell Oxfordshire 15160140NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Chester Cheshire 4315040Conservative Details
Chesterfield Derbyshire745200Labour Details
Chester-le-Street Durham 023640Labour Details
Chichester West Sussex181622Residents 3NOC Details
Chiltern Buckinghamshire 261107Ratepayers 3

Residents 4

Conservative Details
Chorley Lancashire 172107Independent Labour 2NOC Details
Christchurch Dorset 104510NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Cleethorpes Humberside 9146190NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Colchester Essex 2827140NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Congleton Cheshire 2012111Ratepayers 1NOC Details
Copeland Cumbria 6300120Labour Details
Corby Northamptonshire 12902Independent Socialist 1Labour Details
Cotswold Gloucestershire 120420Independent Details
Craven North Yorkshire 146960NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Crawley West Sussex 52501Ratepayers 1Labour Details
Crewe Cheshire 2352210Labour Details
D
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Dacorum Hertfordshire 2633030Labour Details
Darlington Durham 828850Labour Details
Dartford Kent 1430000Labour Details
Daventry Northamptonshire1690100NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Derby Derbyshire1434600Labour Details
Derwentside Durham145533Labour Details
Dover Kent2921050Conservative Details
Durham Durham0407140Labour Details
E
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Easington Durham05603Independent Labour 1Labour Details
Eastbourne East Sussex1041900Liberal Details
East Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire010331 VacancyIndependent Details
East Devon Devon 1413420Independent Details
East Hertfordshire Hertfordshire16100166NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Eastleigh Hampshire1320540NOC Details
East Lindsey Lincolnshire5135Independent Conservative 2

Others 42

Non Party Details
East Northamptonshire Northamptonshire5140017NOC Details
East Staffordshire Staffordshire22240140NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Eden Cumbria000370Independent Details
Ellesmere Port Cheshire1427010Labour Details
Elmbridge Surrey39750Ratepayers 14Conservative Details
Epping Forest Essex4410050Conservative Details
Epsom and Ewell Surrey0300Ratepayers 37Ratepayers Details
Erewash Derbyshire936540Labour Details
Exeter Devon1413610NOC
F
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Fareham Hampshire16252Ratepayers 11NOC (Conservative-Ratepayers) Details
Fenland Cambridgeshire1880140NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Forest Heath Suffolk12003Others 9

1 Vacancy

NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Forest of Dean Gloucestershire0211250NOC Details
Fylde Lancashire28224Others 9Conservative Details
G
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Gedling Nottinghamshire321900Independent Ratepayers 4Conservative Details
Gillingham Kent1314800NOC Details
Glanford Humberside010330Independent Details
Gloucester Gloucestershire2112000Conservative Details
Gosport Hampshire91902Ratepayers 1Labour Details
Gravesham Kent152800Ratepayers 1Labour Details
Great Yarmouth Norfolk2617230Conservative Details
Grimsby Humberside1420710NOC Details
Guildford Surrey296520Conservative Details
H
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Halton Cheshire83013Moderate Party 1Labour Details
Hambleton North Yorkshire411420Independent Details
Harborough Leicestershire3728200Conservative Details
Harlow Essex038400Labour Details
Harrogate North Yorkshire3521571 VacancyConservative Details
Hartlepool Cleveland 1530010Labour Details
Hartley Wintney Hampshire700233Independent Details
Hastings East Sussex1211910NOC Details
Havant Hampshire88104Ratepayers 12NOC Details
Hereford Hereford and Worcester01083Independent Conservative 3NOC Details
Hertsmere Hertfordshire25171300NOC Details
High Peak Derbyshire23112100NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Holderness Humberside000290Independent Details
Horsham West Sussex1802230Independent Details
Hove East Sussex246033 VacanciesConservative Details
Huntingdon Cambridgeshire1590260Independent Details
Hyndburn Lancashire2124300NOC Details
I
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Ipswich Suffolk1136000Labour Details
K
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Kennet Wiltshire 702280Independent Details
Kerrier Cornwall530340Independent Details
Kettering Northamptonshire1416780NOC Details
Kingston-upon-Hull Humberside855000Labour Details
Kingswood Avon4196610NOC Details
L
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Lancaster Lancashire321816Ratepayers 3Conservative Details
Langbaurgh Cleveland2732050NOC Details
Leicester Leicestershire1137000Labour Details
Leominster Hereford and Worcester120330Independent Details
Lewes East Sussex261006Ratepayers 5Conservative Details
Lichfield Staffordshire1725011Ratepayers 1NOC Details
Lincoln Lincolnshire6103Democratic Labour 20Democratic Labour Details
Luton Bedfordshire1230600Labour Details
M
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Macclesfield Cheshire25101012Ratepayers 5NOC Details
Maidstone Kent13121997NOC Details
Maldon Essex943140NOC Details
Malvern Hills Hereford and Worcester1211823NOC Details
Mansfield Nottinghamshire738000Labour Details
Medina Isle of Wight310413Ratepayers 3NOC Details
Medway Kent2232500Labour Details
Melton Leicestershire122064NOC Details
Mendip Somerset1172231 VacancyIndependent Details
Mid Bedfordshire Bedfordshire581350Independent Details
Mid Suffolk Suffolk691240Independent Details
Mid Sussex West Sussex2535210NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Middlesbrough Cleveland1739000Labour Details
Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire827050Labour Details
Mole Valley Surrey16359Residents 9NOC Details
N
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Newark Nottinghamshire2029030Labour Details
Newbury Berkshire10124220NOC Details
Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire15312140NOC Details
New Forest Hampshire1215373Independent Details
Northampton Northamptonshire2325000Labour Details
Northavon Avon261911Residents Association 1

2 Vacancies

NOC Details
North Cornwall Cornwall003230Independent Details
North Devon Devon0115280Independent Details
North Dorset Dorset004270Independent Details
North East Derbyshire Derbyshire1032090Labour Details
North Hertfordshire Hertfordshire231707Ratepayers 1NOC Details
North Kesteven Lincolnshire820270Independent Details
North Shropshire Shropshire012360Independent Details
North Warwickshire Warwickshire81904Ratepayers 2Labour Details
North West Leicestershire Leicestershire8250100Labour Details
North Wiltshire Wiltshire2447110Conservative Details
North Wolds Humberside321370Independent Details
Norwich Norfolk1137000Labour Details
Nottingham Nottinghamshire1044000Labour Details
Nuneaton Warwickshire726200Labour Details
O
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Oadby and Wigston Leicestershire187530Conservative Details
Oswestry Shropshire013180Independent Details
Oxford Oxfordshire1230300Labour Details
P
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Pastonacres Norfolk640370Independent Details
Pendle Lancashire6192327NOC Details
Penwith Cornwall011380Independent Details
Peterborough Cambridgeshire1928100Labour Details
Petersfield Hampshire1660200NOC Details
Plymouth Devon3729000Conservative Details
Poole Dorset223920Conservative Details
Portsmouth Hampshire2817030Conservative Details
Preston Lancashire1938000Labour Details
Purbeck Dorset530130Independent Details
R
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Reading Berkshire1616140NOC Details
Redditch Hereford and Worcester619000NOC Details
Reigate and Banstead Surrey2915420Conservative Details
Restormel Cornwall002360Independent Details
Ribble Valley Lancashire301070Conservative Details
Richmondshire North Yorkshire000350Independent Details
Rochford Essex1912180NOC Details
Rossendale Lancashire1715400NOC Details
Rother East Sussex951300Independent Details
Rugby Warwickshire221832Ratepayers 3NOC Details
Runnymede Surrey2315020Conservative Details
Rushcliffe Nottinghamshire423031Conservative Details
Rushmoor Hampshire20970Ratepayers 7NOC Details
Rutland Leicestershire000200Independent Details
Ryedale North Yorkshire050400Independent Details
S
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
St Albans Hertfordshire3214710Conservative Details
St Edmundsbury Suffolk261106Independent Conservative 1Conservative Details
Salisbury Wiltshire1613817Ratepayers 2

2 Vacancies

NOC Details
Scarborough North Yorkshire15511161 VacancyNOC Details
Scunthorpe Humberside43500Independent Labour 1Labour Details
Sedgefield Durham140480Labour Details
Sedgemoor Somerset19143120NOC Details
Selby North Yorkshire1670201 VacancyIndependent Details
Sevenoaks Kent2866140Conservative Details
Shepway Kent3312180Conservative Details
Shrewsbury Shropshire12157110NOC Details
Slough Berkshire234400Labour Details
South Bedfordshire Bedfordshire1713870NOC Details
South Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire073430Independent Details
South Derbyshire Derbyshire4180130Labour Details
South Hams Devon200400Independent Details
South Herefordshire Hereford and Worcester100350Independent Details
South Holland Lincolnshire620270Independent Details
South Kesteven Lincolnshire13120921NOC Details
South Lakeland Cumbria72737Independent Conservative 1Independent Details
South Norfolk Norfolk671330Independent Details
South Northamptonshire Northamptonshire1522170NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
South Ribble Lancashire3016210Conservative Details
South Shropshire Shropshire001350Independent Details
South Staffordshire Staffordshire2281152NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
South Wight Isle of Wight101220Independent Details
Southampton Hampshire2031000Labour Details
Southend-on-Sea Essex24131100NOC Details
Spelthorne Surrey3913000Conservative Details
Stafford Staffordshire1815023Independent Labour 1NOC Details
Staffordshire Moorlands Staffordshire12142260NOC (Independent minority) Details
Stevenage Hertfordshire331000Labour Details
Stockton-on-Tees Cleveland2533020Labour Details
Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire860310Labour Details
Stratford-on-Avon Warwickshire1525320Independent Details
Stroud Gloucestershire1414
(Including 2 Labour & Co-Operative)
8173 VacanciesNOC Details
Suffolk Coastal Suffolk279018Independent Conservative 1NOC Details
Surrey Heath Surrey350010Conservative Details
Swale Kent1725350NOC Details
T
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Tamworth Staffordshire018060Labour Details
Tandridge Surrey2631030Conservative Details
Taunton Deane Somerset21140130NOC Details
Teesdale Durham000290Independent Details
Teignbridge Devon07048Independent Trade Unionist 1Independent Details
Tendring Essex3141111Ratepayers 3Conservative Details
Test Valley Hampshire1057210NOC Details
Tewkesbury Gloucestershire2203260Independent Details
Thamesdown Wiltshire1826020Labour Details
Thanet Kent33145110Conservative Details
Three Rivers Hertfordshire19121300NOC Details
Thurrock Essex1333030Labour Details
Tiverton Devon035320Independent Details
Tonbridge and Malling Kent3011840Conservative Details
Torbay Devon306000Conservative Details
Torridge Devon016290Independent Details
Tunbridge Wells Kent297290Conservative Details
Tynedale Northumberland4103253Independent Details
U
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Uttlesford Essex2172120NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
V
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Vale of White Horse Oxfordshire2783100Conservative Details
Vale Royal Cheshire10166250NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
W
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Wallingford Oxfordshire259720Progressive Independent 1NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Wansbeck Northumberland044010Labour Details
Wansdyke Avon12220110NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Warrington Cheshire3222330Conservative Details
Warwick Warwickshire2625700NOC Details
Watford Hertfordshire921600Labour Details
Waveney Suffolk2227520NOC Details
Waverley Surrey2822560NOC Details
Wealden East Sussex2512235NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Wear Valley Durham021910People's Representative 1Labour Details
Wellingborough Northamptonshire141305Ratepayers 1NOC Details
Welwyn Hatfield Hertfordshire1924000Labour Details
West Derbyshire Derbyshire1854130NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
West Devon Devon000300Independent Details
West Dorset Dorset029440Independent Details
West Lancashire Lancashire10233140NOC Details
West Lindsey Lincolnshire156250Independent Details
West Norfolk Norfolk14220240NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
West Oxfordshire Oxfordshire17135Independent Liberal 1Independent Details
West Somerset Somerset311270Independent Details
West Wiltshire Wiltshire13102170NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Weymouth and Portland Dorset1821000Labour Details
Wimborne Dorset209211 VacancyIndependent Details
Winchester Hampshire145525Ratepayers 1

Tenants 1

NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Windsor and Maidenhead Berkshire533030Conservative Details
Woking Surrey1912100Conservative Details
Wokingham Berkshire2301315Ratepayers 1NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Woodspring Avon4010380Conservative Details
Worcester Hereford and Worcester1818000NOC Details
Worthing West Sussex1710120Conservative Details
Wrekin Shropshire832014Independent Labour 1Labour Details
Wychavon Hereford and Worcester1042290Independent Details
Wycombe Buckinghamshire30123104Conservative Details
Wyre Lancashire452080Conservative Details
Wyre Forest Hereford and Worcester302091Ratepayers 2NOC Details
Y
DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Yeovil Somerset2082300NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
York North Yorkshire1717500NOC Details

Future elections

The next county council elections took place in 1977.

Future elections to Metropolitan District councils were to be by thirds, with the one third of seats being elected in 1975.

The next election of non-metropolitan district councils and Welsh district councils was to in 1976. [10]

Northern Ireland

Local government in Northern Ireland was reorganised in 1973 by the Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 and the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972. The county councils, county borough and municipal borough corporations and urban and rural district councils were replaced by twenty-six Local Government districts. Elections took place for all the seats on the district councils on 30 May, and the councils came into their power in 1 October. [11] [12] [13] [14]

DistrictOfficial
Unionist
Democratic
Unionist
Vanguard
Unionist
Loyalist
Coalition
Independent
Unionist
SDLPRepublican
Clubs
Nationalist
and Unity
Parties
AllianceNorthern Ireland
Labour Party
OthersControl
Antrim 8110110020Independent 2NOC (Unionist)
Ards 11001100021Independent 1Official Unionist
Armagh 10200141010Independent 1NOC (Unionist)
Ballymena 9510000010Independent 2

Non-Party 3

NOC (Unionist)
Ballymoney 4102200001Independent 1
Non-Party 5
NOC
Banbridge 8000310000Independent 3NOC (Unionist)
Belfast 25210272082Unionist Loyalist 2NOC (Unionist)
Carrickfergus 5000000010Unionist Loyalist 5

Loyalist 1
Non-Party 1

NOC (Unionist)
Castlereagh 8001200050Unionist Loyalist 2
Independent 1
NOC (Unionist)
Coleraine 12000210030Independent 1
Non-party 1
Official Unionist
Cookstown 7001131000Independent 1
Non-Party 1
NOC (Unionist)
Craigavon 7323320040Independent 1NOC (Unionist)
Down 8010080020Independent 1NOC
Dungannon 11000050Unity 2
Republican 2
000Official Unionist
Fermanagh 5000340Unity 400Independent 1
Unionist Unity 2
Non-Party 1
NOC
Larne 1008000030Independent 2
Non-Party 1
Loyalist
Limavady 0000040020United Unionists 8
Independent 1
United Unionists
Lisburn 144100100300Official Unionist
Londonderry 000United Loyalists 90101Nationalist 3000NOC (Nationalist)
Magherafelt 401United Loyalist 1061000Independent 1NOC
Moyle 4000120000Independent 5
Non-Party 4
NOC
Newry and Mourne 30000132000Non-Party 6
Independent 2
NOC
Newtownabbey 9300Unionist 3
United Loyalist 1
Loyalist 1
000310NOC (Unionist)
North Down 900Loyalist 30007000NOC
Omagh 6000Unionist Unity 240Nationalist 1
Official Republican 1
003 Non-Party CommunityNOC
Strabane 600Unionist Coalition 1040000Independent 2NOC

Scotland

Local elections were also held in Scotland in 1973. At the time of the election, Scotland was the only part of the UK in which local government had yet to be reformed, with the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 only receiving Royal Assent in October 1973. The election saw Labour maintaining their control of Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Dundee, although failing to make gains in Edinburgh.

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References

  1. Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1973. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  3. "Councils offered five more months before changes". The Times . 18 February 1972.
  4. "Election dates in 1973 for new local councils". The Times . 26 May 1972.
  5. "Labour sweep to victory in London and all six of the metropolitan counties". The Times . 13 April 1973.
  6. "Labour take over metropolitan counties and 11 other councils". The Times . 14 April 1973.
  7. "Three major parties find cause for satisfaction in local election results despite low poll". The Times . 14 May 1973.
  8. "Final poll result may lie with Independents". The Times . 8 June 1973.
  9. "Liberals capture Eastbourne and exceed ambition to win 1,000 local government seats". The Times . 8 June 1973.
  10. Local Government Act 1972, sections 7 and 26
  11. Damkat, Ivo (29 October 2003). "The 1973 Local Government Elections". www.ark.ac.uk. Economic and Social Research Council.
  12. "Big Roman Catholic turnout in poll despite threats". The Times . 31 May 1973.
  13. "Party accused over Ulster poll". The Times . 31 May 1973.
  14. "Unionist supporters elect many hard-line men in Ulster local government poll". The Times . 2 June 1973.