1973 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results for the 1973 Wigan council election. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue and Independent in grey. Wigan UK local election 1973 map.png
Map of the results for the 1973 Wigan council election. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue and Independent in grey.

The 1973 Wigan Council elections for the First Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 10 May 1973, with the entirety of the 72 seat council - three seats for each of the 24 wards - up for vote. It was the first council election as the newly formed metropolitan borough under a new constitution. The Local Government Act 1972 stipulated that the elected members were to shadow and eventually take over from the predecessor corporation on 1 April 1974. The order in which the councillors were elected dictated their term serving, with third-place candidates serving two years and up for re-election in 1975, second-placed three years expiring in 1976 and 1st-placed five years until 1978.

Contents

Labour won an overwhelming majority of sixty six seats to the Conservative's five and one Independent. Nine seats - for wards 13, 17 and 21 collectively - went unopposed and overall turnout was 34.5%. [1]

Election result

Wigan Council Election Result 1973
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 6600091.760.540,000N/A
  Conservative 50006.928.418,793N/A
  Independent 10001.48.15,363N/A
  Independent Labour 00000.01.4942N/A
 Own Occ.00000.01.3862N/A
  Communist 00000.00.2141N/A

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:

PartyNew council
Labour66
Conservatives5
Independent1
Total72
Working majority 60 

Ward results

Ward 1 (Lindsay-Scholes-Whelley) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F. Connolly2,57073.6N/A
Labour A. Coyle2,568
Labour M. Pratt2,381
Conservative C. Giles92126.4N/A
Conservative R. Stockley775
Conservative J. Lawson732
Majority 1,46047.2N/A
Turnout 3,49138.6N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 2 (Poolstock-Worsley Mesnes) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Brogan2,14981.6N/A
Labour H. Milligan1,898
Labour S. Townley1,873
Conservative P. Harrison48518.4N/A
Majority 1,66463.2N/A
Turnout 2,63427.5N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 3 (Gidlow-Swinley-Whitley) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative H. Dowling2,76559.7N/A
Conservative G. Lewthwaite2,687
Conservative W. Somers2,686
Labour E. Maloney1,86740.3N/A
Labour R. Baker1,840
Labour H. Barker1,820
Majority 89819.4N/A
Turnout 4,63239.4N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 4 (Beech Hill and Marsh Green) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Presst2,39380.5N/A
Labour E. Naylor2,380
Labour J. Eckersley2,373
Conservative W. France58019.5N/A
Majority 1,81361.0N/A
Turnout 2,97331.5N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 5 (Highfield and Lamberhead) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Barlow1,98268.1N/A
Labour E. Maddocks1,961
Labour J. Smith1,848
Conservative J. Gaskell93031.9N/A
Conservative L. Low817
Conservative C. Boyle706
Majority 1,05236.1N/A
Turnout 2,91230.6N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 6 (Newtown and Rose Hill) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Peet1,80681.6N/A
Labour J. Bridge1,710
Labour M. Mulligan1,662
Conservative J. Whittle40718.4N/A
Majority 1,39963.2N/A
Turnout 2,21325.3N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 7 (Hope Carr) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Roberts1,44456.6N/A
Labour T. Hourigan1,423
Labour J. Jones1,322
Conservative J. Sinai1,10843.4N/A
Conservative R. Goodwin1,085
Conservative D. Angell1,011
Majority 33613.2N/A
Turnout 2,55236.6N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 8 (St Pauls and St Peters) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Macdonald1,38774.5N/A
Labour P. Hull1,368
Labour G. Bridge1,259
Conservative M. Price33317.9N/A
Conservative R. Boardman324
Conservative D. Blyth267
Communist J. Blackburn1417.6N/A
Majority 1,05456.6N/A
Turnout 1,86121.8N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 9 (Etherstone and St Marys) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour E. Moore1,53860.7N/A
Labour J. Riley1,522
Labour W. Derbyshire1,455
Conservative M. Howcroft99439.3N/A
Conservative S. Simm972
Conservative S. Johnson905
Majority 54421.5N/A
Turnout 2,53227.0N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 10 (Lilford-St Josephs-St Thomas) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Smith1,72753.2N/A
Labour J. Murray1,714
Labour J. Prytharch1,594
Conservative M. Wood1,51846.8N/A
Conservative H. Yates1,477
Conservative K. Price1,459
Majority 2096.4N/A
Turnout 3,24535.8N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 11 (Golborne St Thomas and Lowton) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour N. Holt2,91873.7N/A
Labour T. Morgan2,852
Labour E. Roberts2,826
Conservative T. Thompson1,04026.3N/A
Conservative D. Fryer979
Conservative W. Kearns968
Majority 1,87847.4N/A
Turnout 3,95839.4N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 12 (Golborne Heath Park and Ashton) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hilton2,27274.2N/A
Labour E. Houghton2,183
Labour A. Miller2,104
Independent B. Doubledam78825.8N/A
Majority 1,48448.5N/A
Turnout 3,06034.8N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 13 (Ashton-in-Makerfield North and West) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. LockettUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour R. LyonsUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour A. HecklesUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 14 (Ashton-in-Makerfield Central and East) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Lea1,56170.3N/A
Labour T. Jones1,492
Labour G. Fairhurst1,475
Conservative C. Kinrade65829.7N/A
Majority 90340.7N/A
Turnout 2,21927.8N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 15 (Standish with Langtree and Shevington) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Meadows1,78033.3N/A
Labour J. Healey1,674
Independent G. Dewhurst1,55329.1N/A
Labour E. Garner1,503
Conservative B. Maccarthy1,06720.0N/A
Conservative F. Wareing1,038
Independent Labour I. Cropper94217.6N/A
Majority 2274.2N/A
Turnout 5,34250.9N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Ward 16 (Aspull) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Singer2,52664.6N/A
Labour W. Mason2,452
Labour H. Lowe2,397
Conservative J. Blackledge1,38735.4N/A
Conservative D. Pardey1,381
Conservative A. Turner1,189
Majority 1,13929.1N/A
Turnout 3,91339.1N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 17 (Atherton North East) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L. SumnerUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour J. ClarkeUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour D. SkittUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 18 (Atherton South West) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Sumner1,23046.8N/A
Conservative M. Williams1,00038.0N/A
Labour G. Horrabin920
Conservative H. Sharland919
Labour L. Seddon880
Conservative E. Sweeney827
Independent V. France40015.2N/A
Majority 2308.7N/A
Turnout 2,63039.8N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 19 (Hindley Central and North) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour C. Priestley2,02276.0N/A
Labour T. Isherwood2,011
Labour A. Robinson1,895
Conservative K. Dempsey63724.0N/A
Majority 1,38552.1N/A
Turnout 2,65933.5N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 20 (Hindley South East and West) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Harrison1,83463.5N/A
Labour B. McAllister1,749
Labour S. Hardy1,712
Conservative J. Culshaw1,05336.5N/A
Majority 78127.1N/A
Turnout 2,88729.2N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 21 (Ince-in-Makerfield) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. TaylorUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour A. RowlandsonUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour A. BanksUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 22 (Orrell and Billinge) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Whittle2,15538.1N/A
Labour S. Waring1,931
Conservative J. Simpkin1,91033.8N/A
Labour L. Grime1,818
Conservative F. Fairbairn1,705
Independent A. Atherton1,58728.1N/A
Majority 2454.3N/A
Turnout 5,65244.6N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 23 (Tyldesley - Shakerley) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Little1,61670.8N/A
Labour M. Devlin1,559
Labour A. Wright1,509
Independent J. Barnes66629.2N/A
Majority 95041.6N/A
Turnout 2,28228.6N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 24 (Tyldesley - Astley Green and Blackmoor) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Rawson1,22349.8N/A
Labour F. Walker1,219
Labour F. Hampson1,151
Own Occ.F. Valentine86235.1N/A
Own Occ.H. Pawsey853
Own Occ.E. Myers742
Independent J. Parry36915.0N/A
Majority 36114.7N/A
Turnout 2,45434.3N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2012.