1973 United Kingdom local elections

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]

1973 United Kingdom local elections

12 April 1973 (England & Wales)
1 May 1973 (Scotland)
10 May 1973 (England & Wales)
30 May 1973 (Northern Ireland)
7 June 1973 (England)

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 party Minority party Third party
 
Leader Harold Wilson Edward Heath Jeremy Thorpe
Party Labour Conservative Liberal
Leader since 14 February 1963 27 July 1965 18 January 1967

Map of the results of the elections in England and Wales, showing party control by district (left) and county (right).

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 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 23 69 13 1 0 Labour
Merseyside 26 53 19 0 Ratepayers 1 Labour
South Yorkshire 13 82 1 4 0 Labour
Tyne and Wear 26 74 1 3 0 Labour
West Midlands 26 74 4 0 0 Labour
West Yorkshire 25 51 11 1 0 Labour

Non-metropolitan county councils

CouncilConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
Avon 36 32 2 3 0 NOC Details
Bedfordshire 32 39 8 3 1 Vacancy NOC Details
Berkshire 42 26 13 5 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Buckinghamshire 36 18 4 12 0 Conservative Details
Cambridgeshire 28 22 5 13 0 NOC Details
Cheshire 31 29 1 6 0 NOC Details
Cleveland 35 52 0 2 0 Labour Details
Cornwall 3 1 0 75 0 Independent Details
Cumbria 31 38 1 6 0 NOC Details
Derbyshire 26 60 5 7 0 Labour Details
Devon 54 20 11 12 0 Conservative Details
Dorset 47 13 11 20 0 Conservative Details
Durham 2 56 6 7 0 Labour Details
East Sussex 48 19 9 8 0 Conservative Details
Essex 47 40 5 5 0 NOC (Conservative minority) Details
Gloucestershire 31 18 5 7 0 Conservative Details
Hampshire 44 27 6 20 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Hereford and Worcester 37 30 8 17 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Hertfordshire 33 33 3 2 Ratepayers 1 NOC Details
Humberside 36 51 3 7 2 Vacancies Labour Details
Isle of Wight 6 6 7 23 0 Independent Details
Kent 63 31 7 2 0 Conservative Details
Lancashire 52 33 7 3 Ratepayers 1 Conservative Details
Leicestershire 41 37 7 8 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Lincolnshire 34 10 3 22 0 NOC Details
Norfolk 52 27 0 4 0 Conservative Details
North Yorkshire 39 12 12 29 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Northamptonshire 38 46 3 4 2 Vacancies Labour Details
Northumberland 10 28 0 21 0 NOC Details
Nottinghamshire 35 54 0 0 0 Labour Details
Oxfordshire 36 21 0 10 0 Conservative Details
Salop 14 16 3 30 0 NOC Details
Somerset 35 7 2 12 0 Conservative Details
Staffordshire 28 47 1 9 0 Labour Details
Suffolk 47 29 3 0 3 Conservative Details
Surrey 46 12 9 5 0 Conservative Details
Warwickshire 27 21 5 2 0 NOC Details
West Sussex 52 10 7 13 Ratepayers 1 Conservative Details
Wiltshire 40 22 6 11 0 Conservative Details

Welsh county councils

CouncilConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControl
Clwyd 11 20 4 30 1 Vacancy NOC
Dyfed 0 29 8 40 Plaid Cymru 1
Ratepayers 1
Independent
Gwent 12 59 3 1 Ratepayers 2

Plaid Cymru 1

Labour
Gwynedd 0 4 0 56 Plaid Cymru 6 Independent
Mid Glamorgan 3 63 2 6 Plaid Cymru 6
Communist 2
Labour
Powys           Independent
South Glamorgan 35 42 0 3 0 Labour
West Glamorgan 9 52 2 4 Plaid Cymru 1

Progressive Labour 1
Ratepayers 1

Labour

Greater London Council

ConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
32 58 2 0 0 Labour Details

Metropolitan Districts

District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Barnsley South Yorkshire 0 57 0 1 Independent Labour 1

Democratic Labour 1

Labour Details
Birmingham West Midlands 44 73 9 0 0 Labour Details
Bolton Greater Manchester 35 31 2 1 0 Conservative Details
Bradford West Yorkshire 53 31 9 0 0 Conservative Details
Bury Greater Manchester 21 20 7 0 0 NOC Details
Calderdale West Yorkshire 18 28 5 0 0 Labour Details
Coventry West Midlands 12 42 0 0 0 Labour Details
Doncaster South Yorkshire 12 43 0 4 Democratic Labour 1 Labour Details
Dudley West Midlands 24 40 1 1 Independent Labour 1 Labour Details
Gateshead Tyne and Wear 6 71 0 0 Rent and Ratepayers 1 Labour Details
Kirklees West Yorkshire 18 45 8 1 0 Labour Details
Knowsley Merseyside 6 52 4 0 Kirkby Householders Federation 1 Labour Details
Leeds West Yorkshire 38 44 14 0 0 NOC Details
Liverpool Merseyside 9 42 48 0 0 NOC(1) Details
Manchester Greater Manchester 40 59 0 0 0 Labour Details
Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear 23 51 1 3 0 Labour Details
North Tyneside Tyne and Wear 19 48 7 4 0 Labour Details
Oldham Greater Manchester 6 42 5 1 3 Vacancies Labour Details
Rochdale Greater Manchester 14 37 9 0 0 Labour Details
Rotherham South Yorkshire 3 50 0 1 0 Labour Details
St Helens Merseyside 9 36 0 0 0 Labour Details
Salford Greater Manchester 15 50 1 0 0 Labour Details
Sandwell West Midlands 24 66 0 0 0 Labour Details
Sefton Merseyside 37 24 3 2 Ratepayers 3 Conservative Details
Sheffield South Yorkshire 18 69 3 0 0 Labour Details
Solihull West Midlands 28 12 2 9 0 Conservative Details
South Tyneside Tyne and Wear 3 45 0 0 Progressive 18 Labour Details
Stockport Greater Manchester 27 16 13 4 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Sunderland Tyne and Wear 21 56 0 1 0 Labour Details
Tameside Greater Manchester 14 38 2 0 0 Labour Details
Trafford Greater Manchester 32 16 12 0 0 Conservative Details
Wakefield West Yorkshire 6 58 0 1 1 Labour Details
Walsall West Midlands 11 44 0 2 Ratepayers 3 Labour Details
Wigan Greater Manchester 5 66 0 1 0 Labour Details
Wirral Merseyside 29 24 13 0 0 NOC Details
Wolverhampton West Midlands 20 40 0 0 0 Labour Details

(1) A minority Liberal administration was formed

Welsh Districts

District County Conservative Labour Liberal Plaid Cymru Independent Other Control
Aberconwy Gwynedd 4 3 0 0 34 0 Independent
Alyn-Dee Clwyd 9 25 4 0 7 0 Labour
Afan West Glamorgan 0 21 0 0 0 Tenants Association 3

Ratepayers 5 Unofficial Labour 1

Labour
Arfon Gwynedd 0 8 0 5 27 0 Independent
Blaenau Gwent Gwent 0 31 3 1 1 Independent Labour 7

Ratepayers 7
Tenants and Residents 1

Labour
Brecknock Powys 4 17 1 0 29 0 Independent
Cardiff South Glamorgan 33 42 0 0 0 0 Labour
Carmarthen Dyfed 0 7 0 0 28 Ratepayers 1 Independent
Ceredigion Dyfed 0 4 9 0 30 0 Independent
Colwyn Clwyd 1 0 10 0 22 0 Independent
Cynon Valley Mid Glamorgan 0 23 0 12 0 3 Labour
Delyn Clwyd 1 11 0 2 26 0 Independent
Dinefwr Dyfed 0 17 1 0 13 Independent Socialist 1 Labour
Dwyfor Gwynedd 0 0 0 1 28 0 Independent
Glyndŵr Clwyd 0 3 0 0 30 0 Independent
Islwyn Gwent 0 30 0 2 3 Communist 1 Labour
Llanelli Dyfed 0 29 0 0 4 0 Labour
Lliw Valley West Glamorgan 0 27 0 2 3 0 Labour
Meirionydd Gwynedd 0 0 0 0 39 0 Independent
Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glamorgan 0 25 0 4 1 3 Labour
Monmouth Gwent 29 9 0 0 1 0 Conservative
Montgomery Powys 0 2 3 0 44 0 Independent
Neath West Glamorgan 0 24 0 2 2 Ratepayers 1

4 Vacancies

Labour
Newport Gwent 8 36 2 0 5 0 Labour
Ogwr Mid Glamorgan 6 42 1 1 3 Ratepayers 3

Independent Labour 1

Labour
Preseli Dyfed 0 0 0 0 43 0 Independent
Radnor Powys 0 0 0 0 31 0 Independent
Rhondda Mid Glamorgan 0 30 0 1 0 Ratepayers 1

Communist 1

Labour
Rhuddlan Clwyd 9 4 1 0 22 0 Independent
Rhymney Valley Mid Glamorgan 0 38 0 4 2 Ratepayers 4 Labour
South Pembrokeshire Dyfed 0 0 0 1 30 0 Independent
Swansea West Glamorgan 12 30 1 0 3 Independent Ratepayers 3

Ratepayers 2

Labour
Taff-Ely Mid Glamorgan 0 30 4 2 7 Ratepayers 4 Labour
Torfaen Gwent 0 36 0 0 2 Communist 2

Rent and Ratepayers 3

Labour
Vale of Glamorgan South Glamorgan 15 23 0 0 11 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent)
Wrexham Maelor Clwyd 4 24 2 1 14 0 Labour
Ynys Môn (Anglesey) Gwynedd 0 4 0 0 41 0 Independent

Non-metropolitan Districts

A
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Adur West Sussex 13 6 16 0 Shoreham Beach Residents Association 4 NOC Details
Allerdale Cumbria 4 25 0 27 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Alnwick Northumberland 0 4 0 24 0 Independent Details
Amber Valley Derbyshire 4 32 3 0 21 Labour Details
Arun West Sussex 33 4 4 5 1 Conservative Details
Ashfield Nottinghamshire 1 52 0 2 0 Labour Details
Ashford Kent 22 8 10 4 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Aylesbury Vale Buckinghamshire 10 12 1 31 0 Independent Details
B
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Babergh Suffolk 7 11 0 20 0 Independent Details
Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria 6 25 0 2 0 Labour Details
Basildon Essex 9 31 0 0 6 Labour Details
Basingstoke Hampshire 18 14 3 20 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Bassetlaw Nottinghamshire 11 29 0 10 1 Labour Details
Bath Avon 19 17 9 0 0 NOC Details
Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire 27 1 3 9 2 Conservative Details
Bedford Bedfordshire 20 22 2 12 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Berwick-upon-Tweed Northumberland 0 2 0 26 0 Independent Details
Beverley Humberside 16 1 7 36 0 Independent Details
Blaby Leicestershire 8 0 7 20 0 Independent Details
Blackburn Lancashire 19 27 11 3 0 NOC Details
Blackpool Lancashire 40 10 3 3 0 Conservative Details
Blyth Valley Northumberland 5 29 12 12 2 Labour Details
Bolsover Derbyshire 1 28 0 4 3 Labour Details
Boothferry Humberside 4 5 0 26 0 Independent Details
Boston Lincolnshire 9 5 5 15 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Bosworth Leicestershire 4 14 8 13 0 NOC Details
Bournemouth Dorset 38 14 3 2 0 Conservative Details
Bracknell Berkshire 9 17 1 1 Ratepayers 3 Labour Details
Braintree Essex 14 19 1 21 Ratepayers 1 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Breckland Norfolk 19 10 0 21 Independent Conservative 1 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Brentwood Essex 24 11 1 2 0 Conservative Details
Bridgnorth Salop 0 0 1 31 0 Independent Details
Brighton East Sussex 31 28 0 0 0 Conservative Details
Bristol Avon 25 56 3 0 0 Labour Details
Broadland Norfolk 19 6 0 24 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Bromsgrove Hereford and Worcester 25 13 0 0 Ratepayers 4 Conservative Details
Broxbourne Hertfordshire 28 12 0 0 0 Conservative Details
Broxtowe Nottinghamshire 24 20 0 1 Socialist Independent 1 Conservative Details
Burnley Lancashire 12 39 1 2 0 Labour Details
C
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Cambridge Cambridgeshire 11 26 5 0 0 Labour Details
Cannock Chase Staffordshire 1 36 0 0 0 Labour Details
Canterbury Kent 34 5 2 5 Ratepayers 3 0 Details
Caradon Cornwall 0 0 0 41 0 Independent Details
Carlisle Cumbria 12 25 1 10 0 Labour Details
Carrick Cornwall 4 5 4 32 0 Independent Details
Castle Morpeth Northumberland 11 7 2 13 Ratepayers 1 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Castle Point Essex 19 20 0 0 0 Labour Details
Charnwood Leicestershire 28 14 5 13 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Chelmsford Essex 31 16 8 5 0 Conservative Details
Cheltenham Gloucestershire 21 7 4 2 Ratepayers 2 Conservative Details
Cherwell Oxfordshire 15 16 0 14 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Chester Cheshire 43 15 0 4 0 Conservative Details
Chesterfield Derbyshire 7 45 2 0 0 Labour Details
Chester-le-Street Durham 0 23 6 4 0 Labour Details
Chichester West Sussex 18 1 6 22 Residents 3 NOC Details
Chiltern Buckinghamshire 26 11 0 7 Ratepayers 3

Residents 4

Conservative Details
Chorley Lancashire 17 21 0 7 Independent Labour 2 NOC Details
Christchurch Dorset 10 4 5 1 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Cleethorpes Humberside 9 14 6 19 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Colchester Essex 28 27 1 4 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Congleton Cheshire 20 12 1 11 Ratepayers 1 NOC Details
Copeland Cumbria 6 30 0 12 0 Labour Details
Corby Northamptonshire 1 29 0 2 Independent Socialist 1 Labour Details
Cotswold Gloucestershire 1 2 0 42 0 Independent Details
Craven North Yorkshire 14 6 9 6 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Crawley West Sussex 5 25 0 1 Ratepayers 1 Labour Details
Crewe Cheshire 2 35 2 21 0 Labour Details
D
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Dacorum Hertfordshire 26 33 0 3 0 Labour Details
Darlington Durham 8 28 8 5 0 Labour Details
Dartford Kent 14 30 0 0 0 Labour Details
Daventry Northamptonshire 16 9 0 10 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Derby Derbyshire 14 34 6 0 0 Labour Details
Derwentside Durham 1 45 5 3 3 Labour Details
Dover Kent 29 21 0 5 0 Conservative Details
Durham Durham 0 40 7 14 0 Labour Details
E
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Easington Durham 0 56 0 3 Independent Labour 1 Labour Details
Eastbourne East Sussex 10 4 19 0 0 Liberal Details
East Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire 0 1 0 33 1 Vacancy Independent Details
East Devon Devon 14 1 3 42 0 Independent Details
East Hertfordshire Hertfordshire 16 10 0 16 6 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Eastleigh Hampshire 13 20 5 4 0 NOC Details
East Lindsey Lincolnshire 5 1 3 5 Independent Conservative 2

Others 42

Non Party Details
East Northamptonshire Northamptonshire 5 14 0 0 17 NOC Details
East Staffordshire Staffordshire 22 24 0 14 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Eden Cumbria 0 0 0 37 0 Independent Details
Ellesmere Port Cheshire 14 27 0 1 0 Labour Details
Elmbridge Surrey 39 7 5 0 Ratepayers 14 Conservative Details
Epping Forest Essex 44 10 0 5 0 Conservative Details
Epsom and Ewell Surrey 0 3 0 0 Ratepayers 37 Ratepayers Details
Erewash Derbyshire 9 36 5 4 0 Labour Details
Exeter Devon 14 13 6 1 0 NOC
F
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Fareham Hampshire 16 2 5 2 Ratepayers 11 NOC (Conservative-Ratepayers) Details
Fenland Cambridgeshire 18 8 0 14 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Forest Heath Suffolk 12 0 0 3 Others 9

1 Vacancy

NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Forest of Dean Gloucestershire 0 21 1 25 0 NOC Details
Fylde Lancashire 28 2 2 4 Others 9 Conservative Details
G
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Gedling Nottinghamshire 32 19 0 0 Independent Ratepayers 4 Conservative Details
Gillingham Kent 13 14 8 0 0 NOC Details
Glanford Humberside 0 1 0 33 0 Independent Details
Gloucester Gloucestershire 31 2 0 0 0 Conservative Details
Gosport Hampshire 9 19 0 2 Ratepayers 1 Labour Details
Gravesham Kent 15 28 0 0 Ratepayers 1 Labour Details
Great Yarmouth Norfolk 26 17 2 3 0 Conservative Details
Grimsby Humberside 14 20 7 1 0 NOC Details
Guildford Surrey 29 6 5 2 0 Conservative Details
H
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Halton Cheshire 8 30 1 3 Moderate Party 1 Labour Details
Hambleton North Yorkshire 4 1 1 42 0 Independent Details
Harborough Leicestershire 37 28 2 0 0 Conservative Details
Harlow Essex 0 38 4 0 0 Labour Details
Harrogate North Yorkshire 35 2 15 7 1 Vacancy Conservative Details
Hartlepool Cleveland 15 30 0 1 0 Labour Details
Hartley Wintney Hampshire 7 0 0 23 3 Independent Details
Hastings East Sussex 12 11 9 1 0 NOC Details
Havant Hampshire 8 8 10 4 Ratepayers 12 NOC Details
Hereford Hereford and Worcester 0 10 8 3 Independent Conservative 3 NOC Details
Hertsmere Hertfordshire 25 17 13 0 0 NOC Details
High Peak Derbyshire 23 11 2 10 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Holderness Humberside 0 0 0 29 0 Independent Details
Horsham West Sussex 18 0 2 23 0 Independent Details
Hove East Sussex 24 6 0 3 3 Vacancies Conservative Details
Huntingdon Cambridgeshire 15 9 0 26 0 Independent Details
Hyndburn Lancashire 21 24 3 0 0 NOC Details
I
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Ipswich Suffolk 11 36 0 0 0 Labour Details
K
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Kennet Wiltshire 7 0 2 28 0 Independent Details
Kerrier Cornwall 5 3 0 34 0 Independent Details
Kettering Northamptonshire 14 16 7 8 0 NOC Details
Kingston-upon-Hull Humberside 8 55 0 0 0 Labour Details
Kingswood Avon 4 19 6 6 10 NOC Details
L
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Lancaster Lancashire 32 18 1 6 Ratepayers 3 Conservative Details
Langbaurgh Cleveland 27 32 0 5 0 NOC Details
Leicester Leicestershire 11 37 0 0 0 Labour Details
Leominster Hereford and Worcester 1 2 0 33 0 Independent Details
Lewes East Sussex 26 10 0 6 Ratepayers 5 Conservative Details
Lichfield Staffordshire 17 25 0 11 Ratepayers 1 NOC Details
Lincoln Lincolnshire 6 1 0 3 Democratic Labour 20 Democratic Labour Details
Luton Bedfordshire 12 30 6 0 0 Labour Details
M
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Macclesfield Cheshire 25 10 10 12 Ratepayers 5 NOC Details
Maidstone Kent 13 12 19 9 7 NOC Details
Maldon Essex 9 4 3 14 0 NOC Details
Malvern Hills Hereford and Worcester 1 2 11 8 23 NOC Details
Mansfield Nottinghamshire 7 38 0 0 0 Labour Details
Medina Isle of Wight 3 10 4 13 Ratepayers 3 NOC Details
Medway Kent 22 32 5 0 0 Labour Details
Melton Leicestershire 12 2 0 6 4 NOC Details
Mendip Somerset 11 7 2 23 1 Vacancy Independent Details
Mid Bedfordshire Bedfordshire 5 8 1 35 0 Independent Details
Mid Suffolk Suffolk 6 9 1 24 0 Independent Details
Mid Sussex West Sussex 25 3 5 21 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Middlesbrough Cleveland 17 39 0 0 0 Labour Details
Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire 8 27 0 5 0 Labour Details
Mole Valley Surrey 16 3 5 9 Residents 9 NOC Details
N
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Newark Nottinghamshire 20 29 0 3 0 Labour Details
Newbury Berkshire 10 1 24 22 0 NOC Details
Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire 15 31 2 14 0 NOC Details
New Forest Hampshire 12 1 5 37 3 Independent Details
Northampton Northamptonshire 23 25 0 0 0 Labour Details
Northavon Avon 26 19 1 1 Residents Association 1

2 Vacancies

NOC Details
North Cornwall Cornwall 0 0 3 23 0 Independent Details
North Devon Devon 0 1 15 28 0 Independent Details
North Dorset Dorset 0 0 4 27 0 Independent Details
North East Derbyshire Derbyshire 10 32 0 9 0 Labour Details
North Hertfordshire Hertfordshire 23 17 0 7 Ratepayers 1 NOC Details
North Kesteven Lincolnshire 8 2 0 27 0 Independent Details
North Shropshire Shropshire 0 1 2 36 0 Independent Details
North Warwickshire Warwickshire 8 19 0 4 Ratepayers 2 Labour Details
North West Leicestershire Leicestershire 8 25 0 10 0 Labour Details
North Wiltshire Wiltshire 24 4 7 11 0 Conservative Details
North Wolds Humberside 3 2 1 37 0 Independent Details
Norwich Norfolk 11 37 0 0 0 Labour Details
Nottingham Nottinghamshire 10 44 0 0 0 Labour Details
Nuneaton Warwickshire 7 26 2 0 0 Labour Details
O
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Oadby and Wigston Leicestershire 18 7 5 3 0 Conservative Details
Oswestry Shropshire 0 1 3 18 0 Independent Details
Oxford Oxfordshire 12 30 3 0 0 Labour Details
P
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Pastonacres Norfolk 6 4 0 37 0 Independent Details
Pendle Lancashire 6 19 23 2 7 NOC Details
Penwith Cornwall 0 1 1 38 0 Independent Details
Peterborough Cambridgeshire 19 28 1 0 0 Labour Details
Petersfield Hampshire 16 6 0 20 0 NOC Details
Plymouth Devon 37 29 0 0 0 Conservative Details
Poole Dorset 22 3 9 2 0 Conservative Details
Portsmouth Hampshire 28 17 0 3 0 Conservative Details
Preston Lancashire 19 38 0 0 0 Labour Details
Purbeck Dorset 5 3 0 13 0 Independent Details
R
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Reading Berkshire 16 16 14 0 NOC Details
Redditch Hereford and Worcester 6 19 0 0 0 NOC Details
Reigate and Banstead Surrey 29 15 4 2 0 Conservative Details
Restormel Cornwall 0 0 2 36 0 Independent Details
Ribble Valley Lancashire 30 1 0 7 0 Conservative Details
Richmondshire North Yorkshire 0 0 0 35 0 Independent Details
Rochford Essex 19 12 1 8 0 NOC Details
Rossendale Lancashire 17 15 4 0 0 NOC Details
Rother East Sussex 9 5 1 30 0 Independent Details
Rugby Warwickshire 22 18 3 2 Ratepayers 3 NOC Details
Runnymede Surrey 23 15 0 2 0 Conservative Details
Rushcliffe Nottinghamshire 42 3 0 3 1 Conservative Details
Rushmoor Hampshire 20 9 7 0 Ratepayers 7 NOC Details
Rutland Leicestershire 0 0 0 20 0 Independent Details
Ryedale North Yorkshire 0 5 0 40 0 Independent Details
S
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
St Albans Hertfordshire 32 14 7 1 0 Conservative Details
St Edmundsbury Suffolk 26 11 0 6 Independent Conservative 1 Conservative Details
Salisbury Wiltshire 16 13 8 17 Ratepayers 2

2 Vacancies

NOC Details
Scarborough North Yorkshire 15 5 11 16 1 Vacancy NOC Details
Scunthorpe Humberside 4 35 0 0 Independent Labour 1 Labour Details
Sedgefield Durham 1 40 4 8 0 Labour Details
Sedgemoor Somerset 19 14 3 12 0 NOC Details
Selby North Yorkshire 16 7 0 20 1 Vacancy Independent Details
Sevenoaks Kent 28 6 6 14 0 Conservative Details
Shepway Kent 33 12 1 8 0 Conservative Details
Shrewsbury Shropshire 12 15 7 11 0 NOC Details
Slough Berkshire 2 34 4 0 0 Labour Details
South Bedfordshire Bedfordshire 17 13 8 7 0 NOC Details
South Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire 0 7 3 43 0 Independent Details
South Derbyshire Derbyshire 4 18 0 13 0 Labour Details
South Hams Devon 2 0 0 40 0 Independent Details
South Herefordshire Hereford and Worcester 1 0 0 35 0 Independent Details
South Holland Lincolnshire 6 2 0 27 0 Independent Details
South Kesteven Lincolnshire 13 12 0 9 21 NOC Details
South Lakeland Cumbria 7 2 7 37 Independent Conservative 1 Independent Details
South Norfolk Norfolk 6 7 1 33 0 Independent Details
South Northamptonshire Northamptonshire 15 2 2 17 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
South Ribble Lancashire 30 16 2 1 0 Conservative Details
South Shropshire Shropshire 0 0 1 35 0 Independent Details
South Staffordshire Staffordshire 22 8 1 15 2 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
South Wight Isle of Wight 1 0 1 22 0 Independent Details
Southampton Hampshire 20 31 0 0 0 Labour Details
Southend-on-Sea Essex 24 13 11 0 0 NOC Details
Spelthorne Surrey 39 13 0 0 0 Conservative Details
Stafford Staffordshire 18 15 0 23 Independent Labour 1 NOC Details
Staffordshire Moorlands Staffordshire 12 14 2 26 0 NOC (Independent minority) Details
Stevenage Hertfordshire 3 31 0 0 0 Labour Details
Stockton-on-Tees Cleveland 25 33 0 2 0 Labour Details
Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire 8 60 3 1 0 Labour Details
Stratford-on-Avon Warwickshire 15 2 5 32 0 Independent Details
Stroud Gloucestershire 14 14
(Including 2 Labour & Co-Operative)
8 17 3 Vacancies NOC Details
Suffolk Coastal Suffolk 27 9 0 18 Independent Conservative 1 NOC Details
Surrey Heath Surrey 35 0 0 1 0 Conservative Details
Swale Kent 17 25 3 5 0 NOC Details
T
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Tamworth Staffordshire 0 18 0 6 0 Labour Details
Tandridge Surrey 26 3 10 3 0 Conservative Details
Taunton Deane Somerset 21 14 0 13 0 NOC Details
Teesdale Durham 0 0 0 29 0 Independent Details
Teignbridge Devon 0 7 0 48 Independent Trade Unionist 1 Independent Details
Tendring Essex 31 4 11 11 Ratepayers 3 Conservative Details
Test Valley Hampshire 10 5 7 21 0 NOC Details
Tewkesbury Gloucestershire 22 0 3 26 0 Independent Details
Thamesdown Wiltshire 18 26 0 2 0 Labour Details
Thanet Kent 33 14 5 11 0 Conservative Details
Three Rivers Hertfordshire 19 12 13 0 0 NOC Details
Thurrock Essex 13 33 0 3 0 Labour Details
Tiverton Devon 0 3 5 32 0 Independent Details
Tonbridge and Malling Kent 30 11 8 4 0 Conservative Details
Torbay Devon 30 6 0 0 0 Conservative Details
Torridge Devon 0 1 6 29 0 Independent Details
Tunbridge Wells Kent 29 7 2 9 0 Conservative Details
Tynedale Northumberland 4 10 3 25 3 Independent Details
U
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Uttlesford Essex 21 7 2 12 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
V
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Vale of White Horse Oxfordshire 27 8 3 10 0 Conservative Details
Vale Royal Cheshire 10 16 6 25 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
W
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Wallingford Oxfordshire 25 9 7 20 Progressive Independent 1 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Wansbeck Northumberland 0 44 0 1 0 Labour Details
Wansdyke Avon 12 22 0 11 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Warrington Cheshire 32 22 3 3 0 Conservative Details
Warwick Warwickshire 26 25 7 0 0 NOC Details
Watford Hertfordshire 9 21 6 0 0 Labour Details
Waveney Suffolk 22 27 5 2 0 NOC Details
Waverley Surrey 28 2 25 6 0 NOC Details
Wealden East Sussex 25 1 2 23 5 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Wear Valley Durham 0 21 9 10 People's Representative 1 Labour Details
Wellingborough Northamptonshire 14 13 0 5 Ratepayers 1 NOC Details
Welwyn Hatfield Hertfordshire 19 24 0 0 0 Labour Details
West Derbyshire Derbyshire 18 5 4 13 0 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
West Devon Devon 0 0 0 30 0 Independent Details
West Dorset Dorset 0 2 9 44 0 Independent Details
West Lancashire Lancashire 10 23 3 14 0 NOC Details
West Lindsey Lincolnshire 1 5 6 25 0 Independent Details
West Norfolk Norfolk 14 22 0 24 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
West Oxfordshire Oxfordshire 1 7 1 35 Independent Liberal 1 Independent Details
West Somerset Somerset 3 1 1 27 0 Independent Details
West Wiltshire Wiltshire 13 10 2 17 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
Weymouth and Portland Dorset 18 21 0 0 0 Labour Details
Wimborne Dorset 2 0 9 21 1 Vacancy Independent Details
Winchester Hampshire 14 5 5 25 Ratepayers 1

Tenants 1

NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Windsor and Maidenhead Berkshire 53 3 0 3 0 Conservative Details
Woking Surrey 19 12 1 0 0 Conservative Details
Wokingham Berkshire 23 0 13 15 Ratepayers 1 NOC (Conservative-Independent) Details
Woodspring Avon 40 10 3 8 0 Conservative Details
Worcester Hereford and Worcester 18 18 0 0 0 NOC Details
Worthing West Sussex 17 1 0 12 0 Conservative Details
Wrekin Shropshire 8 32 0 14 Independent Labour 1 Labour Details
Wychavon Hereford and Worcester 10 4 2 29 0 Independent Details
Wycombe Buckinghamshire 30 12 3 10 4 Conservative Details
Wyre Lancashire 45 2 0 8 0 Conservative Details
Wyre Forest Hereford and Worcester 30 20 9 1 Ratepayers 2 NOC Details
Y
District County Conservative Labour Liberal Independent Other Control Details
Yeovil Somerset 20 8 2 30 0 NOC (Independent-Conservative) Details
York North Yorkshire 17 17 5 0 0 NOC 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.[11][12][13][14]

District Official
Unionist
Democratic
Unionist
Vanguard
Unionist
Loyalist
Coalition
Independent
Unionist
SDLP Republican
Clubs
Nationalist
and Unity
Parties
Alliance Northern Ireland
Labour Party
Others Control
Antrim 8 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 Independent 2 NOC (Unionist)
Ards 11 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 Independent 1 Official Unionist
Armagh 10 2 0 0 1 4 1 0 1 0 Independent 1 NOC (Unionist)
Ballymena 9 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Independent 2

Non-Party 3

NOC (Unionist)
Ballymoney 4 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 Independent 1
Non-Party 5
NOC
Banbridge 8 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 Independent 3 NOC (Unionist)
Belfast 25 2 1 0 2 7 2 0 8 2 Unionist Loyalist 2 NOC (Unionist)
Carrickfergus 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Unionist Loyalist 5

Loyalist 1
Non-Party 1

NOC (Unionist)
Castlereagh 8 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 5 0 Unionist Loyalist 2
Independent 1
NOC (Unionist)
Coleraine 12 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 3 0 Independent 1
Non-party 1
Official Unionist
Cookstown 7 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 0 Independent 1
Non-Party 1
NOC (Unionist)
Craigavon 7 3 2 3 3 2 0 0 4 0 Independent 1 NOC (Unionist)
Down 8 0 1 0 0 8 0 0 2 0 Independent 1 NOC
Dungannon 11 0 0 0 0 5 0 Unity 2
Republican 2
0 0 0 Official Unionist
Fermanagh 5 0 0 0 3 4 0 Unity 4 0 0 Independent 1
Unionist Unity 2
Non-Party 1
NOC
Larne 1 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 3 0 Independent 2
Non-Party 1
Loyalist
Limavady 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 United Unionists 8
Independent 1
United Unionists
Lisburn 14 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 Official Unionist
Londonderry 0 0 0 United Loyalists 9 0 10 1 Nationalist 3 0 0 0 NOC (Nationalist)
Magherafelt 4 0 1 United Loyalist 1 0 6 1 0 0 0 Independent 1 NOC
Moyle 4 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 Independent 5
Non-Party 4
NOC
Newry and Mourne 3 0 0 0 0 13 2 0 0 0 Non-Party 6
Independent 2
NOC
Newtownabbey 9 3 0 0 Unionist 3
United Loyalist 1
Loyalist 1
0 0 0 3 1 0 NOC (Unionist)
North Down 9 0 0 Loyalist 3 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 NOC
Omagh 6 0 0 0 Unionist Unity 2 4 0 Nationalist 1
Official Republican 1
0 0 3 Non-Party Community NOC
Strabane 6 0 0 Unionist Coalition 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 Independent 2 NOC

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. Local Government Elections 1973 (Ark Social & Political Archive)
  12. Big Roman Catholic turnout in poll despite threats, The Times, May 31, 1973
  13. Party accused over Ulster poll, The Times, May 31, 1973
  14. Unionist supporters elect many hard-line men in Ulster local government poll, The Times, June 2, 1973
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