1973 Scottish local elections

Local elections were held in Scotland in 1973, as part of that years wider British local elections.

Map of Scottish local government divisions prior to the 1974 reforms.

The municipal elections, held on 1 May, saw Labour doing reasonably well; increasing their majority in Glasgow and becoming the largest group on Perth council for the first time. Labour also maintained its 18-17 leader over the Progressives in Dundee. Simultaneously however Labour also failed in its attempt to gain a majority in Edinburgh.[1]

Municipal Elections Aggregate Results

Scottish Municipal Elections, 1973[1]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour		33	23	10
	Conservative		14	10	4
	SNP		6	4	2
	Liberal		3	2	1
	Progressives		0	7	7
	Communist		4	0	4
	Other parties		3	30	27

Municipal Breakdown

Council	Labour	Conservative	SNP	Liberal	Independent	Other	Turnout	Total Seats Contested	Control		Details
Abernethy	0	0	0	0	3 ()	0	62%	3		Independent	Details
Airdrie	4 (1)	1 (1)	0	0	0	0	43.4%	3		Labour	Details
Alloa	2 ()	0	0	0	0	0	40%	2		Labour	Details
Aberdeen	7 (1)	4 (1)	0	1 (1)	0 (1)	0	27.4%	12		Labour	Details
Clydebank	5 ()	1 ()	()	()	()	()		6		Labour	Details
Coatbridge	5 (3)					1 (3)		6			Details
Cumbernauld	3 ()	0	5 ()	0	0	0		8 (of 21)		SNP	Details
Dumbarton	3()						29.8	3		Labour	Details
Dundee	7 ()	6 ()	0	0	0	0		13 (of 36)		Labour	Details
Dunoon	(1)				(1)					Independent	Details
Edinburgh	13 ()	9 (1)	0	3 (1)	0 (1)	1 (1)		26 (of 69)		No overall control	Details
Glasgow	26 (4)	11 (1)	0	0	0	0 (5)	30.5%	37 (of 113)		Labour	Details
Greenock	6(1)	0	0	2(1)	0	0	40%	8 (of 27)		Labour	Details
Gourock		1()		2()			51.3	3		Independent	Details
Inverness	(2)		(1)				31.2	(of 21)		Independent	Details
Kirkaldy	4(1)	1(1)	1(1)			4 (1)	39.3	10		No overall control	Details
Peebles	0	0	0	0	5 ()	0		5 (of 15)		Independent	Details
Penicuik		(1)				(1)		(of 21)		Independent	Details
Perth	(3)				(1)	(2)		8 (of 24)		No overall control	Details
Port Glasgow	1()					1()	35.9	2		Independent	Details
Stirling	10(1)	0	6(1)	0	5()	0		7 (of 21)		Labour	Details
Stornoway	0	0	0	0	3()	0	37.6%	3		Independent	Details

In a number of burghs there were no contests, with candidates being returned unopposed.[2]

[2]

References

1. "Labour on top in day of record low polling". The Glasgow Herald. 2 May 1973. p. 1.
2. "Results in the Municipal Elections". The Glasgow Herald. 2 May 1972. p. 2.