1973 Wiltshire County Council election

1973 UK local government election

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← 1969

12 April 1973

1977 →


Party	Conservative	Labour	Independent


Party	Liberal

The County of Wiltshire within England

Elected Party

Conservative

Elections to Wiltshire County Council were held on Thursday, 12 April 1973. The whole council of seventy-nine members was up for election, and the Conservatives came within a whisker of taking formal control.

The Chairman of the Council since 1969, Sir Henry Langton, did not stand for re-election, and at the annual meeting later in April was succeeded by Frank Willan, who continued for the whole four years of the council's term of office.

Election result

The Conservatives, with thirty-nine seats, took effective control of the county council. Labour ended with twenty-two county councillors, most of them in and around Swindon, while Independents ended the election with twelve seats and the Liberals six. The elections were not fiercely fought everywhere, with twenty-four of the sixty-seven divisions uncontested. Most of the uncontested seats, eighteen, went to Conservatives, five to Independents, and one to a Liberal, Jack Ainslie.

Result of Wiltshire County Council election, 1973
	Seats	Seats %
Conservative	39	49.4
Labour	22	27.8
Independent	12	15.2
Liberal	6	7.6

Results by divisions

Amesbury No. 1

Amesbury No. 1 (two seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	T. H. J. Heffernan	1,675	57.7
	Conservative	A. Hall	1,622
	Labour	P. Lumley	1,228	42.3
	Labour	P. Matthews	958
Majority			447

Amesbury No. 2

Amesbury No. 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	H. E. Richardson	832	47.4
	Labour	S. Rudkin	799	45.6
	Independent	A. Whateley	123	7.0
Majority			33

Amesbury No. 3

Amesbury No. 3
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	S. Peacock	1,155
	Labour	C. Pude	571
Majority			584

Bedwyn

Bedwyn
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	C. E. Elliot-Cohen	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Box

Box
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	R. Fudge	978	66.0
	Independent	D. Newman	503	34.0
Majority			475	32.0

Bradford

Bradford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Mrs M. Mizen	1,377	43.5
	Conservative	Captain P. S. Beale	1,119	35.4
	Liberal	A. Thomas	667	21.1
Majority			258

Bradford & Melksham No. 1

Bradford & Melksham No. 1
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Mrs D. L. Maulton	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Bradford & Melksham No. 2

Bradford & Melksham No. 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. Earle	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Bremhill

Bremhill
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Earl of Shelburne	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Brinkworth

Brinkworth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Shuter	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Calne North

Calne North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	L. Carpenter	817	55.9
	Liberal	E. Hornby	644	44.1
Majority			173

Calne South

Calne South
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	F. C. Eley	512	60.1
	Labour	M. Jeary	340	39.9
Majority			172	20.2

Cannings

Cannings
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lt Col. C. H. Antrobus	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Chippenham Park

Chippenham Park
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Burton	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Chippenham Sheldon

Chippenham Sheldon
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	H. Williamson	1,076	38.9
	Liberal	M. Whittle	921	33.3
	Conservative	G. Webb	767	27.7
Majority			155	5.6

Chippenham Town

Chippenham Town
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	G. B. Jamieson	711	39.5
	Liberal	S. du Plat-Taylor	708	39.4
	Labour	J. Lawless	379	21.1
Majority			3

Collingbourne

Collingbourne
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. G. Bartlett	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Corsham

Corsham
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	B. Fuller	1,592	59.9
	Labour	H. Shaw	1,065	49.1
Majority			527	10.8

Cricklade

Cricklade
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	F. Freeth	627	51.9
	Independent	C. Turner	581	48.1
Majority			46	3.8

Devizes No. 1 (East)

Devizes No. 1 (East)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	F. Kirby	1,044	79.3
	Conservative	L. Coxon	273	20.7
Majority			771	58.6

Devizes No. 2

Devizes No. 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	M. Rendall	1,025	58.4
	Labour	Mrs M. Taylor	731	41.6
Majority			294	16.8

Downton

Downton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	N. J. M. Anderson	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Enford

Enford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Brigadier George Wort	992	70.0
	Labour	J. Goodall	425	30.0
Majority			567	40.0

Fisherton

Fisherton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Mrs J. E. M. Smith	990	72.8
	Labour	H. Trevor-Cox	370	27.2
Majority			620	45.6

Highworth No. 1

Highworth No. 1 (three seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	A. Miles	3,475
	Labour	B. V. Cockbill	3,265
	Labour	K. R. Coello	3,045
	Conservative	G. Claspar	1,682
	Conservative	A. Stainer	1,606
	Conservative	R. Stainer	1,469
Majority			1,363

Highworth No. 2

Highworth No. 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	W. McKanan-Jones	1,535	58.6
	Labour	E. Garrett	1,083	41.4
Majority			452	17.2

Highworth No. 3

Highworth No. 3
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	D. G. W. Cooke	1,085	50.5
	Liberal	B. Schofield	1,062	49.5
Majority			23	1.0

Highworth No. 4

Highworth No. 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. J. Bran	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Highworth No. 5

Highworth No. 5
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Barnett	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Kington

Kington
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. McCarthy	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Langley

Langley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Featherston-Godley	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Lavington

Lavington
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	J. Spencer	935	56.1
	Independent	C. Gillington	732	43.9
Majority			203	12.2

Malmesbury

Malmesbury
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Major P. Sturgis	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Marlborough

Marlborough
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	P. Maurice	1,291	56.9
	Conservative	A. Gray	978	43.1
Majority			513	13.8

Melksham

Melksham (two seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	F. B. Day	1,831	64.3
	Labour	Mrs M. E. Salisbury	1,798
	Independent	W. Dixon	1,016	35.7
Majority			782

Mere & Tisbury No. 1

Mere & Tisbury No. 1 (Donhead & Tisbury)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Group Captain F. A. Willan	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Mere & Tisbury No. 2

Mere & Tisbury No. 2 (Mere)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Underwood	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

New Sarum Bemerton

New Sarum (Bemerton)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Mrs B. D. Brown	927	63.5
	Conservative	D. Shergold	533	36.5
Majority			394	27.0

New Sarum Fisherton

New Sarum (Fisherton)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mrs N. M. Locock	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

New Sarum St Edmund

New Sarum (St Edmund)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	R. C. A. Townsend	1,307	55.5
	Labour	R. Pelly	1,048	44.5
Majority			259	11.0

New Sarum St Mark

New Sarum (St Mark)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mrs M. J. Benson	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

New Sarum St Paul

New Sarum (St Paul)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	F. W. Grandfield	808	53.4
	Conservative	W. Porter	705	46.6
Majority			103	6.8

New Sarum St Thomas

New Sarum (St Thomas)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Mullins	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Pewsey

Pewsey
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	C. Lampard	1,336	66.7
	Labour	A. Wren	667	33.3
Majority			669	33.4

Potterne

Potterne
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	E. P. Awdry	1,142	55.9
	Conservative	A. Kidd	900	44.1
Majority			242	11.8

Preshute

Preshute
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. B. Ainslie	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Purton

Purton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	T. Rowe	958	57.6
	Conservative	W. Wilton-Fitzgerald	704	42.4
Majority			254	15.2

Sherston

Sherston
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Turner	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Swindon East

Swindon East (two seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	T. Griffiths	1,504
	Labour	G. Rogers	1,372
	Conservative	D. Bampton	1,290
	Conservative	A. Moss	1,145
Majority			82

Swindon Kings

Swindon Kings
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Miss M. E. Matthews	581	35.2
	Labour	M. Lane	559	33.9
	Liberal	R. Scarfe	509	30.9
Majority			22	1.3

Swindon North

Swindon North (three seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	A. C. G. Durston	1,871	64.9
	Labour	M. Harbar	1,832
	Labour	F. Allen	1,750
	Conservative	F. Ashplant	687	23.8
	Communist	W. Reeves	323	11.2
Majority			1,063

Swindon Queens

Swindon Queens
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Mrs B. A. Horsburgh	539	50.4
	Labour	W. Wilks	531	49.6
Majority			8	0.8

Swindon South No. 1

Swindon South No. 1 (two seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Mrs F. E. Mortimer	1,886
	Conservative	G. Keiller	1,842
	Liberal	J. Newman	1,043
	Liberal	J. Richards	1,019
	Labour	P. Cunnington	570
	Labour	A. Rutson	539
Majority			799

Swindon South No. 2

Swindon South No. 2 (two seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	L. Dowdall-Marsh	1,232	54.2
	Labour	W. Parkin	1,194
	Liberal	G. McMullen	744	32.7
	Liberal	R. Walker	654
	Conservative	W. Turpin	299	13.1
Majority

Swindon West

Swindon West (three seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Miss E. C. M. Millin	2,394	49.4
	Labour	P. Peters	2,247
	Labour	J. Cordon	2,060
	Conservative	R. Savage	1,785	36.8
	Conservative	R. Dore	1,506
	Conservative	J. Pass	1,490
	Liberal	M. Powell	667	13.8
	Liberal	V. Horsburgh	667
	Liberal	I. Grigg	624
Majority			275

Trowbridge No. 1

Trowbridge No. 1
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	B. Walden	543	35.8
	Labour	J. Hungerford	528	34.8
	Liberal	A. Thomson	447	29.4
Majority			15	1.0

Trowbridge No. 2

Trowbridge No. 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Carmen Y. Cannell	807	51.0
	Independent	Anthony G. Phillips	774	49.0
Majority			33	2.0

Trowbridge No. 3

Trowbridge No. 3
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	George Applegate	821	42.2
	Liberal	J. Stevens	648	33.3
	Labour	J. Madden	477	24.5
Majority			173	8.9

Warminster

Warminster (two seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Wall	1,530	33.5
	Independent	Mrs D. J. Main	1,298	28.5
	Liberal	E. Rees	944	20.7
	Liberal	B. Cotton	807
	Labour	P. Morrison	790	17.3
Majority

Warminster & Westbury No. 1

Warminster & Westbury No. 1
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Mrs M. L. Rosser-Rees	1,232	66.8
	Labour	J. Arkwright	611	33.2
Majority			621	33.6

Warminster & Westbury No. 2

Warminster & Westbury No. 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Hon. James Morrison	1,132	58.0
	Labour	W. Vivash	819	42.0
Majority			313	16.0

Warminster & Westbury No. 3

Warminster & Westbury No. 3
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. M. Stratton	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Westbury

Westbury
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Brian J. Gray	1,350	70.2
	Liberal	Caroline Ball	574	29.8
Majority			776	40.4

Whiteparish

Whiteparish
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lady Nye	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Wilton

Wilton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	C. E. Cooper	1,240	54.6
	Conservative	L. Gray	711	31.3
	Independent	M. Woodward	319	14.1
Majority			529	23.3

Wootton Bassett

Wootton Bassett
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	H. G. Hobbs	1,174	42.9
	Liberal	B. Fitzwilliams	1,110	40.6
	Labour	J. Butcher	452	16.5
Majority			64	2.3

Wylye

Wylye
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lt Col. J. O. Jeans	Unopposed
Majority			n/a

Notes

^ Colin Rallings, Michael Thrasher, Wiltshire County Council election Results 1973–2005 at electionscentre.co.uk

References

The Municipal Year Book and Public Services Directory (1974)

v t e (1972 ←) 1973 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1974)
County councils (England)	Avon Bedfordshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Cleveland Cornwall Cumbria Derbyshire Devon Dorset Durham East Sussex Essex Gloucestershire Greater Manchester Hampshire Hereford and Worcester Hertfordshire Humberside Isle of Wight Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Luton Merseyside Norfolk North Yorkshire Northamptonshire Northumberland Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Salop Somerset South Yorkshire Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Tyne and Wear Warwickshire West Midlands West Sussex West Yorkshire Wiltshire
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Sui generis	Isles of Scilly

v t e Council elections in Wiltshire
Wiltshire Council	2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Swindon Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Kennet District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 Abolished
North Wiltshire District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 Abolished
Salisbury District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 Abolished
Wiltshire County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 Abolished
West Wiltshire District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 Abolished
See also: Divisions and wards Boundary changes

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