1973 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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.

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

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
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 66 0 0 0 91.7 60.5 40,000 N/A
  Conservative 5 0 0 0 6.9 28.4 18,793 N/A
  Independent 1 0 0 0 1.4 8.1 5,363 N/A
  Independent Labour 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.4 942 N/A
  Own Occ. 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.3 862 N/A
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 141 N/A

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

Party New council
Labour 66
Conservatives 5
Independent 1
Total 72
Working majority  60 

Ward results
Ward 1 (Lindsay-Scholes-Whelley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Connolly 2,570 73.6 N/A
Labour A. Coyle 2,568
Labour M. Pratt 2,381
Conservative C. Giles 921 26.4 N/A
Conservative R. Stockley 775
Conservative J. Lawson 732
Majority 1,460 47.2 N/A
Turnout 3,491 38.6 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 2 (Poolstock-Worsley Mesnes)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Brogan 2,149 81.6 N/A
Labour H. Milligan 1,898
Labour S. Townley 1,873
Conservative P. Harrison 485 18.4 N/A
Majority 1,664 63.2 N/A
Turnout 2,634 27.5 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 3 (Gidlow-Swinley-Whitley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Dowling 2,765 59.7 N/A
Conservative G. Lewthwaite 2,687
Conservative W. Somers 2,686
Labour E. Maloney 1,867 40.3 N/A
Labour R. Baker 1,840
Labour H. Barker 1,820
Majority 898 19.4 N/A
Turnout 4,632 39.4 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 4 (Beech Hill and Marsh Green)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Presst 2,393 80.5 N/A
Labour E. Naylor 2,380
Labour J. Eckersley 2,373
Conservative W. France 580 19.5 N/A
Majority 1,813 61.0 N/A
Turnout 2,973 31.5 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 5 (Highfield and Lamberhead)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Barlow 1,982 68.1 N/A
Labour E. Maddocks 1,961
Labour J. Smith 1,848
Conservative J. Gaskell 930 31.9 N/A
Conservative L. Low 817
Conservative C. Boyle 706
Majority 1,052 36.1 N/A
Turnout 2,912 30.6 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 6 (Newtown and Rose Hill)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Peet 1,806 81.6 N/A
Labour J. Bridge 1,710
Labour M. Mulligan 1,662
Conservative J. Whittle 407 18.4 N/A
Majority 1,399 63.2 N/A
Turnout 2,213 25.3 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 7 (Hope Carr)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Roberts 1,444 56.6 N/A
Labour T. Hourigan 1,423
Labour J. Jones 1,322
Conservative J. Sinai 1,108 43.4 N/A
Conservative R. Goodwin 1,085
Conservative D. Angell 1,011
Majority 336 13.2 N/A
Turnout 2,552 36.6 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 8 (St Pauls and St Peters)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Macdonald 1,387 74.5 N/A
Labour P. Hull 1,368
Labour G. Bridge 1,259
Conservative M. Price 333 17.9 N/A
Conservative R. Boardman 324
Conservative D. Blyth 267
Communist J. Blackburn 141 7.6 N/A
Majority 1,054 56.6 N/A
Turnout 1,861 21.8 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 9 (Etherstone and St Marys)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Moore 1,538 60.7 N/A
Labour J. Riley 1,522
Labour W. Derbyshire 1,455
Conservative M. Howcroft 994 39.3 N/A
Conservative S. Simm 972
Conservative S. Johnson 905
Majority 544 21.5 N/A
Turnout 2,532 27.0 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 10 (Lilford-St Josephs-St Thomas)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Smith 1,727 53.2 N/A
Labour J. Murray 1,714
Labour J. Prytharch 1,594
Conservative M. Wood 1,518 46.8 N/A
Conservative H. Yates 1,477
Conservative K. Price 1,459
Majority 209 6.4 N/A
Turnout 3,245 35.8 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 11 (Golborne St Thomas and Lowton)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Holt 2,918 73.7 N/A
Labour T. Morgan 2,852
Labour E. Roberts 2,826
Conservative T. Thompson 1,040 26.3 N/A
Conservative D. Fryer 979
Conservative W. Kearns 968
Majority 1,878 47.4 N/A
Turnout 3,958 39.4 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 12 (Golborne Heath Park and Ashton)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Hilton 2,272 74.2 N/A
Labour E. Houghton 2,183
Labour A. Miller 2,104
Independent B. Doubledam 788 25.8 N/A
Majority 1,484 48.5 N/A
Turnout 3,060 34.8 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 13 (Ashton-in-Makerfield North and West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Lockett Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour R. Lyons Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour A. Heckles Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 14 (Ashton-in-Makerfield Central and East)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Lea 1,561 70.3 N/A
Labour T. Jones 1,492
Labour G. Fairhurst 1,475
Conservative C. Kinrade 658 29.7 N/A
Majority 903 40.7 N/A
Turnout 2,219 27.8 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 15 (Standish with Langtree and Shevington)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Meadows 1,780 33.3 N/A
Labour J. Healey 1,674
Independent G. Dewhurst 1,553 29.1 N/A
Labour E. Garner 1,503
Conservative B. Maccarthy 1,067 20.0 N/A
Conservative F. Wareing 1,038
Independent Labour I. Cropper 942 17.6 N/A
Majority 227 4.2 N/A
Turnout 5,342 50.9 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Ward 16 (Aspull)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Singer 2,526 64.6 N/A
Labour W. Mason 2,452
Labour H. Lowe 2,397
Conservative J. Blackledge 1,387 35.4 N/A
Conservative D. Pardey 1,381
Conservative A. Turner 1,189
Majority 1,139 29.1 N/A
Turnout 3,913 39.1 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 17 (Atherton North East)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Sumner Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour J. Clarke Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour D. Skitt Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 18 (Atherton South West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Sumner 1,230 46.8 N/A
Conservative M. Williams 1,000 38.0 N/A
Labour G. Horrabin 920
Conservative H. Sharland 919
Labour L. Seddon 880
Conservative E. Sweeney 827
Independent V. France 400 15.2 N/A
Majority 230 8.7 N/A
Turnout 2,630 39.8 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 19 (Hindley Central and North)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C. Priestley 2,022 76.0 N/A
Labour T. Isherwood 2,011
Labour A. Robinson 1,895
Conservative K. Dempsey 637 24.0 N/A
Majority 1,385 52.1 N/A
Turnout 2,659 33.5 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 20 (Hindley South East and West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Harrison 1,834 63.5 N/A
Labour B. McAllister 1,749
Labour S. Hardy 1,712
Conservative J. Culshaw 1,053 36.5 N/A
Majority 781 27.1 N/A
Turnout 2,887 29.2 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 21 (Ince-in-Makerfield)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Taylor Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour A. Rowlandson Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour A. Banks Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 22 (Orrell and Billinge)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Whittle 2,155 38.1 N/A
Labour S. Waring 1,931
Conservative J. Simpkin 1,910 33.8 N/A
Labour L. Grime 1,818
Conservative F. Fairbairn 1,705
Independent A. Atherton 1,587 28.1 N/A
Majority 245 4.3 N/A
Turnout 5,652 44.6 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 23 (Tyldesley - Shakerley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Little 1,616 70.8 N/A
Labour M. Devlin 1,559
Labour A. Wright 1,509
Independent J. Barnes 666 29.2 N/A
Majority 950 41.6 N/A
Turnout 2,282 28.6 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ward 24 (Tyldesley - Astley Green and Blackmoor)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Rawson 1,223 49.8 N/A
Labour F. Walker 1,219
Labour F. Hampson 1,151
Own Occ. F. Valentine 862 35.1 N/A
Own Occ. H. Pawsey 853
Own Occ. E. Myers 742
Independent J. Parry 369 15.0 N/A
Majority 361 14.7 N/A
Turnout 2,454 34.3 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

References
  1. "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
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