1973 Wiltshire County Council election
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.
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The County of Wiltshire within England | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.[1]
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 39 | 49.4 % | |||||||
Labour | 22 | 27.8 % | |||||||
Independent | 12 | 15.2 % | |||||||
Liberal | 6 | 7.6 % |
Results by divisions
Amesbury No. 1
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
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | S. Peacock | 1,155 | |||
Labour | C. Pude | 571 | |||
Majority | 584 |
Bedwyn
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | C. E. Elliot-Cohen | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Box
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | R. Fudge | 978 | 66.0 | ||
Independent | D. Newman | 503 | 34.0 | ||
Majority | 475 | 32.0 |
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Mrs D. L. Maulton | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Bradford & Melksham No. 2
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | W. Earle | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Bremhill
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Earl of Shelburne | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Brinkworth
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | P. Shuter | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Calne North
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | L. Carpenter | 817 | 55.9 | ||
Liberal | E. Hornby | 644 | 44.1 | ||
Majority | 173 |
Calne South
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | F. C. Eley | 512 | 60.1 | ||
Labour | M. Jeary | 340 | 39.9 | ||
Majority | 172 | 20.2 |
Cannings
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lt Col. C. H. Antrobus | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Chippenham Park
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | M. Burton | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
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
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | W. G. Bartlett | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Corsham
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | B. Fuller | 1,592 | 59.9 | ||
Labour | H. Shaw | 1,065 | 49.1 | ||
Majority | 527 | 10.8 |
Cricklade
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | F. Freeth | 627 | 51.9 | ||
Independent | C. Turner | 581 | 48.1 | ||
Majority | 46 | 3.8 |
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | M. Rendall | 1,025 | 58.4 | ||
Labour | Mrs M. Taylor | 731 | 41.6 | ||
Majority | 294 | 16.8 |
Downton
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | N. J. M. Anderson | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Enford
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Brigadier George Wort | 992 | 70.0 | ||
Labour | J. Goodall | 425 | 30.0 | ||
Majority | 567 | 40.0 |
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
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
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
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | M. J. Bran | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Highworth No. 5
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | R. Barnett | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Kington
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | J. McCarthy | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Langley
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | P. Featherston-Godley | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Lavington
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | J. Spencer | 935 | 56.1 | ||
Independent | C. Gillington | 732 | 43.9 | ||
Majority | 203 | 12.2 |
Malmesbury
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Major P. Sturgis | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Marlborough
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | P. Maurice | 1,291 | 56.9 | ||
Conservative | A. Gray | 978 | 43.1 | ||
Majority | 513 | 13.8 |
Melksham
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Group Captain F. A. Willan | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Mere & Tisbury No. 2
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | J. Underwood | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mrs N. M. Locock | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mrs M. J. Benson | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | P. Mullins | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Pewsey
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | C. Lampard | 1,336 | 66.7 | ||
Labour | A. Wren | 667 | 33.3 | ||
Majority | 669 | 33.4 |
Potterne
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | E. P. Awdry | 1,142 | 55.9 | ||
Conservative | A. Kidd | 900 | 44.1 | ||
Majority | 242 | 11.8 |
Preshute
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | J. B. Ainslie | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Purton
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | T. Rowe | 958 | 57.6 | ||
Conservative | W. Wilton-Fitzgerald | 704 | 42.4 | ||
Majority | 254 | 15.2 |
Sherston
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | A. Turner | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Swindon East
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
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
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
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
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
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Miss E. C. M. Millin | 2,394 | |||
Labour | P. Peters | 2,247 | 49.4 | ||
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
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Carmen Y. Cannell | 807 | 51.0 | ||
Independent | Anthony G. Phillips | 774 | 49.0 | ||
Majority | 33 | 2.0 |
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
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
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
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | J. M. Stratton | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
Westbury
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Brian J. Gray | 1,350 | 70.2 | ||
Liberal | Caroline Ball | 574 | 29.8 | ||
Majority | 776 | 40.4 |
Whiteparish
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lady Nye | Unopposed | |||
Majority | n/a |
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
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
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
See also
References
- The Municipal Year Book and Public Services Directory (1974)