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.
Results by divisions
Amesbury No. 1
Amesbury No. 2
Amesbury No. 3
Bedwyn
Box
Bradford
Bradford & Melksham No. 1
Bradford & Melksham No. 2
Bremhill
Brinkworth
Calne North
Calne South
Cannings
Chippenham Park
Chippenham Sheldon
Chippenham Town
Collingbourne
Corsham
Cricklade
Devizes No. 1 (East)
Devizes No. 2
Downton
Enford
Fisherton
Highworth No. 1
Highworth No. 2
Highworth No. 3
Highworth No. 4
Highworth No. 5
Kington
Langley
Lavington
Malmesbury
Marlborough
Melksham
Mere & Tisbury No. 1
Mere & Tisbury No. 2
New Sarum Bemerton
New Sarum Fisherton
New Sarum St Edmund
New Sarum St Mark
New Sarum St Paul
New Sarum St Thomas
Pewsey
Potterne
Preshute
Purton
Sherston
Swindon East
Swindon Kings
Swindon North
Swindon Queens
Swindon South No. 1
Swindon South No. 2
Swindon West
Trowbridge No. 1
Trowbridge No. 2
Trowbridge No. 3
Warminster
Warminster & Westbury No. 1
Warminster & Westbury No. 2
Warminster & Westbury No. 3
Westbury
Whiteparish
Wilton
Wootton Bassett
Wylye
Notes
See also
References
- The Municipal Year Book and Public Services Directory (1974)