1973 Edinburgh Corporation election

1973 Edinburgh Corporation election

← 1972 1 May 1973 (1973-05-01) 1974 →
23 of the 69 seats to the Edinburgh Corporation 35 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Peter Wilson Brian Meek Donald Gorrie Party Labour Conservative Liberal Last election 33 9 5 Seats before 35 20 6 Seats won 13 9 3 Seats after 34 21 7 Seat change 1 1 1 Popular vote 44,456 29,806 20,155 Percentage 37.8% 25.3% 17.1%   Fourth party Fifth party   Party Progressives Independent Last election 21 2 Seats before 5 2 Seats won 1 0 Seats after 4 1 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 17,406 N/A Percentage 14.8% N/A
Results by ward.
Council control before election No overall control Council control after election No overall control

An Election to the Edinburgh Corporation was held on 1 May 1973, alongside municipal elections across Scotland. Of the councils 69 seats, 26 were up for election. Labour, despite needing only 1 gain to take control of the council, failed to do so, preventing them from a historic win.^[1]

Following the election, with two by-elections pending, Edinburgh Corporation was composed of 34 Labour councillors, 21 Conservatives, and 7 Liberals, with 5 others.^[1]

By this point only a small rump Progressive party remained on the council, with the bulk of Progressive councillors having joined the Conservatives. A small number, such as Mrs Catherine Filsell (a former Progressive leader), had joined Labour.^[1]

Aggregate results

Edinburgh Corporation election, 1973^[1]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	13	2	2		50.0	37.8	44,456
	Conservative	9	3	2	1	26.9	25.3	29,806
	Liberal	3	1	0	1	11.5	17.1	20,155
	Progressives	1	0	1	1	11.5	14.8	17,406
	SNP	0	0	0		0.0	3.5	4,065
	Communist	0	0	0		0.0	1.1	1,267
	Wester Hailes Association of Tenants	0	0	0		0.0	0.3	312
	Independent Local Community	0	0	0		0.0	0.1	146
	Independent	0	0	0	1	0.0	0.0	0

Ward Results

Broughton^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	W. R. V. Percy	1,811
	Labour	M. J. O'Neill	1,317
	Liberal	Elizabeth R. Barclay	867
Majority			494
Turnout				32.64%
	Conservative hold

Calton^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	J. Cook	2,065
	Conservative	A. G. Jackson	1,426
Majority			839
Turnout				34.76%
	Labour hold

Central Leith^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	T. McGregor	1,695
	Conservative	D. C. Dow	485
	SNP	J. L. Geddea	429
Majority			1,210
Turnout				26.33%
	Labour hold

Colinton^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	A. H. Leater	5,442
	Labour	J. H. McKay	3,956
	SNP	J. McKernan	914
	Wester Hailes Association of Tenants	J. Henderson	312
Majority			1,486
Turnout				40.18%
	Labour

Corstorphine^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	D. C. E. Gorrie	4,773
	Progressives	R. P. Haig	2,677
	Labour	W. Wallace	629
Majority			2,096
Turnout				45.11%
	Liberal hold

Craigentinny^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Phyllis Herriot	3,253
	Conservative	G. V. McArn	1,978
	Communist	T. Burns	116
Majority			1275
Turnout				36.17%
	Labour hold

Craigmillar^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	D. H. Brown	2,722
	Communist	J. O'Donnell	132
Majority			2,590
Turnout				18.93%
	Labour hold

George Square^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	J. F. Stephenm	1,705
	Labour	W. I. Taylor	1,598
	Conservative	W. Reid	1,587
	Conservative	J. Slack	1,545
	Liberal	M. G. Falchikov	847
Majority			11
Turnout				74.58%
	Conservative
	Conservative

Gorgie-Dalry^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	D. M. Swinson	2,061
	Conservative	Fiona M. Cameron	959
	Liberal	D. R. Irving	577
	SNP	E. J. Milne	461
Majority			1,102
Turnout				30.57%
	Labour hold

Holyrood^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	B. C. Rutherford	1,262
	Conservative	L. Taylor	617
Majority			645
Turnout				28.25%
	Labour hold

Liberton^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	J. D. McWilliam	5,122
	Conservative	Susan K. Elliot	3,097
	Communist	W. Cowan	133
Majority			2,025
Turnout				32.43%
	Labour hold

Merchiston^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	R. L. Smith	3,129
	Conservative	Sarah A. Pringle	1,545
	Labour	A. M. M. Black	577
	SNP	G. Bishop	196
Majority			1,584
Turnout				46.72%
	Liberal hold

Morningside^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	N. L. Gordon	3,676
	Progressives	H. Mansbridge	2,910
	SNP	W. Black	359
Majority			766
Turnout				50.36%
	Progressives

Murrayfield-Cramond^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. A. Douglas-Hamilton	4,772
	Labour	P. E. McGhee	1,807
	Liberal	E. Sutherland	1,391
Majority			2965
Turnout				35.20%
	Conservative hold

Newington
2 seats
Electorate: 16,592^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Malcolm Rifkind	3,654	29.92
	Conservative	Margaret E. S. Houston	3,266	26.74
	Labour	B. Mackenzie	1,890	15.48
	Liberal	J. R. MacGillivray	1,784	14.61
	SNP	R. J. D. Scott	713	5.84
	SNP	D. Kelbie	701	5.74
	Communist	Michele Gunn	204	1.67
Majority			1376
Turnout				73.60%
	Conservative hold
	Independent

Pilton^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	M. J. Williamson	2,715
	SNP	G. W. Telford	993
	Conservative	J. Johnston	649
	Communist	C. McManus	128
Majority			1,722
Turnout				23.70%
	Labour hold

Portobello^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Cavaye	3,350
	Labour	Mary Hutchison	1,501
Majority			1,849
Turnout				33.94%
	Conservative hold

St. Andrews^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	A. Brown	968
	Liberal	C. S. Waterman	910
	Labour	E. Milligan	504
Majority			58
Turnout				32.66%
	Conservative hold

St. Bernard's^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Millar	3,075
	Labour	Gertrude Barton	1,868
	Liberal	R. H. Guild	1,631
	Independent Local Community	A. Stevenson	146
Majority			1,207
Turnout				37.42%
	Conservative hold

St. Giles^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Elizabeth R. Mackenzie	999
	Labour	C. Stuart	994
	Conservative	H. Lorimer	490
	Conservative	Caroline Peploe	451
Majority			504
Turnout				36.82%
	Labour hold

Sighthill^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	G. Foulkes	3,375
	Conservative	G. A. R. Fenson	680
	Liberal	A. Burnett	570
	SNP	R. Mackenna	554
	Communist	W. M.Millar	60
Majority			2695
Turnout				28.47%
	Labour hold

South Leith^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	C. Waugh	2,061
	Labour	J. Boyack	2,000
Majority			61
Turnout				35.60%
	Labour

West Leith^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	Margaret B. A. Ross	2,979
	Labour	N. Lindsay	1,433
Majority			1,546
Turnout				39.18%
	Progressives hold

References