1973 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election

The first elections to Trafford Council were held on Thursday, 10 May 1973. This was a new council created to replace the following authorities: the Municipal Borough of Altrincham, the Municipal Borough of Sale, the Municipal Borough of Stretford, Bowdon Urban District, Hale Urban District, Urmston Urban District, and parts of Bucklow Rural District. This election would create the entire 63-member council (3 councillors to each ward), which would shadow its predecessor councils before taking over their functions on 1 April 1974, as specified in the Local Government Act 1972. Each 1st-placed candidate would serve a five-year term of office, expiring in 1978. Each 2nd-placed candidate would serve a three-year term of office, expiring in 1976. Each 3rd-placed candidate would serve a two-year term of office, expiring in 1975.

The Conservative Party gained overall control of the council.

After the election, the composition of the council was as follows:

Party		Seats
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	32
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Labour	19
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Liberal	12
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative gain

Ward results

Detailed below are the three successful candidates for each ward, with number of votes received.

Altrincham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Hoyle	1,265	48.6
	Conservative	K. A. Harrison	1,240	47.6
	Conservative	A. R. Littler	1,150
	Conservative	A. Whitehurst	1,140
	Labour	H. Harmer	1,102
	Labour	A. Crossman	1,075
	Conservative	A. Whitehurst	1,140
	Communist	J. Brennan	99	3.8
Majority			10
Turnout				36.4
	Labour win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Bowdon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. B. Gill	2,442	56.0
	Conservative	B. M. Hall	2,332
	Conservative	J. B. Humphreys	2,262
	Liberal	F. Vickery	1,213	27.8
	Labour	A. Johnson	702	16.1
	Labour	J. Kill	543
	Labour	A. Duxbury	487
Majority			1,049
Turnout				47.2
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Broadheath

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	F. R. Metcalf	1,093	33.3
	Conservative	D. W. Stroud	1,070
	Conservative	O. Wilson	1,054
	Labour	B. Jones	1,040	31.7
	Liberal	E. Faulkner	1,020	31.1
	Labour	J. Webb	974
	Liberal	B. Jones	966
	Labour	M. Oliver	952
	Liberal	R. Allen	833
	Communist	E. Sheldon	129	3.9
Majority			14
Turnout				45.7
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Brooklands

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	C. S. Fink	2,073	50.9
	Liberal	M. Horlock	2,027
	Liberal	S. Evans	1,905
	Conservative	A. Goodliffe	1,878	46.1
	Conservative	J. Fergusson	1,796
	Conservative	A. Long	1,723
	Communist	B. Panter	120	2.9
Majority			27
Turnout				43.4
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)

Bucklow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Holland	1,277	45.8
	Labour	J. D. Paul	1,228
	Labour	B. G. Nutter	1,151
	Liberal	A. Appleton	690	24.8
	Independent	M. Sharkey	621	22.3
	Communist	E. Wilkinson	199	7.1
Majority			461
Turnout				24.0
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Clifford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Davies	1,445	55.3
	Labour	V. J. Wynne	1,346
	Labour	R. A. Tully	1,295
	Conservative	R. Corke	1,169	44.7
	Conservative	E. Kelson	1,123
	Conservative	K. Pulford	1,095
Majority			126
Turnout				36.9
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Davyhulme East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. G. Haigh	1,158	63.1
	Conservative	F. H. Eadie	1,148
	Conservative	R. E. Crosbie	1,122
	Labour	B. Hall	678	36.9
	Labour	D. Stewart	658
	Labour	G. Scott	629
Majority			444
Turnout				33.2
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Davyhulme West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. H. Carnall	1,964	54.6
	Conservative	A. E. Williams	1,908
	Conservative	H. P. Liddiard	1,897
	Labour	B. Elliot	1,636	45.4
	Labour	A. Stringer	1,538
	Labour	R. Taylor	1,479
Majority			261
Turnout				37.6
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Flixton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. Wroe	1,877	45.2
	Conservative	N. J. Fitzpatrick	1,755
	Conservative	G. B. W. Lumby	1,737
	Liberal	N. Heywood	1,539	37.1
	Liberal	M. Willis	1,431
	Liberal	A. Hannett	1,415
	Labour	D. Hall	735	17.7
	Labour	R. Phillips	727
	Labour	K. Barnes	658
Majority			198
Turnout				43.1
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Hale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Hinchcliffe	2,814	64.9
	Conservative	B. H. Adams	2,734
	Conservative	R. Godwin	2,726
	Liberal	C. Ball	1,016	23.4
	Liberal	B. Judson	941
	Liberal	R. Rivera	897
	Labour	J. Cope	508	11.7
	Labour	E. Donnelly	407
	Labour	M. Green	379
Majority			1,710
Turnout				44.9
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Longford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. W. Homer	1,859	52.5
	Conservative	O. Chandler	1,811
	Conservative	A. Kelly	1,711
	Labour	J. Bailey	1,683	47.5
	Labour	H. Pyper	1,655
	Labour	K. Silcock	1,606
Majority			28
Turnout				35.4
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Mersey St. Marys

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	B. P. Clancy	1,876	51.4
	Conservative	I. H. Hurst	1,777	48.6
	Conservative	R. P. Bannister	1,774
	Liberal	K. Humber	1,752
	Liberal	M. Hughes	1,736
	Conservative	J. Parkins	1,734
Majority			22
Turnout				39.9
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Shaw	1,530	57.8
	Labour	H. Pyper	1,503
	Labour	J. R. Haydock	1,484
	Conservative	W. Matthews	936	35.4
	Conservative	Evans	886
	Conservative	Jaminson	860
	Communist	Jarrett	181	6.8
Majority			548
Turnout				39.2
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Priory

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. M. Phillipson	1,605	40.1
	Liberal	W. J. Golding	1,529
	Liberal	A. Thorpe	1,475
	Conservative	J. Peet	1,435	35.9
	Conservative	F. Laughton	1,417
	Conservative	J. Sutton	1,349
	Labour	K. Walton	856	21.4
	Labour	K. Tottle	806
	Labour	T. Packham	705
	Communist	D. Hames	102	2.6
Majority			40
Turnout				44.1
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)

Sale Moor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Mee	1,345	53.8
	Labour	W. M. Phillips	1,344
	Labour	B. Brotherton	1,197
	Conservative	J. Hammond	1,043	41.8
	Conservative	E. Scarborough	1,028
	Conservative	G. Berry	987
	Communist	A. Barrage	110	4.4
Majority			154
Turnout				35.1
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

St. Martins

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. E. King	2,178	50.5
	Labour	W. Munro	2,137	49.5
	Conservative	S. G. Brownhill	2,029
	Conservative	G. Rubenstein	1,832
	Labour	E. Mellor	1,800
	Labour	G. Naggs	1,770
Majority			197
Turnout				37.0
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Stretford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Hindley	1,583	66.7
	Conservative	C. Warbrick	1,493
	Conservative	H. Walker	1,492
	Labour	E. Wollaston	789	33.3
	Labour	I. Gregory	777
	Labour	J. Haydock	777
Majority			703
Turnout				39.0
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Talbot

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Marland	1,755	60.5
	Labour	D. F. Sullivan	1,715
	Labour	H. C. Cronshaw	1,694
	Conservative	J. Schofield	956	33.0
	Conservative	F. Warbrick	905
	Conservative	G. Miles	843
	Communist	A. Ironmonger	190	6.5
Majority			738
Turnout				30.1
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Timperley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. W. Davenport	1,748	42.3
	Liberal	M. R. Farnsworth	1,711
	Liberal	J. R. Richardson	1,700
	Conservative	P. Leigh	1,504	36.4
	Conservative	P. Field	1,435
	Conservative	M. Brown	1,397
	Labour	P. Griffiths	881	21.3
	Labour	R. Coulthard	867
	Labour	D. Teasdale	859
Majority			196
Turnout				42.2
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)

Urmston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. R. Coupe	1,323	38.5
	Conservative	R. V. Royle-Higginson	1,270
	Liberal	G. Davies	1,262	36.8
	Liberal	J. Tame	1,261
	Conservative	A. Platt	1,208
	Liberal	A. Dickinson	1,169
	Labour	D. O'Kelly	849	24.7
	Labour	D. Watts	772
	Labour	W. Williams	769
Majority			1
Turnout				39.3
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)

Village

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Wharton	1,283	34.9
	Liberal	R. Bowker	1,168	31.7
	Labour	V. Collett	1,165
	Conservative	A. Weedall	1,138
	Conservative	R. Hall	1,076
	Labour	K. Warrington	1,041
	Liberal	A. Beswick	1,008
	Liberal	T. Ballard	999
	Conservative	R. Alcock	935
	Communist	L. Whitney	90	2.4
Majority			27
Turnout				43.7
	Labour win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)