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 Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

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 Group Captain Frank Andrew Willan, (21 December 1915 – 12 November 1981) was an English aviator, Royal Air Force officer and Conservative politician. He was Chairman of Wiltshire County Council from 1973 to 1979. Early life The son of Briga ...

, 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 Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

ended with twenty-two county councillors, most of them in and around

Swindon Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon un ...

, 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 John Bernard Ainslie OBE (2 August 1921 – 5 January 2007), known as Jack Ainslie, was a Wiltshire farmer and Liberal politician, Chairman of Wiltshire County Council from 1986 to 1990. Early life Born at Stanmore, Middlesex, on 2 August 192 ...

Colin Rallings Colin Rallings is a British academic, Professor of Politics in the School of Sociology, Politics & Law at the University of Plymouth. Rallings’ first degree was in Politics and Modern History from the University of Manchester. Subsequently, he ...

Michael Thrasher Michael Thrasher is a British academic, Professor of Politics in the School of Sociology, Politics & Law at the University of Plymouth. He is also Sky News' election analyst. Thrasher was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire in 1953. he receive ...

Wiltshire County Council election Results 1973–2005
at electionscentre.co.uk

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

References

*''The Municipal Year Book and Public Services Directory'' (1974) {{Wiltshire elections 1973 1973 English local elections 20th century in Wiltshire