1973 Mid Bedfordshire District Council election

1973 Mid Bedfordshire District Council election
7 June 1973 1976 →
Whole Council
25 seats needed for a majority
Registered62,423
Turnout49%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Independent Conservative Labour
Seats won 21 17 9
Popular vote 12,232 6,729 7,882
Percentage 43.0% 23.6% 27.7%
  Fourth party
 
Party Liberal
Seats won 2
Popular vote 1,626
Percentage 5.7
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Locations of wards in Mid Bedfordshire

The first election to Mid Bedfordshire District Council was held on 7 June 1973, with the 49 councillors elected forming a shadow authority until 1 April 1974.[1] Mid Bedfordshire District was formed on 1 April 1974 as part of a general reorganisation of local authorities in England and Wales carried out under the Local Government Act 1972. The district was formed by the amalgamation of five districts:[1]

In 1973 Mid Bedfordshire had 62,423 registered electors, of which 57,527 were in the 23 contested wards. The turnout in the contested wards was 49%.[2] Two wards (Henlow & Langford and Wrest) were uncontested.

Result

Mid Bedfordshire District Council Election Result 1973 [3]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 21 42.9 43.0 12,232
  Conservative 17 34.7 23.6 6,729
  Labour 9 18.4 27.7 7,882
  Liberal 2 4.1 5.7 1,626

Ward Results

All results are listed below:[4]

Figures on turnout were taken from Plymouth University's Elections Centre, which gives the number of registered voters, and the percentage turnout for each ward. The number of ballots cast for each ward was calculated from these.

The percentage of the vote for each candidate was calculated compared with the number of ballots cast in the ward. Note that in a ward with more than one seat, voters were allowed to place as many crosses on the ballot paper as seats.

Ampthill

Ampthill (3 seats, 4,110 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent J Nottingham 1,036 33.5
Labour Ms G Wagstaff 722 23.3
Liberal P Cruse 675 21.8
Conservative L Sturman 664 21.4
Conservative Ms A Palmer 645 20.8
Labour R Holmes 488 15.8
Labour G Lane 451 14.6
Liberal Ms M Laycock 298 9.6
Liberal F Rudd 281 9.1
Turnout 3,097 75.4

Arlesey

Arlesey (2 seats, 2,575 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ms A Albon 480 50.8
Labour June Harrowell 464 49.2
Conservative R Turner 407 43.1
Labour C Bromley 399 42.3
Turnout 944 36.7

Aspley (No 13)

Aspley (No 13) (2 seats, 1,967 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent M Kemp 580 67.1
Independent W Klinner 468 54.1
Liberal Ms S Kilpin 285 32.9
Turnout 865 44.0

Biggleswade (No 2)

Biggleswade (No 2) (6 seats, 7,127 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L Chambers 1,875 38.7
Independent Ms C Cook 1,752 36.1
Labour Victor Brunt 1,713 35.3
Labour R Pepper 1,418 29.3
Conservative Patricia Rouse 1,221 25.2
Independent Ms M Armstrong 1,195 24.7
Labour A Haynes 1,179 24.3
Independent J Bones 1,092 22.5
Independent Ms C Ballantyne-Evans 761 15.7
Turnout 4,847 68.0

Blunham (No 17)

Blunham (No 17) (1 seat, 1,273 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ms E Woods 272 43.8
Liberal R Sawford 222 35.7
Labour C Wale 127 20.5
Turnout 621 48.8

Campton & Meppershall & Shefford (No 20)

Campton & Meppershall & Shefford (No 20) (4 seats, 4,964 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ms A Gouldsborough 1,222 38.0
Conservative Geoffrey Rogers 1,213 37.8
Conservative F Burrows 1,183 36.8
Labour A Smythe 998 31.1
Independent F Pettifer 994 30.9
Independent Ms M Faircloth 759 23.6
Labour W Barnett 700 21.8
Labour T Beggs 612 19.1
Turnout 3,212 64.7

Clophill

Clophill (1 seat, 1,080 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W Russell 294 59.4
Labour R Bailey 201 40.6
Turnout 495 45.8

Cranfield

Cranfield (2 seats, 2,938 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent J Salisbury 745 66.5
Independent A Wheelan 553 49.4
Labour H Iron 375 33.5
Labour F Keep 329 29.4
Turnout 1,120 38.1

Flitton & Pulloxhill & Westoning (No 10)

Flitton & Pulloxhill & Westoning (No 10) (2 seats, 2,020 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jean Kent 297 51.8
Conservative Ms J Eells 280 48.9
Independent A Kitchiner 276 48.2
Independent Ms M Frankish 228 39.8
Independent F Sheridan 123 21.5
Turnout 573 28.4

Flitwick & Steppingly (No 11)

Flitwick & Steppingly (No 11) (3 seats, 3,839 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Malcolm Randall 599 39.9
Conservative J Pack 486 32.4
Labour Ms F Rolls 466 31.1
Independent W Billington 435 29.0
Labour Ms S Harris 408 27.2
Labour M Dillon 385 25.7
Independent H Farmer 250 16.7
Independent I Walker 164 10.9
Turnout 1,500 39.1

Harlington

Harlington (1 seat, 1,334 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A Giles 255 34.0
Labour D Parker 243 32.4
Independent E Preston 159 21.2
Independent T Mead 94 12.5
Turnout 751 56.3

Haynes & Houghton Conquest

Haynes & Houghton Conquest (1 seat, 1,542 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent D Lawson 437 60.2
Independent H Craddock 289 39.8
Turnout 726 47.1

Henlow & Langford (No 21)

Henlow & Langford (No 21) (3 seats, 3,538 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent G Charles Unopposed NA
Conservative G Gates Unopposed NA
Liberal J Sewell Unopposed NA

Lidlington (No 15)

Lidlington (No 15) (1 seat, 1,521 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A Donnely 215 35.3
Liberal Ms J Downes 157 25.8
Independent Ms T Parrish 137 22.5
Independent F Scott 100 16.4
Turnout 609 40.0

Marston (No 14)

Marston (No 14) (1 seat, 1,544 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent J Bushby 528 61.1
Labour D Towell 337 39.0
Turnout 864 56.0

Maulden

Maulden (1 seat, 1,452 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ms I Robinson 388 50.3
Independent A Woodward 274 35.5
Labour F Harris 109 14.1
Turnout 771 53.1

Northill (No 18)

Northill (No 18) (1 seat, 1,822 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ms S Dingley 378 43.1
Liberal Alistair Costley 328 37.4
Labour R Charlick 172 19.6
Turnout 878 48.2

Old Warden & Southill

Old Warden & Southill (1 seat, 1,211 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J Saunderson 244 52.5
Independent R Allingham 221 47.5
Turnout 465 38.4

Potton (No 24)

Potton (No 24) (2 seats, 2,515 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent F Jakes 344 54.2
Conservative J Ream 291 45.8
Independent E Mayston 193 30.4
Independent A Dennis 144 22.7
Turnout 635 25.2

Sandy (No 3)

Sandy (No 3) (3 seats, 4,122 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent K Quince 852 43.1
Conservative A Sherwood-King 731 37.0
Conservative J Harrison 711 36.0
Independent E Smith 670 33.9
Conservative L Dray 638 32.3
Labour Ms J Monahan 393 19.9
Turnout 1,975 47.9

Shillington & Stondon

Shillington & Stondon (2 seats, 2,461 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent R Roe 433 69.7
Independent G Cooper 391 63.0
Independent J Burgess 230 37.0
Labour D Cripps 188 30.3
Turnout 621 25.2

Stotfold

Stotfold (3 seats, 3,994 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H Wood 746 54.0
Independent F Hyde 635 46.0
Independent B Clark 571 41.3
Independent A Brown 503 36.4
Labour C Dunkley 427 30.9
Labour W McColl 363 26.3
Turnout 1,381 34.6

Wensley (No 25)

Wensley (No 25) (1 seat, 884 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W Goodyer 233 52.6
Independent D Walker 210 47.4
Turnout 443 50.1

Woburn

Woburn (1 seat, 1,232 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ms G Glasse 376 65.5
Conservative D Woodward 198 34.5
Turnout 574 46.6

Wrest

Wrest (1 seat, 1,358 registered voters)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent G Wood Unopposed NA

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b Local government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 30. ISBN 0117508470.
  2. ^ Calculated from the data for each ward in:
    Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael, "Mid Bedfordshire District Council Election Results 1973-2007" (PDF), www.electionscentre.co.uk, The Elections Centre, Plymouth University, retrieved 14 May 2017
  3. ^ "District level Authority Results.xlsx", www.electionscentre.co.uk, The Elections Centre, Plymouth University, p. 1973, retrieved 14 May 2017
  4. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael, "Mid Bedfordshire District Council Election Results 1973-2007" (PDF), www.electionscentre.co.uk, The Elections Centre, Plymouth University, retrieved 14 May 2017