1973 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

The first elections to the newly created Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council were held on Thursday, 10 May 1973, with the entirety of the 51 seat council - three seats for each of the 17 wards - up for vote.[1] The Local Government Act 1972 stipulated that the elected members were to shadow and eventually take over from the predecessor corporation on 1 April 1974. The order in which the councillors were elected dictated their term serving, with third-place candidates serving two years and up for re-election in 1975, second-placed three years expiring in 1976 and 1st-placed five years until 1978.

The election resulted in the Conservatives gaining control of the council.[2]

Ward results

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Ward 1 (Elmdon)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Barlow 2,001 61.2 N/A
Conservative Norman Page 1,882
Conservative Robin McDonald 1,871
Labour Frederick Rivers 1,270 38.8 N/A
Labour John Hill 1,163
Labour Edward Raven 1,109
Majority 731 22.3 N/A
Turnout 3,271 35.6 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 2 (Knowle)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Audrey Godderidge 1,667 69.0 N/A
Conservative Edward Brown 1,528
Conservative Thomas Morrison 1,448
Liberal Susan Rose 538 22.3 N/A
Labour Alfred Gilbert 212 8.8 N/A
Labour Peter Harris 190
Majority 1,129 46.7 N/A
Turnout 2,417 31.7 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 3 (Lyndon)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bertram Hodder 1,795 54.0 N/A
Conservative Peter Duddy 1,775
Conservative Peter Ellis 1,699
Labour David Jamieson 1,531 46.0 N/A
Labour Douglas Gray 1,516
Labour Norman Boston 1,347
Majority 264 7.9 N/A
Turnout 3,326 53.0 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 4 (Olton)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Windmill 2,102 53.6 N/A
Liberal Norman Chapple 1,926
Conservative Norman Bradbeer 1,821 46.4 N/A
Liberal John Graham 1,721
Conservative Peter Mitchell 1,586
Conservative Harry Sutton 1,498
Majority 281 7.2 N/A
Turnout 3,923 43.8 N/A
Liberal win (new seat)
Liberal win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 5 (Packwood, Hockley Heath)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Kirk Korn 1,861 53.3 N/A
Independent Keith Pickering 1,829
Independent Donald Schoon 1,784
Conservative Anthony Bond 1,629 46.7 N/A
Conservative Jennifer Davis 1,623
Conservative Mary Dingley 1,525
Majority 232 6.6 N/A
Turnout 3,490 37.5 N/A
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Ward 6 (St. Alphege)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Ledbetter 3,281 61.4 N/A
Conservative Norman Green 3,069
Conservative Ronald Herd 2,916
Liberal Brenda Chapple 1,038 19.4 N/A
Independent William Wright 1,025 19.2 N/A
Majority 2,243 42.0 N/A
Turnout 5,344 42.6 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 7 (Shirley East)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Arthur Baverstock 1,839 55.0 N/A
Independent Leslie Belton 1,824
Independent Leslie Pitt 1,755
Conservative Vincent Humberstone 1,502 45.0 N/A
Conservative Joan Manuel 1,418
Conservative John Tresman 1,387
Majority 337 10.1 N/A
Turnout 3,341 36.2 N/A
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Ward 8 (Shirley South)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leslie Coombes 1,393 48.0 N/A
Conservative Michael Ellis 1,254
Conservative Ernest Scadding 1,245
Labour Martin Cumella 836 28.8 N/A
Labour John Foster 826
Labour Maureen Gee 763
Independent John Hamilton 671 23.1 N/A
Independent Francis Thornton 650
Independent Arthur Knight 575
Majority 557 19.2 N/A
Turnout 2,900 44.5 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 9 (Shirley West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Thomas Clark 1,466 64.7 N/A
Independent Richard Lewis 1,403
Independent Peter Miles 1,377
Conservative Anthony Hawkins 800 35.3 N/A
Conservative Pamela Howe 770
Conservative Derek Wadsworth 740
Majority 666 29.4 N/A
Turnout 2,266 33.5 N/A
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Ward 10 (Silhill)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Hill 2,316 59.0 N/A
Conservative Bertram Hyde 2,284
Conservative Geoffrey Gibbons 2,248
Independent John Wall 688 17.5 N/A
Liberal Anthony Skuce 560 14.3 N/A
Labour Harry Hill 358 9.1 N/A
Labour Francis Deacon 356
Labour John Bevan 353
Majority 1,628 41.5 N/A
Turnout 3,922 31.3 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Ward 11 (Berkswell, Balsall & Meriden)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Grahame Boakes 1,790 77.6 N/A
Conservative Reginald Meddings 1,700
Conservative Anthony Wyldbore-Smith 1,682
Labour Roy Rigby 517 22.4 N/A
Majority 1,273 55.2 N/A
Turnout 2,307 33.2 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Results of Elections of District Councillors", Solihull M.B.C results sheet (1973).
  2. ^ "Vote 2012: Solihull". BBC News Online. Retrieved 26 January 2013.