1973 Aberdeen Corporation election

1973 Aberdeen Corporation election

May 1, 1973 (1973-05-01)
12 out of 36 seats of City of Aberdeen Council 19 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Labour Conservative Liberal Seats won 6 5 1 Seats after 23 12 1 Seat change 1 1 1 Popular vote 20,117 13,257 2,617 Percentage 54.6% 36.0% 7.1%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Party Communist Independent SNP Seats won 0 0 0 Seats after 0 0 0 Seat change 0 1 0 Popular vote 415 265 203 Percentage 1.1% 0.7% 0.6%
Composition of Corporation after the election

An election to the Aberdeen Corporation was held on 1 May 1973, alongside municipal elections across Scotland. 12 of the corporation's 36 seats were up for election.

The election saw Labour remain in control of the corporation, winning 6 seats, giving them a total of 23. The Conservatives won 5 seats, including one gained from 89-year-old Independent councillor George Roberts, contributing to a total of 12 after the election. Nigel Lindsay caused a major upset when he became the first ever Liberal to be elected to the corporation, unseating the Labour group's leader Thomas Paine in St Machar ward.

Ward results

Ferryhill

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Cecil H. Clevitt	2,782	63.5
	Conservative	John Watt	1,602	36.5
Majority			1,108
Turnout				30.8
	Labour hold

Holburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Richard Gallagher	1,538	49.7
	Labour	Dr. Alexander F. McDonald	1,090	35.2
	Independent	George Roberts	265	8.6
	SNP	George Rodger	203	6.5
Majority			448
Turnout				35.4
	Conservative gain from Independent

Mastrick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Robert S. Lennox	2,705	81.1
	Conservative	Sheila M. Walker	474	14.2
	Communist	William R. Henderson	131	3.9
Majority			2,231
Turnout				21.3
	Labour hold

Northfield

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Margaret Farquhar	1,577	85.8
	Conservative	Alexander Stewart Kidd	164	8.9
	Communist	Andrew L. Smith	97	5.3
Majority			1,413
Turnout				15.6
	Labour hold

Rosemount

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	John C. Anderson	1,990	53.1
	Labour	June Lamond	1,344	35.9
	Liberal	Louise Windebank	413	11.0
Majority			646
Turnout				33.4
	Conservative hold

Rubislaw

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Ronald M. Muir	2,633	77.1
	Labour	Jean M. Mackintosh	784	22.9
Majority			1849
Turnout				31.6
	Conservative hold

Ruthrieston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Alexander Bremner	2,483	61.6
	Labour	Howard G. Lovell	1,547	38.4
Majority			936
Turnout				32.7
	Conservative hold

St. Clements

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Alexander C. Collie (incumbent)	1,263	82.0
	Conservative	Kenneth Watmough	222	14.4
	Communist	George C. Thomson	56	3.6
Majority			1041
Turnout				21.4
	Labour hold

St. Machar

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Nigel Lindsay	2,204	47.8
	Labour	Thomas Paine	2,114	45.9
	Conservative	Hugh S. Birse	211	4.6
	Communist	Christopher Ramsey	79	1.7
Majority			90
Turnout				32.3
	Liberal gain from Labour

St. Nicholas

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	William P. Craig	1,097	67.3
	Conservative	Bernard Morrison	533	32.7
Majority			564
Turnout				23.6
	Labour hold

Torry

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Ellen Williamson	2,052	83.7
	Conservative	Gordon Adams	400	16.3
Majority			1652
Turnout				22.4
	Labour hold

Woodside

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Harold Selbie	1,762	62.5
	Conservative	Robert Anderson	1,007	35.7
	Communist	Norman Williamson	52	1.8
Majority			755
Turnout				29.8
	Labour hold