# 1973 Reading Borough Council election

The 1973 Reading District Council election was the first election to the reconstituted Reading Borough Council, which changed from being a county borough to a non-metropolitan district under the Local Government Act 1972. At the time of the election it had yet to be decided whether the new district would hold borough status and so contemporary reports describe the election as being to "Reading District Council", although it was subsequently confirmed that the new council would be a borough.
The elections were held on 7 June 1973, in common with other new non-metropolitan district councils in England and Wales. The councillors elected in 1973 were to shadow the outgoing corporation until they formally took over on 1 April 1974. The election left the council with no overall control, with Labour winning most votes by a very narrow margin, but holding the same number of seats (16) as the Conservatives. The Liberals with 14 seats held the balance of power.
The Labour leader on the old corporation was Bob Towner and the Conservative leader was Edward Busby. Both led their parties into the elections, but neither man stood for a seat on the new council. After the election, Chris Goodall was appointed Labour group leader, and William Badnall the Conservative group leader. The Liberal group leader remained Jim Day, who had been party leader on the old corporation. A Labour / Liberal administration was eventually formed, with Jim Day being appointed to the council's top political job as chair of the policy committee.

## Results

Reading Borough Council Election, 1973 :
| Party | Seats | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Labour | 16 | 34.8% | 36.3% | 43,929 |
| Conservative | 16 | 34.8% | 36.2% | 43,731 |
| Liberal | 14 | 30.4% | 26.1% | 31,524 |
| Independent | 0 | 0% | 1.5% | 1,760 |

### Ward results

The results in each ward were as follows:
Abbey Ward (two seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | William George Mander (Bill Mander) | 486 | | |
| Labour | Roger Scaife | 447 | | |
| Conservative | Bryan Jones | 325 | | |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
Battle Ward (two seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Reginald Harry Bristow (Joe Bristow) | 813 | | |
| Labour | Frank Wise | 771 | | |
| Conservative | Roger Brown | 369 | | |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
Castle Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Graham Anthony Rush | 900 | | |
| Labour | Robert J. Garnett (Bob Garnett) | 840 | | |
| Labour | Antony William Page (Tony Page) | 816 | | |
| Conservative | Eric Gordon Davis | 736 | | |
| Conservative | Frederick Llywelyn Pugh (Fred Pugh) | 706 | | |
| Conservative | F. Tim Rose | 684 | | |
| Liberal | David Scott | 413 | | |
| Liberal | Mary Clarke | 372 | | |
| Liberal | Leon D. Summers | 366 | | |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
Caversham Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Ronald William Jewitt (Ron Jewitt) | 1,127 | | |
| Conservative | George Robinson | 1,119 | | |
| Conservative | Michael Francis | 1,061 | | |
| Labour | Charles Evans | 914 | | |
| Labour | Harry Young | 896 | | |
| Labour | Tom Clifton | 875 | | |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
Christchurch Ward (four seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Fred L. Roberts | 1,347 | | |
| Labour | Christopher John Goodall (Chris Goodall) | 1,286 | | |
| Labour | Marian Jeanne Absolom | 1,271 | | |
| Labour | William Maurice John Huntley (John Huntley) | 1,262 | | |
| Conservative | Kitty C. Foote | 915 | | |
| Liberal | Hester M. Crichton | 912 | | |
| Liberal | Elizabeth M. O'Rourke | 910 | | |
| Conservative | Patricia Mellows | 838 | | |
| Liberal | Richard W. Hellier | 800 | | |
| Conservative | Frances A. Spark | 766 | | |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
Katesgrove Ward (two seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Harry Wheeler | 820 | | |
| Labour | Geoffrey Robert Mander (Geoff Mander) | 738 | | |
| Conservative | Stanley Beamish | 441 | | |
| Independent | John Still | 317 | | |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
Minster Ward (six seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | William Wykeham Edward Badnall | 2,342 | | |
| Conservative | Geoffrey Gascoigne Lawrence | 2,291 | | |
| Conservative | Simon Christopher Coombs | 2,284 | | |
| Conservative | Charles Frederick Sage | 2,247 | | |
| Conservative | Joyce A. Talbot | 2,247 | | |
| Conservative | Kenneth Loder (Ken Loder) | 2,243 | | |
| Labour | Frances Margaret Nash (Bunty Nash) | 2,140 | | |
| Labour | Leslie Glanville | 1,934 | | |
| Labour | John Allen | 1,929 | | |
| Labour | Lawrence Brennan | 1,898 | | |
| Labour | Robert Mitchell (Bob Mitchell) | 1,896 | | |
| Labour | Daphne A. Dunkason | 1,890 | | |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
Norcot Ward (six seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | Terence James Francis (Terry Francis) | 2,240 | | |
| Liberal | Geoffrey David Salisbury (Geoff Salisbury) | 2,210 | | |
| Liberal | John Freeman | 2,195 | | |
| Liberal | Peter Beard | 2,162 | | |
| Liberal | Dennis L. Hopkins | 2,137 | | |
| Liberal | Peter I. Pratt | 2,042 | | |
| Labour | William (Bill) Gothard | 914 | | |
| Conservative | Peter S. Madges | 913 | | |
| Conservative | Francis W. Rogers | 885 | | |
| Labour | Ian R. Hills | 885 | | |
| Labour | Ann Watkins | 843 | | |
| Labour | Peter Watkins | 827 | | |
| Labour | F. J. S. Ribero (Chico Ribero) | 803 | | |
| Labour | Ron J. Tyler | 757 | | |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
Park Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Roland Kirby | 1,367 | | |
| Conservative | Douglas Alan Chilvers | 1,360 | | |
| Conservative | Veronica McCarthy | 1,314 | | |
| Labour | Jean Thomas | 1,226 | | |
| Labour | Bernard Lyons | 1,223 | | |
| Labour | Brian Thomas | 1,221 | | |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
Redlands Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | Eric G. Baxter | 1,317 | | |
| Liberal | Victor John Angell (Vic Angell) | 1,312 | | |
| Liberal | Antony G. Milano (Tony Milano) | 1,079 | | |
| Conservative | R. John Goodman | 987 | | |
| Conservative | Gladys Emily Matthews | 917 | | |
| Conservative | John A. Thornley | 875 | | |
| Labour | Robert H. Smith | 271 | | |
| Labour | Pam M. Nixon | 260 | | |
| Labour | Ron Nixon | 253 | | |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
Thames Ward (four seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Kathleen Sage | 2,487 | | |
| Conservative | Ivy Sylvia Blagrove (Silvia Blagrove) | 2,457 | | |
| Conservative | Cyril William Aucock | 2,452 | | |
| Conservative | Deryck Mitchell Morton | 2,425 | | |
| Labour | Margaret Mander | 597 | | |
| Labour | Patricia Mary Mander (Pat Mander) | 593 | | |
| Labour | Eva Harding | 585 | | |
| Labour | Priscilla Mares | 567 | | |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
| Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win | Conservative win |
Tilehurst Ward (five seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | Ronald James Day (Jim Day) | 2,416 | | |
| Liberal | Desmond A. Allen (Des Allen) | 2,227 | | |
| Liberal | George Henry Ford | 2,150 | | |
| Liberal | Margaret M. S. McEwen | 2,149 | | |
| Liberal | Michael Ingrey | 2,115 | | |
| Conservative | Peter C. Boyce | 926 | | |
| Conservative | Michael J. Caseley | 847 | | |
| Conservative | A. J. (Tony) Guy | 778 | | |
| Labour | David W. Asquith | 555 | | |
| Labour | Ron J. S. Williams | 552 | | |
| Labour | Marilyn M. Marshall | 549 | | |
| Labour | James T. Green | 545 | | |
| Labour | A. J. Hinder | 536 | | |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
| Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win | Liberal win |
Whitley Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Jack Price | 1,094 | | |
| Labour | Doris Ellen Lawrence | 1,059 | | |
| Labour | Herbert Williams (Bert Williams) | 1,045 | | |
| Independent | Barbara Morrison | 743 | | |
| Independent | Roy Giles | 700 | | |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |
| Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win | Labour win |

## By-elections 1973–1976

Whitley By-Election 11 December 1975 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mike Orton | 1,038 | 48.5 |
| | Conservative | Gladys Matthews | 720 | 33.7 |
| | Liberal | Keith Townsend | 382 | 17.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 317 | 14.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,139 | 31 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
The Whitley ward by-election in 1975 was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Bert Williams.