# 1973 Zetland County Council election

Elections to the Zetland County Council were held on 8 May 1973 as part of Scottish local elections. This was the last election for the County Council before its incorporation along with the Lerwick Town Council into the Shetland Islands Council in 1975. Elections were held in every part of Shetland except Lerwick to elect 24 landward members to the County Council, who would be joined by six nominated members from the Lerwick Town Council.
The election saw an unusually partisan competition between supporters and opponents of the County Council's policy on North Sea oil. The Shetland Democratic Group was formed to oppose the council's attempts to gain private legislation to exert direct control over oil developments in Shetland, objecting to proposals that would allow the council to take equity in industrial development and gain compulsory purchase powers.
The Shetland Democratic Group gained 11 seats and defeated incumbent Convener Edward Thomason but failed to win enough support to gain control of the Zetland County Council. Supporters of the council's policy elected George Blance, a nominated member from the Lerwick Town Council, as the council's final Convener, defeating Shetland Democratic Group member John Jamieson by 18 votes to 12. The council's continued support for private legislation led to the passage of the Zetland County Council Act 1974, providing the council with powers to become a harbour authority, control harbour developments, invest in securities of bodies corporate, implement compulsory purchases in specified areas relating to oil developments and to establish a reserve fund from oil revenues. These powers would be inherited by the Shetland Islands Council in 1975.
13 seats were uncontested, including seven of the Shetland Democratic Group's 11 gains.

## Election results

Zetland County Council Election Result 1973 :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | Independent | 13 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 54.2% | 78.6% | 2,078 | 21.4 |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | 11 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 45.8% | 21.4% | 566 | 21.4 |

## Ward Results

Aithsting :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | Iain Caldwell | 151 | 54.9% |
| | Independent | Robert Garrick (Incumbent) | 124 | 45.1% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27 | 9.8% |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Bressay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James Irvine (Incumbent) | 122 | 78.2% |
| | Independent | Brenda Scott | 34 | 20.8% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 88 | 57.4% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Burra :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | William Cumming (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Cunningsburgh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | Joan McLeod (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Delting North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | Fraser Peterson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Delting South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | Clem Robb (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Dunrossness North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | James Leask (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Dunrossness South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Raymond Bentley (Incumbent) | 150 | 63.3% |
| | Independent | Arthur M. Irvine | 87 | 36.7% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 63 | 26.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Fetlar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John Laurenson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Gulberwick and Quarff :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Arthur Irvine (Incumbent) | 45 | 51.4% |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | Alistair Leask | 43 | 48.6% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2 | 2.8% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Nesting and Lunnasting :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Andrew Riddell | 149 | 68.3% |
| | Independent | William Hamilton (Incumbent) | 69 | 31.7% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 80 | 36.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Northmavine North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | Robert Balfour | 46 | 55.4% |
| | Independent | Andrew Cromarty (Incumbent) | 37 | 44.6% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9 | 10.8% |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Northmavine South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | John Jamieson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Sandness :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Peter Garriock | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Sandsting :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | A.I. Tulloch (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Sandwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | Thomas Stove (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Tingwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Andrew Irvine (Incumbent) | 327 | 55.7% |
| | Independent | Martin Williamson | 260 | 44.3% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 11.4% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Unst North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | William Thomson | 249 | 70.5% |
| | Independent | Edward Thomason (Incumbent) | 104 | 29.5% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 145 | 41.0% |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Unst South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | Alan Fraser (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Walls :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Williamina Tait (Incumbent) | 195 | 79.9% |
| | Independent | Peter Hick | 49 | 20.1% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 146 | 59.8% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Whalsay and Skerries :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Frederick Dainty | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Whiteness and Weisdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Shetland Democratic Group | John Johnson | 77 | 37.0% |
| | Independent | John Rae (Incumbent) | 67 | 32.2% |
| | Independent | George Morrison | 64 | 30.8% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 4.8% |
| | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent |
Yell North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Sandy Cluness | 156 | 80.0% |
| | Independent | Robert Manson | 39 | 20.0% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 117 | 60.0% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Yell South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Robert Gray | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |

## By-elections since 1973

1974 Yell North by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | David Johnson | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |