# 1973 Edinburgh Corporation election

An Election to the Edinburgh Corporation was held on 1 May 1973, alongside municipal elections across Scotland. Of the councils 69 seats, 26 were up for election. Labour, despite needing only 1 gain to take control of the council, failed to do so, preventing them from a historic win.
Following the election, with two by-elections pending, Edinburgh Corporation was composed of 34 Labour councillors, 21 Conservatives, and 7 Liberals, with 5 others.
By this point only a small rump Progressive party remained on the council, with the bulk of Progressive councillors having joined the Conservatives. A small number, such as Mrs Catherine Filsell (a former Progressive leader), had joined Labour.

## Aggregate results

Edinburgh Corporation election, 1973 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Labour | 13 | 2 | 2 | | 50.0 | 37.8 | 44,456 |
| Conservative | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 26.9 | 25.3 | 29,806 |
| Liberal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11.5 | 17.1 | 20,155 |
| Progressives | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11.5 | 14.8 | 17,406 |
| SNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 3.5 | 4,065 |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 1.1 | 1,267 |
| Wester Hailes Association of Tenants | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.3 | 312 |
| Independent Local Community | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.1 | 146 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |

## Ward Results

Broughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | W. R. V. Percy | 1,811 | |
| | Labour | M. J. O'Neill | 1,317 | |
| | Liberal | Elizabeth R. Barclay | 867 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 494 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.64% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Calton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | J. Cook | 2,065 | |
| | Conservative | A. G. Jackson | 1,426 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 839 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.76% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Central Leith :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | T. McGregor | 1,695 | |
| | Conservative | D. C. Dow | 485 | |
| | SNP | J. L. Geddea | 429 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,210 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 26.33% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Colinton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | A. H. Leater | 5,442 | |
| | Labour | J. H. McKay | 3,956 | |
| | SNP | J. McKernan | 914 | |
| | Wester Hailes Association of Tenants | J. Henderson | 312 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,486 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.18% |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour |
Corstorphine :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | D. C. E. Gorrie | 4,773 | |
| | Progressives | R. P. Haig | 2,677 | |
| | Labour | W. Wallace | 629 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,096 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.11% |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Craigentinny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Phyllis Herriot | 3,253 | |
| | Conservative | G. V. McArn | 1,978 | |
| | Communist | T. Burns | 116 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1275 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.17% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Craigmillar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | D. H. Brown | 2,722 | |
| | Communist | J. O'Donnell | 132 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,590 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 18.93% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
George Square :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | J. F. Stephenm | 1,705 | |
| | Labour | W. I. Taylor | 1,598 | |
| | Conservative | W. Reid | 1,587 | |
| | Conservative | J. Slack | 1,545 | |
| | Liberal | M. G. Falchikov | 847 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 74.58% |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative |
Gorgie-Dalry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | D. M. Swinson | 2,061 | |
| | Conservative | Fiona M. Cameron | 959 | |
| | Liberal | D. R. Irving | 577 | |
| | SNP | E. J. Milne | 461 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,102 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.57% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Holyrood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | B. C. Rutherford | 1,262 | |
| | Conservative | L. Taylor | 617 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 645 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.25% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Liberton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | J. D. McWilliam | 5,122 | |
| | Conservative | Susan K. Elliot | 3,097 | |
| | Communist | W. Cowan | 133 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,025 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.43% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Merchiston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | R. L. Smith | 3,129 | |
| | Conservative | Sarah A. Pringle | 1,545 | |
| | Labour | A. M. M. Black | 577 | |
| | SNP | G. Bishop | 196 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,584 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.72% |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Morningside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | N. L. Gordon | 3,676 | |
| | Progressives | H. Mansbridge | 2,910 | |
| | SNP | W. Black | 359 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 766 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 50.36% |
| | Liberal gain from Progressives | Liberal gain from Progressives | Liberal gain from Progressives | Liberal gain from Progressives |
Murrayfield-Cramond :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | J. A. Douglas-Hamilton | 4,772 | |
| | Labour | P. E. McGhee | 1,807 | |
| | Liberal | E. Sutherland | 1,391 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2965 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.20% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Newington 2 seats Electorate: 16,592 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Rifkind | 3,654 | 29.92 |
| | Conservative | Margaret E. S. Houston | 3,266 | 26.74 |
| | Labour | B. Mackenzie | 1,890 | 15.48 |
| | Liberal | J. R. MacGillivray | 1,784 | 14.61 |
| | SNP | R. J. D. Scott | 713 | 5.84 |
| | SNP | D. Kelbie | 701 | 5.74 |
| | Communist | Michele Gunn | 204 | 1.67 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1376 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 73.60% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent |
Pilton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | M. J. Williamson | 2,715 | |
| | SNP | G. W. Telford | 993 | |
| | Conservative | J. Johnston | 649 | |
| | Communist | C. McManus | 128 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,722 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 23.70% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Portobello :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | J. Cavaye | 3,350 | |
| | Labour | Mary Hutchison | 1,501 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,849 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.94% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
St. Andrews :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | A. Brown | 968 | |
| | Liberal | C. S. Waterman | 910 | |
| | Labour | E. Milligan | 504 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.66% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
St. Bernard's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | J. Millar | 3,075 | |
| | Labour | Gertrude Barton | 1,868 | |
| | Liberal | R. H. Guild | 1,631 | |
| | Independent Local Community | A. Stevenson | 146 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,207 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.42% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
St. Giles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Elizabeth R. Mackenzie | 999 | |
| | Labour | C. Stuart | 994 | |
| | Conservative | H. Lorimer | 490 | |
| | Conservative | Caroline Peploe | 451 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 504 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.82% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Sighthill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | G. Foulkes | 3,375 | |
| | Conservative | G. A. R. Fenson | 680 | |
| | Liberal | A. Burnett | 570 | |
| | SNP | R. Mackenna | 554 | |
| | Communist | W. M.Millar | 60 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2695 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.47% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
South Leith :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | C. Waugh | 2,061 | |
| | Labour | J. Boyack | 2,000 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 61 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.60% |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour |
West Leith :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressives | Margaret B. A. Ross | 2,979 | |
| | Labour | N. Lindsay | 1,433 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,546 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.18% |
| | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold |