The first elections to the new Manchester City Council were held on Thursday, 10 May 1973. The election created the entire 99-member council (three councillors to each ward), which shadowed its predecessor corporation before taking over its functions on 1 April 1974, as specified in the Local Government Act 1972. Each 1st-placed candidate was appointed to a five-year term of office, expiring in 1978. Each 2nd-placed candidate had a three-year term of office, expiring in 1976. Each 3rd-placed candidate served a two-year term of office, expiring in 1975.
The Labour Party gained overall control of the council.[1]
After the election, the composition of the council was as follows:
| Party | Seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | |||
| 40 | |||
| Labour gain | |||
Detailed below are the results for each ward. Successful candidates are highlighted in bold.