| Election Name: | 1973 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Council election |
| Country: | Greater Manchester |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Election Date: | 10 May 1973 |
| Next Election: | 1975 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council election |
| Next Year: | 1975 |
| Seats For Election: | All 54 seats to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Majority Seats: | 28 |
| Turnout: | [1] |
| Leader1: | George Newton |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Leaders Seat1: | Dukinfield |
| Seats1: | 38 |
| Popular Vote1: | 78,213 |
| Percentage1: | 51.2% |
| Leader2: | Colin Grantham |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Leaders Seat2: | Hyde: Werneth |
| Seats2: | 14 |
| Popular Vote2: | 57,063 |
| Percentage2: | 37.4% |
| Party3: | Liberal Party (UK) |
| Seats3: | 2 |
| Popular Vote3: | 15,181 |
| Percentage3: | 9.9% |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| After Party: | Labour Party (UK) |
| After Election: | George Newton |
The first elections to Tameside Council were held on Thursday, 10 May 1973.[2] This was a new council created to replace the municipal boroughs of Ashton-under-Lyne, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley, and Stalybridge, and the urban districts of Audenshaw, Denton, Droylesden, and Longdendale. This election would create the entire 54-member council, which would shadow its predecessor councils before taking over their functions on 1 April 1974, as specified in the Local Government Act 1972. Each 1st-placed candidate would serve a five-year term of office, expiring in 1978. Each 2nd-placed candidate would serve a three-year term of office, expiring in 1976. Each 3rd-placed candidate would serve a two-year term of office, expiring in 1975.
The Labour Party won overall control of the council.
| Party | Votes | Seats | ||||
| Labour Party | 78,213 (51.2%) | 38 (70.4%) | ||||
| Conservative Party | 57,063 (37.4%) | 14 (25.9%) | ||||
| Liberal Party | 15,181 (9.9%) | 2 (3.7%) | ||||
| Residents | 2,002 (1.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||||
| Communist Party | 269 (0.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||||
| 38 | 2 | 14 |