| Election Name: | 1973 Tyne and Wear County Council election |
| Country: | England |
| Flag Image: | County_Flag_of_Tyne_&_Wear.svg |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Election Date: | 12 April 1973 |
| Next Election: | 1977 Tyne and Wear County Council election |
| Next Year: | 1977 |
| Seats For Election: | All 104 seats on Tyne and Wear County Council |
| Majority Seats: | 53 |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats1: | 74 |
| Majority party | |
| Posttitle: | Majority party after election |
| After Election: | Labour |
| Party3: | Independent (politician) |
| Seats3: | 2 |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats2: | 26 |
| Party4: | Liberal Party (UK) |
| Party5: | Residents Association |
| Seats4: | 1 |
| Seats5: | 1 |
The 1973 Tyne and Wear County Council election was held on 12 April 1973 as part of the first elections to the new local authorities established by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales. 104 councillors were elected from 95 electoral divisions across the region's five boroughs. Each division returned either one or two county councillors each by First-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.[1] The election took place ahead of the elections to the area's metropolitan borough councils, which followed on 10 May 1973.
The election resulted in a clear majority for the Labour Party, which won 74 of the 104 seats on the new Council.[2]
The election resulted in the following composition of the County Council:
| Party | Council | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | 74 | ||
| Conservatives | 26 | ||
| Independent | 2 | ||
| Liberal | 1 | ||
| Residents Association | 1 | ||
| Total | 104 | ||
| Working majority | |||
The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead area was represented on the new Tyne and Wear County Council by 20 councillors from 15 electoral divisions. Five of the electoral divisions returned two councillors (Chester-le-Street, and Gateshead Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4), the remainder returned one councillor. Labour took the majority of the seats in the Gateshead area: returning 17 councillors, compared to two for the Conservatives and one Residents Association councillor.
Blaydon (Central)
Blaydon (East)
Blaydon (West)
Chester-le-Street
Felling No. 1
Felling No. 2
Felling No. 3
Gateshead No. 1
Gateshead No. 2
Gateshead No. 3
Gateshead No. 4 (Wrekenton)
Ryton
Whickham No. 1 (Dunston)
Whickham No. 2
Whickham No. 3
The Newcastle City Council area was represented on the County Council by 26 councillors from 26 electoral divisions. Labour won 16 seats, to the Conservatives' 9. One Independent councillor was elected, in the new Jesmond division.
Benwell
Blakelaw
Castle Ward No. 1
Castle Ward No. 2
Dene
East City
Elswick
Fawdon
Fenham
Gosforth No. 1
Gosforth No. 2
Heaton
Jesmond
Kenton
Moorside
Newburn No. 1
Newburn No. 2
Newburn No. 3
Sandyford
Scotswood
St Anthonys
St Lawrence
Walker
Walkergate
West City
Wingrove
The Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside area was represented on the new County Council by 18 councillors from 17 electoral divisions. One of the electoral divisions returned two councillors (Tynemouth No. 2), the remainder returned one councillor. Labour took the majority of the seats in the area: returning 12 councillors, with the Conservatives winning four, and the Liberals and an Independent each winning one.
Longbenton No. 1
Longbenton No. 2
Longbenton No. 3
Longbenton No. 4
Seaton Valley (Backworth and Earsdon)
Tynemouth No. 1
Tynemouth No. 2
Tynemouth No. 3
Tynemouth No. 4
Tynemouth No. 5
Wallsend No. 1
Wallsend No. 2
Wallsend No. 3
Wallsend No. 4
Whitley Bay No. 1
Whitley Bay No. 2
Whitley Bay No. 3
The Metropolitan Borough of South Tyneside area was represented on the new Tyne and Wear County Council by 15 councillors from 12 electoral divisions. Three of the electoral divisions returned two councillors (South Shields Nos. 2, 3 and 4), the remainder returned one councillor. Labour took the majority of the seats in the area: returning 11 councillors, with the Conservatives taking four.
Boldon
Hebburn No. 1
Hebburn No. 2
Jarrow No. 1
Jarrow No. 2
South Shields No. 1
South Shields No. 2
South Shields No. 3
South Shields No. 4
South Shields No. 5
South Shields No. 6
Whitburn
The Metropolitan Borough of Sunderland area was represented on the new Tyne and Wear County Council by 25 councillors from 25 electoral divisions. Labour took the majority of the seats in the Sunderland area, returning 18 councillors, ahead of seven for the Conservatives.
Bishopswearmouth
Castletown and Hylton
Central
Colliery
Deptford and Pallion
Downhill
Ford and Pennywell
Fulwell
Hendon
Hetton No. 1
Hetton No. 2
Houghton-le-Spring No. 1
Houghton-le-Spring No. 2
Houghton-le-Spring No. 3
Humbledon
Monkwearmouth and Roker
Ryhope with Burdon
Silksworth
Southwick
St Chad's
St Michael's
Thorney Close
Thornhill
Washington No. 1
Washington No. 2