Politics of Northern Ireland
Interim bodies
Elections
Members
See also
1973 Northern Ireland local elections
30 May 1973 1977 →
All council seats
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Brian Faulkner Gerry Fitt Oliver Napier
Party Ulster Unionist SDLP Alliance
Seats won 194 82 63
Popular vote 255,187 92,600 94,474
Percentage 37.4% 13.4% 13.7%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader N/A N/A Ian Paisley
Party Independent Ind. Unionist DUP
Seats won 52 26 21
Popular vote 48,947 31,866 28,811
Percentage 7.0% 4.4% 4.1%
Colours denote the winning party with outright control
Colours denote the party with the most seats

Local government in Northern Ireland was reorganised in 1973 by the Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 and the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972. The county councils, county borough and municipal borough corporations and urban and rural district councils were replaced by twenty-six local government districts.

Elections took place for all the seats on the district councils on 30 May 1973. Elections were by proportional representation, using the single transferable vote system. The district councils came into their powers on 1 October.[1][2][3][4]

Results

Overall

Party[5] Councillors Votes
Total +/- % share Total
Ulster Unionist 194 N/A 37.4 255,187
Alliance 63 N/A 13.7 94,474
SDLP 82 N/A 13.4 92,600
Independent 52 N/A 7.0 48,947
Ind. Unionist 26 N/A 4.4 31,866
United Loyalist 20 N/A 4.2 28,906
DUP 21 N/A 4.1 28,811
Republican Clubs 8 N/A 3.0 20,680
NI Labour 4 N/A 2.5 17,422
Independent Loyalist 16 N/A 1.4 17,360
Vanguard 10 N/A 1.6 13,305
Unity 6 N/A 1.5 10,281
Loyalist Coalition 3 N/A 1.0 7,495
Nationalist 4 N/A 0.5 3,784
Independent Community 3 N/A 0.4 3,036
Republican Labour 0 N/A 0.4 2,594
Independent Republican 3 N/A 0.2 1,911
Ulster Liberal 0 N/A 0.1 704
Independent Ratepayer 1 N/A 0.1 841
Independent Radical 1 N/A 0.1 533
Communist 0 N/A 0.1 363
Irish Labour 0 N/A 0.0 290
Independent Nationalist 0 N/A 0.0 147
Independent Labour 0 N/A 0.0 91
Total 462 Steady 100.0% 681,628

Results by council

Council Control 1st party 1973 2nd party 1973 Councillors
Antrim Ulster Unionist Ulster Unionist (8) Alliance (2) 15
Belfast City No overall control Ulster Unionist (25) Alliance (8) 51
Ards Ulster Unionist Ulster Unionist (11) Alliance (2) 17
Armagh No overall control Ulster Unionist (10) SDLP (4) 20
Ballymena No overall control
Ballymoney No overall control
Banbridge Ulster Unionist
Carrickfergus No overall control
Castlereagh No overall control
Coleraine Ulster Unionist
Cookstown No overall control
Craigavon No overall control
Down No overall control
Dungannon Ulster Unionist
Fermanagh No overall control
Larne Loyalist Loyalist (8) Alliance (3) 15
Limavady United Unionist United Unionist (8) SDLP (4) 15
Lisburn Ulster Unionist Ulster Unionist (14) Alliance (3) 23
Londonderry No overall control SDLP (10) United Loyalist (9) 27
Magherafelt No overall control
Moyle No overall control
Newry and Mourne No overall control
Newtownabbey No overall control
North Down No overall control
Omagh No overall control
Strabane No overall control
All councils Ulster Unionist (194) SDLP (82) 517

References

  1. ^ Local Government Elections 1973 (Ark Social & Political Archive)
  2. ^ Big Roman Catholic turnout in poll despite threats, The Times, 31 May 1973
  3. ^ Party accused over Ulster poll, The Times, 31 May 1973
  4. ^ Unionist supporters elect many hard-line men in Ulster local government poll, The Times, 2 June 1973
  5. ^ Local Government Elections 1973, Northern Ireland Elections
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