The first elections to the newly created Leeds City Council were held on 10 May 1973, with the entirety of the 96 seat council – three seats for each of the 32 wards – up for vote. The Local Government Act 1972 stipulated that the elected members were to shadow and eventually take over from the predecessor corporation on 1 April 1974. The order in which the councillors were elected dictated their term serving, with third-place candidates serving two years and up for re-election in 1975, second-placed three years expiring in 1976 and 1st-placed five years until 1978.
As well as replacing the County Borough of Leeds, the new council included: Municipal Borough of Morley Municipal Borough of Pudsey Aireborough Urban District Horsforth Urban District Otley Urban District Garforth Urban District Rothwell Urban District Tadcaster Rural District (part) Wetherby Rural District Wharfedale Rural District
The election resulted in no overall control. Scans: , , .
Election result
This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections: PartyNew council Labour 44 Conservatives 38 Liberals 14 Total 96 Working majority
Ward results
By-elections between 1973 and 1975
References