1955 Leeds City Council election

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The 1955 Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 12 May 1955, [1] with one third of the council up for election, as well as a vacancy in Wellington. [2]

Contents

With the third consecutive election producing swings to them - this time a 2.1% swing [3] - the Conservatives managed to top the poll and make gains from Labour for the first time since the 1951 election, echoing their national result. [1] This, however, did not stop Labour winning a comfortable majority of the seats contested. The three gains were in Beeston, Westfield and Wortley - wards where Labour had gained from them following 1951. [2] Party totals remained unchanged with the new division of aldermen effectively wiping out those three gains, as Labour were allotted - at Conservative expense - three more aldermen. Turnout rose marginally to a low figure of 39.4%. [3]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1955
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1703-358.646.264,820-3.7
  Conservative 1230+341.451.972,863+2.5
  Liberal 00000.01.52,043+1.1
  Communist 00000.00.45390.0

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections: [3]

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Cllr Ald CllrAld
Labour54145117
Conservatives30143311
Total84288428
112112
Working majority 24   0  18   6 
 24  24 

Ward results

Allerton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative H. Drake5,54787.5+0.9
Labour M. Rooney79012.5-0.9
Majority4,75775.1+1.9
Turnout 6,337
Conservative hold Swing +0.9
Armley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Cohen2,97054.4-3.0
Conservative R. Beal2,12638.9-3.7
Liberal A. Powell3676.7+6.7
Majority84415.4+0.6
Turnout 5,463
Labour hold Swing +0.3
Beeston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative L. Snape3,88154.1+1.1
Labour H. Booth3,29945.9-1.1
Majority5828.1+2.1
Turnout 7,180
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.1
Blenheim [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Wallbanks2,36854.7-3.1
Conservative W. Murphy1,95845.3+3.1
Majority4109.5-6.2
Turnout 4,326
Labour hold Swing -3.1
Bramley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Eric Atkinson3,01247.8-5.6
Conservative C. Dean2,57140.8-5.7
Liberal J. Walker71311.3+11.3
Majority4417.0+0.1
Turnout 6,296
Labour hold Swing +0.0
Burmantofts [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Lloyd2,42863.1-3.3
Conservative G. Howden1,42236.9+3.3
Majority1,00626.1-6.6
Turnout 3,850
Labour hold Swing -3.3
City [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour E. Whitehead1,63862.0-5.4
Conservative J. Cape1,00538.0+5.4
Majority63324.0-10.7
Turnout 2,643
Labour hold Swing -5.4
Cross Gates [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F. Booth3,26257.7-1.1
Conservative J. Palmer2,39442.3+1.1
Majority86815.3-2.2
Turnout 5,656
Labour hold Swing -1.1
East Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Fish2,87073.3-3.5
Conservative G. Hewdey1,04426.7+3.5
Majority1,82646.7-7.0
Turnout 3,914
Labour hold Swing -3.5
Far Headingley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative W. Hey4,66583.5-0.4
Labour F. Woolhouse92216.5+0.4
Majority3,74367.0-0.7
Turnout 5,587
Conservative hold Swing -0.4
Halton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative C. Watson4,37178.8+2.7
Labour J. Marshall1,17521.2-2.7
Majority3,19657.6+5.3
Turnout 5,546
Conservative hold Swing +2.7
Harehills [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Lawrence Turnbull3,51559.7+6.2
Labour F. Howard2,37540.3-6.2
Majority1,14019.4+12.4
Turnout 5,890
Conservative hold Swing +6.2
Holbeck [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Jones2,50865.8-2.8
Conservative T. Nipe1,30234.2+2.8
Majority1,20631.7-5.5
Turnout 3,810
Labour hold Swing -2.8
Hunslet Carr [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hodgkinson2,66273.6-15.2
Conservative J. Bailey81022.4+22.4
Communist J. Bellamy1444.0-7.2
Majority1,85251.2-26.5
Turnout 3,616
Labour hold Swing -18.8
Hyde Park [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative F. Walker3,48971.2+2.8
Labour M. Schofield1,41028.8-2.8
Majority2,07942.4+5.5
Turnout 4,899
Conservative hold Swing +2.8
Kirkstall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Albert Smith3,16056.0-5.1
Conservative E. Lucas2,48044.0+5.1
Majority68012.1-10.2
Turnout 5,640
Labour hold Swing -5.1
Meanwood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative V. Cardno4,28674.7+4.6
Labour J. Hedley1,44825.3-4.6
Majority2,83849.2+9.2
Turnout 5,734
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
Middleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Harold Watson2,58677.6-3.6
Conservative F. Stubley74722.4+3.6
Majority1,83955.2-7.2
Turnout 3,333
Labour hold Swing -3.6
Moortown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Watson4,73376.8+0.2
Labour E. Norris1,42623.2-0.2
Majority3,30753.7+0.3
Turnout 6,159
Conservative hold Swing +0.2
Osmondthorpe [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Addlestone2,80971.8-5.6
Conservative L. Ideson1,10528.2+5.6
Majority1,70443.5-11.2
Turnout 3,914
Labour hold Swing -5.6
Pottemewton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Sydney Symmonds2,48062.7-2.0
Labour F. Watson1,30733.0-2.3
Communist S. Bloom1704.3+4.3
Majority1,17329.6+0.2
Turnout 3,957
Conservative hold Swing +0.1
Richmond Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. King2,20278.9-1.3
Conservative W. Clayton59021.1+1.3
Majority1,61257.7-2.7
Turnout 2,792
Labour hold Swing -1.3
Roundhay [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Allan Bretherick4,78271.8+7.3
Labour P. Taylor1,87728.2-7.3
Majority2,90543.6+14.6
Turnout 6,659
Conservative hold Swing +7.3
Stanningley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Waterman3,34749.4-0.9
Conservative T. Kilby2,83241.8-7.8
Liberal E. Burbridge5928.7+8.7
Majority5157.6+6.9
Turnout 6,771
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Wellington [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour N. Barrett2,65767.2-4.4
Labour E. Youngman2,642
Conservative S. Rostron69917.7-6.0
Conservative F. Richardson634
Liberal Walter Holdsworth3719.4+9.4
Communist J. Wheatley2255.7+0.9
Majority1,94349.5+1.6
Turnout 3,952
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +0.8
Westfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative L. Lyons2,57751.3+13.0
Labour A. Malcolm2,44248.7-2.2
Majority1352.7-9.8
Turnout 5,019
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.6
Woodhouse [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Henry Vick2,72956.9-3.8
Conservative L. Francis2,06643.1+3.8
Majority66313.8-7.7
Turnout 4,795
Labour hold Swing -3.8
Wortley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D. Wolstenholme3,38651.9+1.4
Labour Aimee Tong3,14148.1-1.4
Majority2453.8+2.8
Turnout 6,527
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.4

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References

  1. 1 2 ""Little Election" Raises Hopes of Conservatives". Edmonton Journal . 13 May 1955. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post . 13 May 1955.
  3. 1 2 3 Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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