1956 Leeds City Council election

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The municipal elections for Leeds were held on Thursday 10 May 1956, [1] with one third of the council and an extra vacancy in Hyde Park to be elected. [2]

Contents

A 3% swing [3] to Labour seen them once again on top in votes, although things may have been closer had the Conservatives stood candidates in Hunslet Carr and Wellington. With the swing, Labour managed to hold on to all of their 1953 gains; most fairly comfortably. The notable exceptions were in Woodhouse, one of the few wards to record a swing to the Conservatives - of 4.6% no less - reducing Labour's majority to 169 votes. The other being Wortley, where the Liberal intervention there hit the Conservatives twice as hard as Labour, helping them to retain their seat by 31 votes. The closest run result, in actuality, was found in Beeston - with Labour just one vote away from a gain there. [2] As such the night ended without a gain, leaving the dramatic drop in turnout - from what was already one of the worst recorded since the war - by a fifth to an all-time low of 31.4% the main story. [2] [3]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1956
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1800062.148.253,382+2.0%
  Conservative 1100037.947.452,541-4.5%
  Liberal 00000.03.74,139+2.2%
  Communist 00000.00.6664+0.2%

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
Labour51175117
Conservatives33113311
Total84288428
112112
Working majority 18   6  18   6 
 24  24 

Ward results

Allerton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative M. Mustill3,90485.8-1.7
Labour E. Bell64514.2+1.7
Majority3,25971.6-3.5
Turnout 4,549
Conservative hold Swing -1.7
Armley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Bissell2,02255.8+1.4
Conservative J. Broomfield1,60244.2+5.3
Majority42011.6-3.8
Turnout 3,624
Labour hold Swing -1.9
Beeston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative P. Woodward3,10950.0-4.0
Labour A. Tallant3,10850.0+4.0
Majority10.0-8.1
Turnout 6,217
Conservative hold Swing -4.0
Blenheim [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Merritt2,33960.5+5.7
Conservative W. Murphy1,53039.5-5.7
Majority80920.9+11.4
Turnout 3,869
Labour hold Swing +5.7
Bramley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Lord2,66148.5+0.7
Conservative C. Dean1,98436.2-4.6
Liberal R. Walker83715.3+3.9
Majority67712.3+5.3
Turnout 5,482
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Burmantofts [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Murray1,88466.3+3.2
Conservative K. Wiggin95833.7-3.2
Majority92632.6+6.5
Turnout 2,842
Labour hold Swing +3.2
City [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour E. Stubbs1,51264.6+2.6
Conservative J. Dougray82935.4-2.6
Majority68329.2+5.2
Turnout 2,341
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Cross Gates [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Harrison2,65763.3+5.6
Conservative J. Baldwin1,54036.7-5.6
Majority1,11726.6+11.3
Turnout 4,197
Labour hold Swing +5.6
East Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour E. Kavanagh2,01173.5+0.2
Conservative B. Watson72426.5-0.2
Majority1,28747.1+0.4
Turnout 2,735
Labour hold Swing +0.2
Far Headingley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative G. Dovenor3,70279.3-4.2
Labour E. Holmes96920.7+4.2
Majority2,73358.5-8.5
Turnout 4,671
Conservative hold Swing -4.2
Halton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative P. Dobson3,44676.6-2.2
Labour J. Marshall1,05123.4+2.2
Majority2,39553.3-4.3
Turnout 4,497
Conservative hold Swing -2.2
Harehills [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative B. Gardener2,30552.4-7.2
Labour R. Sedler2,09147.6+7.2
Majority2144.9-14.5
Turnout 4,396
Conservative hold Swing -7.2
Holbeck [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Bray2,08261.1-4.8
Conservative D. Stewart72221.2-13.0
Liberal John Brian Meeks60517.7+17.7
Majority1,36039.9+8.2
Turnout 3,409
Labour hold Swing +4.1
Hunslet Carr [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Parker2,02092.1+18.5
Communist E. Moore1747.9+3.9
Majority1,84684.1+32.9
Turnout 2,194
Labour hold Swing +7.3
Hyde Park [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative H. Walmsley2,91668.1-3.1
Conservative F. Hall2,873
Labour A. Malcolm1,36531.9+3.1
Labour N. Davy1,363
Majority1,50836.2-6.2
Turnout 4,281
Conservative hold Swing -3.1
Kirkstall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Matthews2,94561.0+5.0
Conservative E. Lucas1,87939.0-5.0
Majority1,06622.1+10.0
Turnout 4,824
Labour hold Swing +5.0
Meanwood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative T. Kirkby3,46675.7+0.9
Labour F. Woolhouse1,11524.3-0.9
Majority2,35151.3+1.8
Turnout 4,581
Conservative hold Swing -0.9
Middleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Binns1,91885.4+7.8
Conservative E. Bailey32814.6-7.8
Majority1,59070.8+15.6
Turnout 2,246
Labour hold Swing +7.8
Moortown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative L. Henson3,69577.6+0.8
Labour L. Steele1,06422.4-0.8
Majority2,63155.3+1.6
Turnout 4,759
Conservative hold Swing +0.8
Osmondthorpe [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L. Walsh2,62875.3+3.5
Conservative L. Ideson86224.7-3.5
Majority1,76650.6+7.1
Turnout 3,490
Labour hold Swing +3.5
Pottemewton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative A. Coleman1,86660.9-1.8
Labour B. Atha1,04134.0+1.0
Communist S. Bloom1565.1+0.8
Majority82526.9-2.7
Turnout 3,063
Conservative hold Swing -1.4
Richmond Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Cain1,41676.7-2.1
Conservative J. Ashworth42923.3+2.1
Majority98753.5-4.2
Turnout 1,845
Labour hold Swing -2.1
Roundhay [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative H. Jowitt3,36270.7-1.1
Labour P. Taylor1,39129.3+1.1
Majority1,97141.5-2.1
Turnout 4,753
Conservative hold Swing -1.1
Stanningley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F. Kennally2,54649.4+0.0
Conservative D. Vickers1,58430.7-11.1
Liberal J. Grimshaw1,02219.8+11.1
Majority96218.7+11.1
Turnout 5,152
Labour hold Swing +5.5
Wellington [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Underwood2,14276.7+9.5
Liberal Walter Holdsworth51318.4+9.0
Communist J. Wheatley1374.9-0.8
Majority1,62958.3+8.8
Turnout 2,792
Labour hold Swing +0.2
Westfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Stan Cohen 2,43453.6+5.0
Conservative May Sexton1,67436.9-14.5
Liberal H. Burridge4329.5+9.5
Majority76016.7+14.0
Turnout 4,540
Labour hold Swing +9.7
Woodhouse [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Bretherick1,86249.6-7.3
Conservative L. Francis1,69345.1+2.0
Communist F. Slaughter1975.3+5.3
Majority1694.5-9.3
Turnout 3,752
Labour hold Swing -4.6
Wortley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Smart2,46343.8-4.3
Conservative P. Stubley2,43243.2-8.6
Liberal D. Boden73013.0+13.0
Majority310.6-3.2
Turnout 5,625
Labour hold Swing +2.1

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References

  1. ↑ "Eden Asks Nation to Back Changes". The New York Times . 12 May 1956. Retrieved 17 October 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 31 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post . 11 May 1956.
  3. 1 2 3 Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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