1956 Leeds City Council election

The 1956 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]

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

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	18	0	0	0	62.1	48.2	53,382	+2.0
	Conservative	11	0	0	0	37.9	47.4	52,541	-4.5
	Liberal	0	0	0	0	0.0	3.7	4,139	+2.2
	Communist	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.6	664	+0.2

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

Party		Previous council		New council
		Cllr	Ald	Cllr	Ald
	Labour	51	17	51	17
	Conservatives	33	11	33	11
Total		84	28	84	28
		112		112
Working majority		18	6	18	6
		24		24

Ward results

Allerton ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Mustill	3,904	85.8	−1.7
	Labour	E. Bell	645	14.2	+1.7
Majority			3,259	71.6	−3.5
Turnout			4,549
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.7

Armley ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Bissell	2,022	55.8	+1.4
	Conservative	J. Broomfield	1,602	44.2	+5.3
Majority			420	11.6	−3.8
Turnout			3,624
	Labour hold		Swing	-1.9

Beeston ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Woodward	3,109	50.0	−4.0
	Labour	A. Tallant	3,108	50.0	+4.0
Majority			1	0.0	−8.1
Turnout			6,217
	Conservative hold		Swing	-4.0

Blenheim ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Merritt	2,339	60.5	+5.7
	Conservative	W. Murphy	1,530	39.5	−5.7
Majority			809	20.9	+11.4
Turnout			3,869
	Labour hold		Swing	+5.7

Bramley ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Lord	2,661	48.5	+0.7
	Conservative	C. Dean	1,984	36.2	−4.6
	Liberal	R. Walker	837	15.3	+3.9
Majority			677	12.3	+5.3
Turnout			5,482
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.6

Burmantofts ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Murray	1,884	66.3	+3.2
	Conservative	K. Wiggin	958	33.7	−3.2
Majority			926	32.6	+6.5
Turnout			2,842
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.2

City ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Stubbs	1,512	64.6	+2.6
	Conservative	J. Dougray	829	35.4	−2.6
Majority			683	29.2	+5.2
Turnout			2,341
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.6

Cross Gates ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Harrison	2,657	63.3	+5.6
	Conservative	J. Baldwin	1,540	36.7	−5.6
Majority			1,117	26.6	+11.3
Turnout			4,197
	Labour hold		Swing	+5.6

East Hunslet ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Kavanagh	2,011	73.5	+0.2
	Conservative	B. Watson	724	26.5	−0.2
Majority			1,287	47.1	+0.4
Turnout			2,735
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.2

Far Headingley ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Dovenor	3,702	79.3	−4.2
	Labour	E. Holmes	969	20.7	+4.2
Majority			2,733	58.5	−8.5
Turnout			4,671
	Conservative hold		Swing	-4.2

Halton ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Dobson	3,446	76.6	−2.2
	Labour	J. Marshall	1,051	23.4	+2.2
Majority			2,395	53.3	−4.3
Turnout			4,497
	Conservative hold		Swing	-2.2

Harehills ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	B. Gardener	2,305	52.4	−7.2
	Labour	R. Sedler	2,091	47.6	+7.2
Majority			214	4.9	−14.5
Turnout			4,396
	Conservative hold		Swing	-7.2

Holbeck ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Bray	2,082	61.1	−4.8
	Conservative	D. Stewart	722	21.2	−13.0
	Liberal	John Brian Meeks	605	17.7	+17.7
Majority			1,360	39.9	+8.2
Turnout			3,409
	Labour hold		Swing	+4.1

Hunslet Carr ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Parker	2,020	92.1	+18.5
	Communist	E. Moore	174	7.9	+3.9
Majority			1,846	84.1	+32.9
Turnout			2,194
	Labour hold		Swing	+7.3

Hyde Park ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Walmsley	2,916	68.1	−3.1
	Conservative	F. Hall	2,873
	Labour	A. Malcolm	1,365	31.9	+3.1
	Labour	N. Davy	1,363
Majority			1,508	36.2	−6.2
Turnout			4,281
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.1

Kirkstall ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Matthews	2,945	61.0	+5.0
	Conservative	E. Lucas	1,879	39.0	−5.0
Majority			1,066	22.1	+10.0
Turnout			4,824
	Labour hold		Swing	+5.0

Meanwood ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. Kirkby	3,466	75.7	+0.9
	Labour	F. Woolhouse	1,115	24.3	−0.9
Majority			2,351	51.3	+1.8
Turnout			4,581
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.9

Middleton ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Binns	1,918	85.4	+7.8
	Conservative	E. Bailey	328	14.6	−7.8
Majority			1,590	70.8	+15.6
Turnout			2,246
	Labour hold		Swing	+7.8

Moortown ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. Henson	3,695	77.6	+0.8
	Labour	L. Steele	1,064	22.4	−0.8
Majority			2,631	55.3	+1.6
Turnout			4,759
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.8

Osmondthorpe ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. Walsh	2,628	75.3	+3.5
	Conservative	L. Ideson	862	24.7	−3.5
Majority			1,766	50.6	+7.1
Turnout			3,490
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.5

Potternewton ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Coleman	1,866	60.9	−1.8
	Labour	B. Atha	1,041	34.0	+1.0
	Communist	S. Bloom	156	5.1	+0.8
Majority			825	26.9	−2.7
Turnout			3,063
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.4

Richmond Hill ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Cain	1,416	76.7	−2.1
	Conservative	J. Ashworth	429	23.3	+2.1
Majority			987	53.5	−4.2
Turnout			1,845
	Labour hold		Swing	-2.1

Roundhay ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Jowitt	3,362	70.7	−1.1
	Labour	P. Taylor	1,391	29.3	+1.1
Majority			1,971	41.5	−2.1
Turnout			4,753
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.1

Stanningley ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Kennally	2,546	49.4	+0.0
	Conservative	D. Vickers	1,584	30.7	−11.1
	Liberal	J. Grimshaw	1,022	19.8	+11.1
Majority			962	18.7	+11.1
Turnout			5,152
	Labour hold		Swing	+5.5

Wellington ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Underwood	2,142	76.7	+9.5
	Liberal	Walter Holdsworth	513	18.4	+9.0
	Communist	J. Wheatley	137	4.9	−0.8
Majority			1,629	58.3	+8.8
Turnout			2,792
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.2

Westfield ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Stan Cohen	2,434	53.6	+5.0
	Conservative	May Sexton	1,674	36.9	−14.5
	Liberal	H. Burridge	432	9.5	+9.5
Majority			760	16.7	+14.0
Turnout			4,540
	Labour hold		Swing	+9.7

Woodhouse ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Bretherick	1,862	49.6	−7.3
	Conservative	L. Francis	1,693	45.1	+2.0
	Communist	F. Slaughter	197	5.3	+5.3
Majority			169	4.5	−9.3
Turnout			3,752
	Labour hold		Swing	-4.6

Wortley ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Smart	2,463	43.8	−4.3
	Conservative	P. Stubley	2,432	43.2	−8.6
	Liberal	D. Boden	730	13.0	+13.0
Majority			31	0.6	−3.2
Turnout			5,625
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.1

References

1. "Eden Asks Nation to Back Changes". The New York Times . 12 May 1956. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post . 11 May 1956.
3. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.