1961 Leeds City Council election

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The 1961 Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 11 May 1961, [1] with one third of the council and a vacancy in Cross Gates up for election. [2]

Contents

In contrast to the national picture, [1] the results in Leeds were a mirror-image of the previous year's election, with Labour enjoying a 5.5% swing [3] in their direction, enabling them to win the majority of seats - defending all but one. The sole seat that changed hands, was the Conservative's gain in Wortley - returning the ward to full Conservative representation after a decade of mixture. [2]

The Liberals, now including the unsuccessful Independent of the year before, retained their second place comfortably in Far Headingley and - by contrast - just three votes in Allerton. The Communists fielded a record of six candidates, gaining them their highest share on record, and highest vote since 1947. The BNP also entered their first ever candidate in Leeds, receiving 4% in Armley. [2]

In addition, the allocation of aldermen changed, in accordance to the long running agreement between Labour and the Conservatives that they should be divided up proportional to their councillors - roughly one alderman per three councillors - granting the Tories an extra two at Labour's expense. All of which resulted in Labour's majority amounting to fourteen. Turnout returned to the mid thirties (35.6%) where it had stabilised for the latter half of the former decade, until suffering a sharp drop at the last election. [3]

Election result

Leeds local election result 1961
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1801-162.145.356,650+4.3
  Conservative 1110+137.948.560,692-5.8
  Liberal 00000.05.16,438+0.9
  Communist 00000.00.91,073+0.4
  British National 00000.00.1182+0.1

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
Labour48184716
Conservatives36103712
Total84288428
112112
Working majority 12   8  10   4 
 20  14 

Ward results

Allerton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative L. Bidgood4,21472.1−4.7
Liberal Julius Blum81714.0−0.8
Labour A. Baum81413.9+5.4
Majority 3,39758.1−4.0
Turnout 5,845
Conservative hold Swing
Armley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Cohen2,45153.3+0.6
Conservative R. Beal1,96542.7−4.6
British National D. Hainsworth1824.0+4.0
Majority 48610.6+5.2
Turnout 4,598
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Beeston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative L. Snape3,53853.3+3.3
Labour W. Prichard3,09846.7+3.9
Majority 4406.6−0.6
Turnout 6,636
Conservative hold Swing -0.3
Blenheim [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Wallbanks1,59060.2−5.0
Conservative J. Butterfield1,05139.8+5.0
Majority 53920.4−10.0
Turnout 2,641
Labour hold Swing -5.0
Bramley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Eric Atkinson3,22552.6+11.8
Conservative H. Picking2,90347.4−2.1
Majority 3225.3−3.4
Turnout 6,128
Labour hold Swing +6.9
Burmantofts [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Lloyd2,37573.1+9.0
Conservative M. Bauchop87626.9−9.0
Majority 1,49946.1+18.0
Turnout 3,251
Labour hold Swing +9.0
City [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Tallant1,22461.5+4.3
Conservative D. Mowbray76538.5−4.3
Majority 45923.1+8.5
Turnout 1,989
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Cross Gates [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F. Booth3,64958.4+2.9
Labour E. Coward3,122
Conservative G. Lockwood2,25036.0−8.5
Conservative A. Lunn2,204
Communist B. Wilson3445.5+5.5
Majority 87222.4+11.4
Turnout 6,243
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +5.7
East Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Fish2,16373.6+8.4
Conservative J. Birch77426.4−8.4
Majority 1,38947.3+16.8
Turnout 2,937
Labour hold Swing +8.4
Far Headingley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative W. Hey4,14058.2−4.4
Liberal John Humphrey Morrish1,94227.3+6.9
Labour J. Moynihan1,02614.4−2.6
Majority 2,19830.9−11.3
Turnout 7,108
Conservative hold Swing -5.6
Halton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative C. Watson3,69865.7−15.0
Labour L. Wray1,01818.1−1.2
Liberal C. Leatham91316.2+16.2
Majority 2,68047.6−13.8
Turnout 5,629
Conservative hold Swing -6.9
Harehills [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Lawrence Turnbull3,03461.3−2.2
Labour W. Todd1,91538.7+2.2
Majority 1,11922.6−4.5
Turnout 4,949
Conservative hold Swing -2.2
Holbeck [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Jones1,81757.3−6.8
Conservative J. Robinson87427.6−8.3
Liberal H. Linley47815.1+15.1
Majority 94329.8+1.6
Turnout 3,169
Labour hold Swing +0.7
Hunslet Carr [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hodkinson2,13067.1−1.7
Conservative M. Hayne69221.8−9.4
Liberal E. Pemberton35411.1+11.1
Majority 1,43845.3+7.8
Turnout 3,176
Labour hold Swing +3.8
Hyde Park [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative F. Hall2,38863.6−7.0
Labour L. Steele1,36836.4+7.0
Majority 1,02027.2−13.9
Turnout 3,756
Conservative hold Swing -7.0
Kirkstall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Albert Smith3,22254.4+2.6
Conservative F. Lucas2,69945.6−2.6
Majority 5238.8+5.1
Turnout 5,921
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Meanwood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative V. Cardno3,46376.1−1.8
Labour A. Kirk1,08723.9+1.8
Majority 2,37652.2−3.7
Turnout 4,550
Conservative hold Swing -1.8
Middleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Malcolm2,20873.3+1.2
Conservative D. Lodge63020.9−1.0
Communist R. Wilkinson1755.8−0.2
Majority 1,57852.4+2.2
Turnout 3,013
Labour hold Swing +1.1
Moortown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Watson4,32975.6−5.3
Labour J. Taylor1,39824.4+5.3
Majority 2,93151.2−10.5
Turnout 5,727
Conservative hold Swing -5.3
Osmondthorpe [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Addlestone2,44373.4+2.2
Conservative A. Bell88726.6−2.2
Majority 1,55646.7+4.4
Turnout 3,330
Labour hold Swing +2.2
Potternewton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Sydney Symmonds1,64058.5−11.7
Labour Kevin Gould70225.0+0.1
Liberal T. Longhorn36813.1+13.1
Communist H. Fawcett953.4−1.5
Majority 93833.4−11.8
Turnout 2,805
Conservative hold Swing -5.9
Richmond Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. King1,78176.3+2.1
Conservative H. Flockton45619.5−6.3
Communist E. Burwin984.2+4.2
Majority 1,32556.7+8.4
Turnout 2,335
Labour hold Swing +4.2
Roundhay [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Allan Bretherick3,74475.6−3.5
Labour J. Stephenson1,20824.4+3.5
Majority 2,53651.2−7.0
Turnout 4,952
Conservative hold Swing -3.5
Stanningley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Waterman3,06548.8+9.3
Conservative A. Rakusen2,25235.8−6.8
Liberal Dennis Pedder96715.4−2.5
Majority 81312.9+9.8
Turnout 6,284
Labour hold Swing +8.0
Wellington [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour N. Barratt2,33774.5+2.2
Conservative B. Pearce59318.9−2.1
Communist G. Hodgson2056.5+0.0
Majority 1,74455.6+4.3
Turnout 3,135
Labour hold Swing +2.1
Westfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour V. Whelan1,98649.0+9.9
Conservative F. Grainge1,46836.2−7.9
Liberal E. Vasey59914.8+0.0
Majority 51812.8+7.8
Turnout 4,053
Labour hold Swing +8.9
Woodhouse [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour P. Taylor2,26251.5+6.2
Conservative F. Greene1,97344.9−3.7
Communist E. Meth1563.6+0.8
Majority 2896.6+3.3
Turnout 4,391
Labour hold Swing +4.9
Wortley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative B. Emmett3,39652.4−4.4
Labour E. Morris3,08847.6+4.4
Majority 3084.8−8.7
Turnout 6,484
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -4.4

References

  1. 1 2 "Britons Shift to the Right". The New York Times . 12 May 1961. Retrieved 18 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 . 12 May 1961.
  3. 1 2 3 Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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