1962 Leeds City Council election

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The 1962 Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 10 May 1962, [1] with one third of the council to be elected. [2]

Contents

Both Labour and Conservative took hits to their vote (although falling more at the Conservative's expense meant a 1.7% swing to Labour [3] ) as the Liberals received record support, more than doubling contemporary results to surpass the 10,000 marker in votes and obtaining a double-figure vote share for the first time. [2] Unable to add to the gains they were making across England and Wales that night, [1] they won second-place in the majority of the ten wards they fought - although most looked unlikely to pay much dividend, simply pipping Labour to distant second-place in safe-Conservative seats. The closest races - offering some prospect of success for them - were found in Far Headingley where they managed a swing of just under 11% to wipe away two-thirds of the Tory majority, and achieving an even larger swing of 14% to turn Stanningley into a Labour-held three-way marginal. [2]

The Liberals weren't alone in fielding their greatest number of candidates, as the Communists matched their 1950 record of seven candidates, surpassing one percent for the first time (beyond 1950). Despite these advances, the only change was to be found in the Conservative-Labour battleground of Wortley, with Labour gaining the seat by a mere three votes. [2] Turnout fell modestly to 33.9% on the previous year. [3]

Election result

Leeds local election result 1962
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1810+164.343.951,574-1.4
  Conservative 1001-135.743.751,392-4.8
  Liberal 00000.011.313,237+6.2
  Communist 00000.01.11,256+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
Labour47164816
Conservatives37123612
Total84288428
112112
Working majority 10   4  12   4 
 14  16 

Ward results

Allerton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative F. Marshall3,70263.8−8.3
Liberal Julius Blum1,24621.5+7.5
Labour A. Baum85614.7+0.8
Majority 2,45642.3−15.8
Turnout 5,804
Conservative hold Swing -7.9
Armley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Bissell2,33060.3+6.9
Conservative R. Beal1,53739.7−3.0
Majority 79320.5+9.9
Turnout 3,867
Labour hold Swing +4.9
Beeston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative A. Hartley3,16251.2−2.1
Labour J. Prichard3,01748.8+2.1
Majority 1452.3−4.3
Turnout 6,179
Conservative hold Swing -2.1
Blenheim [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Merritt1,61371.2+11.0
Conservative J. Cumberland65128.8−11.0
Majority 96242.5+22.1
Turnout 2,264
Labour hold Swing +11.0
Bramley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Lord2,80153.7+1.0
Conservative H. Pickering2,41846.3−1.0
Majority 3837.3+2.0
Turnout 5,219
Labour hold Swing +1.0
Burmantofts [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Murray2,06974.1+1.0
Conservative M. Bauchop72525.9−1.0
Majority 1,34448.1+2.0
Turnout 2,794
Labour hold Swing +1.0
City [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bernard Atha1,28071.5+9.9
Conservative D. Mowbray51128.5−9.9
Majority 76942.9+19.8
Turnout 1,791
Labour hold Swing +9.9
Cross Gates [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour E. Coward3,03759.6+1.2
Conservative F. West1,76334.6−1.4
Communist B. Wilson2955.8+0.3
Majority 1,27425.0+2.6
Turnout 5,095
Labour hold Swing +1.3
East Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour E. Kavanagh1,71263.1−10.5
Conservative J. Birch54820.2−6.1
Liberal E. Pemberton45216.7+16.7
Majority 1,16442.9−4.4
Turnout 2,712
Labour hold Swing -2.2
Far Headingley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative G. Dovenor3,93747.6−10.7
Liberal John Humphrey Morrish3,16638.2+10.9
Labour J. Moynihan1,17514.2−0.2
Majority 7719.3−21.6
Turnout 8,278
Conservative hold Swing -10.8
Halton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J. Shires3,88363.3−2.4
Labour A. Kirk1,15118.8+0.7
Liberal E. Vasey1,09817.9+1.7
Majority 2,78544.6−3.0
Turnout 6,132
Conservative hold Swing -1.5
Harehills [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Patrick Crotty2,61561.2−0.1
Labour G. Bloom1,66038.8+0.1
Majority 95522.3−0.3
Turnout 4,275
Conservative hold Swing -0.1
Holbeck [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Bray 1,75468.4+11.1
Conservative J. Robinson81031.6+4.0
Majority 94436.8+7.0
Turnout 2,564
Labour hold Swing +3.5
Hunslet Carr [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Parker1,81065.9−1.2
Conservative R. Austwick72926.5+4.7
Communist L. Hunter2097.6+7.6
Majority 1,08139.3−6.0
Turnout 2,748
Labour hold Swing -2.9
Hyde Park [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. Fielding2,03861.2−2.4
Labour L. Steele1,29338.8+2.4
Majority 74522.4−4.8
Turnout 3,331
Conservative hold Swing -2.4
Kirkstall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Matthews2,80852.1−2.3
Conservative F. Lucas1,58129.4−16.2
Liberal D. Whittaker99618.5+18.5
Majority 1,22722.8+14.0
Turnout 5,385
Labour hold Swing +6.9
Meanwood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative T. Kirkby2,73353.9−22.2
Liberal Graham Rowlands1,31525.9+25.9
Labour J. Taylor1,02320.2−3.7
Majority 1,41828.0−24.2
Turnout 5,071
Conservative hold Swing -24.0
Middleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Binns2,25176.5+3.2
Conservative D. Lodge53518.2−2.7
Communist R. Wilkinson1575.3−0.5
Majority 1,71658.3+5.9
Turnout 2,943
Labour hold Swing +2.9
Moortown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative L. Henson3,70362.5−13.1
Liberal G. Statman1,17019.8+19.8
Labour K. Lloyd1,05017.7−6.7
Majority 2,53342.8−8.4
Turnout 5,923
Conservative hold Swing -16.4
Osmondthorpe [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L. Walsh2,38474.8+1.5
Conservative A. Bell80225.2−1.5
Majority 1,58249.7+3.0
Turnout 3,186
Labour hold Swing +1.5
Potternewton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative L. Lyons1,78552.5−6.0
Labour Kevin Gould85925.3+0.2
Liberal T. Longhorn65219.2+6.1
Communist H. Fawcett1033.0−0.4
Majority 92627.2−6.2
Turnout 3,399
Conservative hold Swing -3.1
Richmond Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Cain1,89777.3+1.1
Conservative A. Booth42417.3−2.2
Communist E. Burwin1325.4+1.2
Majority 1,47360.0+3.3
Turnout 2,453
Labour hold Swing +1.6
Roundhay [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative S. Codd2,94957.0−18.6
Liberal A. Clarke1,35526.2+26.2
Labour D. Thomas86916.8−7.6
Majority 1,59430.8−20.4
Turnout 5,173
Conservative hold Swing -22.4
Stanningley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Marshall2,07938.5−10.3
Liberal Dennis Pedder1,78733.1+17.7
Conservative A. Rakuson1,54028.5−7.4
Majority 2925.4−7.5
Turnout 5,406
Labour hold Swing -14.0
Wellington [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Underwood2,01875.8+1.2
Conservative A. Stephen44016.5−2.4
Communist G. Hodgson2067.7+1.2
Majority 1,57859.2+3.6
Turnout 2,664
Labour hold Swing +1.8
Westfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Stan Cohen 1,82457.2+8.2
Conservative A. Sexton1,36442.8+6.6
Majority 46014.4+1.6
Turnout 3,188
Labour hold Swing +0.8
Woodhouse [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Bretherick2,06453.8+2.3
Conservative P. Greene1,62042.2−2.7
Communist E. Meth1544.0+0.5
Majority 44411.6+5.0
Turnout 3,838
Labour hold Swing +2.5
Wortley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Stephenson2,89050.0+2.4
Conservative F. Stubley2,88750.0−2.4
Majority 30.1−4.7
Turnout 5,777
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.4

References

  1. 1 2 "Macmillan Party Set Back at Polls". The New York Times . 11 May 1962. 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 32 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post . 11 May 1962.
  3. 1 2 3 Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.