1965 Leeds City Council election

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The 1965 municipal elections for Leeds were held on Thursday 13 May 1965, [1] with one third of the council and an extra vacancy in Allerton to be elected. [2]

Contents

Building upon the previous year, the Conservatives fully reversed the downward trend they'd been on since 1960. With a whopping 10.2% [3] swing their way, they defeated the Labour Party in a manner not seen since 1951, with Labour's share reduced to the thirties - surpassing even their record low then.

The Conservatives six gains were largely a regaining of Labour's 1963 gains, with the notable exceptions of Beeston, which they already held, and Kirkstall - a first for the ward, which had been monolithically Labour since the boundary changes in 1951. [2]

The Conservatives also recovered Roundhay from Labour who gained it in a by-election in 1963.

Elsewhere, the Liberals continued their decline from the 1962 highs, now at near enough where they were pre-spike. In contrast, the Communists, having steadily raised their candidates in each election since the mid-1950s were now fielding a record of 12, achieving party records in both vote and share. Turnout fell again by just over two percent on last year's figure to 34.5%. [3] [4]

Election result

Leeds local election result 1965
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1760+658.656.165,041+11.2
  Labour 1206-641.437.843,813-9.1
  Liberal 00000.04.65,366-2.5
  Communist 00000.01.51,741+0.5

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections: [4]

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Cllr Ald CllrAld
Labour56195019
Conservatives28 934 9
Total84288428
112112
Working majority 28  10  16  10 
 38  26 

Ward results

Allerton [2] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Frank Marshall5,35878.8+9.4
Conservative John William Harwood Long5,174
Labour Gerald Bloom1,44221.2−0.2
Labour Donald Chadwick1,308
Majority 3,73257.6+9.7
Turnout 6,800
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing +4.8
Armley [2] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Joseph Bissell1,90752.6−7.2
Conservative Kevin Anthony Beal1,71747.4+19.0
Majority 1905.2−26.2
Turnout 3,624
Labour hold Swing -13.1
Beeston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alan Hartley3,49658.4+9.2
Labour Eric Forbes Mill2,40040.1−7.8
Communist Frederick Sidebottom871.5−1.4
Majority 1,09618.3+17.0
Turnout 5,983
Conservative hold Swing +8.5
Blenheim [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Merritt1,10059.6−9.1
Conservative Rolland Derrick Austwick74740.4+9.1
Majority 35319.2−18.2
Turnout 1,847
Labour hold Swing -9.1
Bramley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jack Hart2,97356.4+16.9
Labour William Lord2,29743.6−16.9
Majority 67612.8−8.3
Turnout 5,270
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +16.9
Burmantofts [2] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour George Murray1,43156.1−16.2
Conservative Jessie Margaret (commonly known as Peggy) White1,12043.9+16.2
Majority 31112.2−32.3
Turnout 2,551
Labour hold Swing -16.2
City [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bernard Peter Atha72461.6−11.7
Conservative Michael Herbert Baker45138.4+11.7
Majority 27323.2−23.5
Turnout 1,175
Labour hold Swing -11.7
Cross Gates [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Enid Muriel Coward3,70857.7−7.7
Conservative Sidney Andrew Codd2,29435.7+6.6
Communist Henry Fawcett4216.6+1.1
Majority 1,41422.0−14.4
Turnout 6,423
Labour hold Swing -7.1
East Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ernest Kavanagh1,01763.1−9.2
Conservative Keith Anthony Frederick Grainger59436.9+9.2
Majority 42326.2−18.4
Turnout 1,611
Labour hold Swing -9.2
Far Headingley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alan Edwin Roberts5,90567.2+14.0
Labour Nellie Doreen Jenner1,64918.8−1.4
Liberal Anastasios Christodoulop1,23814.1−12.6
Majority 4,25648.4+21.9
Turnout 8,792
Conservative hold Swing +7.7
Halton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Hutchings Rhodes4,87978.4+8.9
Labour Doreen Hamilton1,34721.6−8.9
Majority 3,53256.7+17.7
Turnout 6,226
Conservative hold Swing +8.9
Harehills [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Patrick Crotty2,72058.9+7.5
Labour Howard Howlett1,63935.5−3.5
Liberal Ronald Gibbon Sissons2585.6−4.0
Majority 1,08123.4+11.0
Turnout 4,617
Conservative hold Swing +5.5
Holbeck [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gertrude Bray 1,30455.0−1.5
Conservative Michael Waddington90538.2+11.7
Communist Joyce McCarthy1606.8+3.6
Majority 39916.8−13.2
Turnout 2,369
Labour hold Swing -6.6
Hunslet Carr [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Wilfred Parker1,31157.9−4.9
Conservative Herbert Ernest Lister85237.6+6.0
Communist Leslie Hunter1014.5−1.1
Majority 45920.3−10.9
Turnout 2,264
Labour hold Swing -5.4
Hyde Park [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ronald Derek Fielding2,49555.9+6.8
Labour Wilfred Window1,16626.1−12.8
Liberal Deryck Ernest Senior68915.4+3.3
Communist Stanley Peter Walker1162.6+2.6
Majority 1,32929.8+19.6
Turnout 4,466
Conservative hold Swing +9.8
Kirkstall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Raymond Kent2,20250.4+16.3
Labour Dennis Burrill Matthews2,02046.2−9.0
Communist Beryl Huffinley1503.4+0.7
Majority 1824.2−17.0
Turnout 4,372
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +12.6
Meanwood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Thomas William Kirkby3,23267.6+9.0
Labour John McPheat1,04921.9−9.2
Liberal Evelyn Mary Briggs50010.5+0.2
Majority 2,18345.7+18.3
Turnout 4,781
Conservative hold Swing +9.1
Middleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour St. John Binns1,83374.7−6.1
Conservative Frank Stubley47719.4+3.9
Communist Enos Leslie Moore1435.8+2.2
Majority 1,35655.3−10.0
Turnout 2,453
Labour hold Swing -5.0
Moortown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Louie Ellen Henson5,53271.2+8.9
Labour Bernard Ingham 1,48519.1−7.9
Liberal Kenneth Roy Dunn5617.2−3.5
Communist Philip Boyes1902.4+2.4
Majority 4,04752.1+16.8
Turnout 7,768
Conservative hold Swing +8.4
Osmondthorpe [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William John (aka Jack) Pritchard1,32265.3−13.0
Conservative Ethel Megan Lewis70434.7+13.0
Majority 61830.5−26.0
Turnout 2,026
Labour hold Swing -13.0
Potternewton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Irwin Norman Bellow 2,27056.2+8.8
Labour Joyce Brenda Gould 1,26731.4−11.7
Liberal Sydney Herbert Bexan42710.6+3.3
Communist Raymond Ramsden731.8−0.4
Majority 1,00324.8+20.5
Turnout 4,037
Conservative hold Swing +10.2
Richmond Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Cain1,46369.6−13.9
Conservative Alfred Patrick Sexton51924.7+12.2
Communist Eric Burwin1215.8+1.7
Majority 94444.9−26.1
Turnout 2,103
Labour hold Swing -13.0
Roundhay [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alan Commander Johnson5,14477.4+9.2
Labour Douglas Thomas1,50322.6−9.2
Majority 3,64154.8+18.4
Turnout 6,647
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.2
Stanningley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alfred Matthew Vickers2,05245.1+11.0
Labour John Henry Marshall1,70137.4−10.9
Liberal Dennis Pedder79317.4−0.1
Majority 3517.7−6.4
Turnout 4,546
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +10.9
Wellington [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour John Herbert Underwood99758.4−10.9
Conservative Elizabeth Anne Farrar35620.8+3.9
Liberal Ernest Howson27215.9+5.7
Communist Marion Rogers834.9+1.3
Majority 64137.5−14.8
Turnout 1,708
Labour hold Swing -7.4
Westfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative May Sexton1,41356.6+8.3
Labour Stanley Cohen1,08343.4−8.3
Majority 33013.2+9.8
Turnout 2,496
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.3
Woodhouse [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Frederick Chadwick Green1,44151.7+12.5
Labour Harold Bretherick1,25244.9−13.3
Communist Arthur Dale963.4+0.7
Majority 1896.8−12.2
Turnout 2,789
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +12.9
Wortley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Brian Emmett3,19351.4+8.8
Labour Joseph Stephenson2,39638.5−9.8
Liberal Walter Holdsworth62810.1+1.0
Majority 79712.8+7.0
Turnout 6,217
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.3

[5]

References

  1. "The News of the Week in Review: Two Crises". The New York Times . 16 May 1965. Retrieved 19 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 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post . 14 May 1965.
  3. 1 2 Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
  4. 1 2 Whitaker, Joseph (1965). Whitaker's Almanack 1965.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Leeds City Year Book". Leeds City Council . 1965.