1970 Leeds City Council election

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The 1970 Leeds City Council elections were held on 8 May 1970, [1] with one third of the seats up for election, as well as an extra vacancy in Beeston. [2]

Contents

The election seen a nationally resurgent [1] Labour gain 10 seats and achieve a 13% swing from the Conservatives, returning to a competitive status after the routings suffered the previous two elections. Labour gains were as follows: Bramley, Burmantofts, Gipton, Osmondthorpe, Richmond Hill, Scott Hall, Seacroft, Stanningley, Whinmoor and Wortley. There was also a narrow hold in Burley, with Labour close to eliminating the almost 40% Conservative majority managed there the year before. The Liberals further increased their representation with a gain from the Conservatives, repeating their success in West Hunslet following the previous year's upset. [2]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1970
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 15011-1148.447.058,281-11.7
  Labour 14100+1045.242.152,168+14.2
  Liberal 210+16.49.812,134-1.5
  Communist 00000.00.91,108-0.8
  Ind. Conservative 00000.00.1400-0.3
  National Front 00000.00.191+0.1

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Cllr Ald CllrAld
Conservatives73256225
Labour135235
Liberals4050
Total90309030
120120
Working majority 56  20  34  20 
 76  54 

Ward results

Armley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative H. Stephenson1,86236.3-2.2
Labour W. Thurlow1,66932.6+10.7
Liberal P. Chadsworth1,38026.9-2.2
Ind. Conservative G. Atkinson1683.3-2.2
Communist P. Wilton460.9-0.7
Majority1933.8-5.6
Turnout 5,125
Conservative hold Swing -6.4
Beeston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative L. Platt2,24750.8-10.3
Conservative A. Dunn2,208
Labour S. Whelan1,73439.2+10.1
Labour M. Chadwick1,685
Liberal A. Webster44310.0+0.2
Liberal D. Dawson394
Majority51311.6-20.4
Turnout 4,424
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing -10.2
Bramley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Eric Atkinson2,33450.1+23.4
Conservative D. Armitage1,99842.9-11.3
Liberal J. Coates3257.0-12.1
Majority3367.2-20.3
Turnout 4,657
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.3
Burley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative M. Davies1,86849.6-16.6
Labour J. Sully1,81348.2+22.9
Communist T. Flynn842.2-6.3
Majority551.5-39.5
Turnout 3,765
Conservative hold Swing -19.7
Burmantofts [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Cohen2,83455.9+9.0
Conservative J. Brightbart1,69733.5-16.3
Liberal E. Britton4969.8+9.8
Communist F. Stockdale400.8-2.4
Majority1,13722.4+19.5
Turnout 5,067
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +12.6
Castleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Michael Meadowcroft 2,12753.7-0.9
Labour K. Dockway1,44936.6+9.0
Conservative E. Lewis3438.7-7.7
Communist G. Corscadden391.0-0.4
Majority67817.1-9.9
Turnout 3,958
Liberal hold Swing -4.9
Chapel Allerton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J. Long2,85482.3-0.7
Labour G. Bloom40111.6+4.3
Liberal Deryck Ernest Senior2116.1-0.7
Majority2,45370.8-7.9
Turnout 3,466
Conservative hold Swing -3.9
City [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ernest Morris1,74865.7+12.3
Conservative J. Sexton76428.7-14.2
Liberal Graham Rowlands752.8+2.8
Communist T. Johnston722.7-0.9
Majority98437.0+26.4
Turnout 2,659
Labour hold Swing +13.2
Cookridge [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative S. Lyons2,60559.5-14.9
Labour W. Lodge96622.1+7.0
Liberal E. Finkle80618.4+7.9
Majority1,63937.4-21.9
Turnout 4,377
Conservative hold Swing -10.9
East Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Pepper1,90766.6+8.9
Liberal J. Barie58120.3+0.8
Conservative I. Holmes37413.1-9.7
Majority1,32646.3+11.3
Turnout 2,862
Labour hold Swing +4.0
Gipton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Moynihan2,12551.0+14.0
Conservative W. Buckland1,87645.1-16.1
Liberal K. Pedder1102.6+2.6
Communist J. Bellamy531.3-0.6
Majority2496.0-18.1
Turnout 4,164
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +15.0
Halton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. Vaughan3,84676.4-9.4
Labour W. Spence1,12922.4+11.6
Communist G. McGowan561.1-2.2
Majority2,71754.0-21.0
Turnout 5,031
Conservative hold Swing -10.5
Harehills [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J. White1,55064.9-11.9
Labour G. Wood71229.8+18.1
Liberal D. Preethy1275.3-6.2
Majority83835.1-29.9
Turnout 2,389
Conservative hold Swing -15.0
Headingley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D. Barron2,90471.4-8.3
Labour T. Cooke1,16428.6+17.4
Majority1,74042.8-25.6
Turnout 4,068
Conservative hold Swing -12.8
Holbeck [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Matthews1,86860.0+12.7
Liberal R. Whitelock85227.4-2.7
Conservative J. Spragg39212.6-10.0
Majority1,01632.615.3
Turnout 3,112
Labour hold Swing +7.7
Kirkstall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. Robertson2,82550.2-7.7
Labour J. Underwood2,44043.4+10.7
Liberal R. Worrall2564.6-3.1
Communist J. Sidebottom1021.8+0.1
Majority3856.8-18.3
Turnout 5,623
Conservative hold Swing -9.2
Middleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Binns2,50763.2+9.2
Liberal S. Robinson80320.3-2.7
Conservative G. Hartley55814.1-2.3
Communist D. Priscott962.4-4.2
Majority1,70443.0+12.0
Turnout 3,964
Labour hold Swing +5.9
Moortown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative E. Vaughan2,66868.6-5.4
Labour A. Donohoe90323.2+12.0
Liberal S. Rowland3168.1-6.6
Majority1,76545.4-13.9
Turnout 3,887
Conservative hold Swing -8.7
Osmondthorpe [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Douglas Gabb2,81061.6+11.8
Conservative Doreen Wood1,69437.1-8.6
Communist T. Kelly571.2-3.2
Majority1,11624.5+20.4
Turnout 4,561
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +10.2
Richmond Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Mathers2,29357.4+19.4
Conservative D. Eastham1,54738.7-15.9
Liberal A. Wren701.8-2.5
Communist P. Fawcett571.4-1.8
National Front B. Thurlow310.8+0.8
Majority74618.7+2.1
Turnout 3,998
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.6
Roundhay [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J. Challenor3,16685.3-6.0
Labour Denise Atkinson54414.7+6.0
Majority2,62270.7-11.9
Turnout 3,710
Conservative hold Swing -6.0
Scott Hall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Ellis1,43248.8+24.3
Conservative L. Horton1,37746.9-28.6
Communist A. Dale1274.3+4.3
Majority551.9-49.1
Turnout 2,936
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +26.4
Seacroft [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Woolmer4,02369.2+22.7
Conservative M. Freegood1,73729.9-19.6
Communist H. Besser510.9-3.0
Majority2,28639.3+36.3
Turnout 5,811
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +21.1
Stanningley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kevin Gould2,65754.3+10.4
Conservative A. Vickers1,80036.8-15.0
Liberal V. Lockwood3908.0+8.0
Communist P. Sidebottom430.9-3.3
Majority85717.5+9.6
Turnout 4,890
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +12.7
Talbot [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. Crousden3,17281.5-6.0
Labour R. Sedler72118.5+6.0
Majority2,45163.0-11.9
Turnout 3,893
Conservative hold Swing -6.0
Weetwood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative B. Peart3,73777.9-3.5
Liberal B. Reynolds53711.2-1.3
Labour A. Baum4659.7+3.5
National Front R. Green601.3+1.3
Majority3,20066.7-2.1
Turnout 4,799
Conservative hold Swing -1.1
West Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal W. Taylor1,71041.4-13.4
Labour E. Hodkinson1,26730.7+12.5
Conservative J. Crosby1,15227.9+0.9
Majority11510.7-17.1
Turnout 4,129
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing -12.9
Whinmoor [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Coward2,12359.3+10.7
Conservative V. McNair1,38238.6-10.9
Communist J. Scawthorne742.1+0.2
Majority74120.7+19.8
Turnout 3,579
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +10.8
Woodhouse [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative A. Sexton1,73552.4-10.8
Labour C. Buttery1,46844.3+13.2
Communist L. Morris1113.3-2.4
Majority2678.1-23.9
Turnout 3,314
Conservative hold Swing -12.0
Wortley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Sargeant2,66246.4+18.7
Conservative R. Beal2,55144.5-15.8
Liberal Walter Holdsworth5199.1-2.8
Majority1111.9-30.6
Turnout 5,732
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.2

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References

  1. 1 2 "Labor Makes Gains in British Elections". The New York Times . 8 May 1970. Retrieved 21 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 . 9 May 1970.
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