Leeds Central (UK Parliament constituency)

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Leeds Central
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
LeedsCentral2007Constituency.svg
2010–2024 boundary of Leeds Central in West Yorkshire
EnglandWestYorkshire.svg
Location of West Yorkshire within England
County West Yorkshire
Electorate 90,971 (December 2019) [1]
Major settlements Leeds
1983–2024
SeatsOne
Created from Leeds South, Leeds South East, Leeds East, Leeds West and Leeds North East [2]
Replaced by Leeds Central and Headingley
Leeds South
1885–1955
Created from Leeds
Replaced by Leeds West, Leeds South and Leeds South East

Leeds Central was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The constituency first existed from 1885 until it was abolished in 1955. It was recreated in 1983.

Contents

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished again. Subject to boundary changes involving the loss of most Leeds city centre to the newly created constituency of Leeds Central and Headingley , the seat will be reformed as Leeds South , to be first contested in the 2024 general election.

Boundaries

Leeds Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 2010–2024

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Leeds wards of Mill Hill and West, and parts of the wards of Brunswick and Central.

1918–1950: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Central, Mill Hill, South, and West, and parts of the wards of Brunswick, Headingley, and North West.

1950–1951: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Armley and New Wortley, Blenheim, Central, Holbeck North, Mill Hill, and South and Westfield.

1951–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Blenheim, City, Wellington, and Westfield. [3]

1983–1997: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston, City and Holbeck, Richmond Hill, and University.

1997–2010: As above plus Hunslet.

2010–2024: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, City and Hunslet, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, and Middleton Park.

Following the Leeds City Council ward boundary changes prior to the 2018 election, the majority of the City and Hunslet ward became the new Hunslet and Riverside ward, whilst Leeds city centre was included in the new Little London and Woodhouse ward. Hyde Park became part of a new Headingley and Hyde Park ward, shared with the Leeds North West constituency.

Constituency profile

The business and retail centre of Leeds was at the constituency's heart. A relatively affluent hub having a large minority of its housing forming by luxury, well-served apartments or streets of grand middle-class Victorian houses, the seat has sporadic deprivation, typified by certain densely packed rows of terraced houses, home to many Labour-inclined and often low-income voters. Two large, well-ranked universities in the city centre, the professional services sector and a 21st-century increase in technology businesses has brought prosperity to the younger generations of the city. The older generations of the city have lived through the closure of many mass consumer product manufacturing and materials processing businesses in Leeds throughout the mid-20th century. [4] Leeds' two universities produce a significant student electorate. [4] [5] Middleton in the south of the seat has a golf course, a miniature railway and an upcoming urban mountain bike trail centre within the boundaries.

Households as at March 2011 [6]
StatusNumber
Not Deprived in Any Dimension16,201
Deprived in 1 Dimension21,519
Deprived in 2 Dimensions13,586
Deprived in 3 Dimensions5,205
Deprived in 4 Dimensions697

History

First creation

The constituency was created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and was first used in the general election of that year *the large Leeds seat had previously been represented by two MPs (1832–1868) and three MPs (1868–1885)). From 1885 it was represented by five single-member constituencies: Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West. The constituencies of Morley, Otley and Pudsey were also created in 1885. The constituency was abolished in 1955. After the 1955 general election: Leeds was represented by Leeds East (created 1885, abolished 1918, recreated 1955), Leeds North East (created 1918), Leeds North West (created 1950), Leeds South (created 1885), and Leeds South East (created 1918). There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley (created 1918) and Pudsey (created 1885, replaced by Pudsey and Otley 1918–1950).

Second creation

Revival

The constituency was re-created for the 1983 general election.

Results of the winning party

The seat has been won by the Labour Party's candidate since 1983. Benn, elected in 1999 on the demise of Fatchett, has achieved an absolute majority (plurality of votes) in three of five elections for Leeds Central. The 2015 result made the seat the 40-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority. [7]

Opposition parties

Conservative runner-up, Wilson, in 2015 failed to reflect the positive national swing and fell to 17.3% of the votes cast. A candidature of UKIP, not present in 2010, saw a total share of the vote, hence positive swing, of 15.7% and thus third position. [n 1] . Green Party running, not present in 2010, resulted in a 7.9% polling and fourth-place, its candidate retained his deposit. The fifth-placed Liberal Democrat forfeited her deposit. [n 2] .

Turnout

In general elections, turnout ranged from 87.9% in 1910 to 41.7% in 2001. In its 1999 by-election the constituency experienced the lowest voter turnout post-war of 19.6%. [8] [9] [5]

Members of Parliament

Hilary Benn, Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999 Official portrait of Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP crop 3.jpg
Hilary Benn, Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999

MPs 1885–1955

Leeds prior to 1885

ElectionMember [10] Party
1885 Gerald Balfour Conservative
1906 Robert Armitage Liberal
1922 Arthur Willey Conservative
1923 by-election Sir Charles Wilson Conservative
1929 Richard Denman Labour
1931 National Labour
1945 George Porter Labour
1955 Constituency abolished

MPs 1983–2024

Leeds South and Leeds South East prior to 1983

ElectionMember [10] Party
1983 Derek Fatchett Labour
1999 by-election Hilary Benn Labour
2024 Constituency abolished

Election results 1983–2024

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Leeds Central [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 18,706 47.9
Liberal Peter Wrigley10,48426.9
Conservative Michael Ashley-Brown9,18123.6
BNP G. Cummins3310.9
Communist J.M. Rogers3140.8
Majority 8,22221.0
Turnout 39,03061.7
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1987: Leeds Central
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 21,270 55.6 +7.7
Conservative David Schofield9,76525.5+2.0
SDP Karen Lee6,85317.9−9.0
Communist William Innis3550.9+0.1
Majority 11,50530.1+9.1
Turnout 59,01964.8+3.1
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Leeds Central [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 23,673 62.2 +6.6
Conservative TC Holdroyd8,65322.7−2.8
Liberal Democrats David Pratt5,71315.0−2.9
Majority 15,02039.5+9.4
Turnout 38,03961.3−3.5
Labour hold Swing +4.7
General election 1997: Leeds Central
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 25,766 69.6 +7.4
Conservative Edward Wild5,07713.7−9.0
Liberal Democrats David Freeman4,16411.3−3.7
Referendum Philip Myers1,0422.8New
Socialist Labour Mick Rix 6561.8New
Socialist Alternative Chris Hill3040.8New
Majority 20,68955.9+16.4
Turnout 37,00954.7−6.6
Labour hold Swing +8.2
1999 Leeds Central by-election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hilary Benn 6,361 48.2 −21.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Wild4,06830.8+19.6
Conservative Edward Wild1,61812.3−1.4
Green David Blackburn4783.6New
UKIP Raymond Northgreaves3532.7New
Leeds Left Alliance Chris Hill2582.0New
Independent Julian Fitzgerald510.4New
Majority 2,29317.4−38.5
Turnout 13,18719.6−35.1
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Leeds Central
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hilary Benn 18,277 66.9 −2.7
Conservative Victoria Richmond3,89614.3+0.6
Liberal Democrats Stewart Arnold3,60713.2+1.9
UKIP David Burgess7752.8New
Socialist Alliance Stephen Johnston7512.8New
Majority 14,38152.6−3.3
Turnout 27,30641.7−12.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 2005: Leeds Central
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hilary Benn 17,526 60.0 −6.9
Liberal Democrats Ruth Coleman5,66019.4+6.2
Conservative Brian Cattell3,86513.2−1.1
BNP Mark Collett 1,2014.1New
UKIP Peter Sewards4941.7−1.1
Independent Mick Dear1890.6New
Independent Oluwole Taiwo1260.4New
Alliance for ChangeJulian Fitzgerald1250.4New
Majority 11,86640.6−12.0
Turnout 29,18646.4+4.7
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Leeds Central [13] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hilary Benn 18,434 49.3 −10.2
Liberal Democrats Michael Taylor7,78920.8−0.7
Conservative Alan Lamb7,54120.2+7.5
BNP Kevin Meeson3,0668.2+4.1
Independent Dave Procter4091.1New
Independent We Beat The Scum One-Nil1550.4New
Majority 10,64528.5–9.5
Turnout 37,39457.8+13.5
Labour hold Swing −4.8
General election 2015: Leeds Central [15] [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hilary Benn 24,758 55.0 +5.7
Conservative Nicola Wilson7,79117.3−2.9
UKIP Luke Senior7,08215.7New
Green Michael Hayton3,5587.9New
Liberal Democrats Emma Spriggs1,5293.4−17.4
TUSC Liz Kitching3300.7New
Majority 16,96737.7+9.2
Turnout 45,04855.1–2.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 2017: Leeds Central [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hilary Benn 33,453 70.2 +15.2
Conservative Gareth Davies 9,75520.5+3.2
UKIP Bill Palfreman2,0564.3−11.4
Green Ed Carlisle1,1892.5−5.4
Liberal Democrats Andy Nash1,0632.2−1.2
CPA Alex Coetzee1570.3New
Majority 23,69849.7+12.0
Turnout 47,67353.2−1.9
Labour hold Swing +6.0
General election 2019: Leeds Central [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hilary Benn 30,413 61.7 −8.5
Conservative Peter Fortune 11,14322.6+2.1
Brexit Party Paul Thomas2,9996.1New
Liberal Democrats Jack Holland2,3434.8+2.6
Green Ed Carlisle2,1054.3+1.8
SDP William Clouston 2810.6New
Majority 19,27039.1−10.6
Turnout 49,28454.2+1.0
Labour hold Swing -5.3

Election results 1885–1955

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Leeds Central [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerald Balfour 4,589 51.8
Liberal John Barran [20] 4,27548.2
Majority 3143.6
Turnout 8,86479.6
Registered electors 11,135
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Leeds Central [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerald Balfour 4,225 50.1 −1.7
Liberal James Kitson [21] 4,21249.9+1.7
Majority 130.2−3.4
Turnout 8,43775.8−3.8
Registered electors 11,135
Conservative hold Swing −1.7

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Leeds Central [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerald Balfour 4,448 50.6 +0.5
Liberal John Lawson Walton 4,33549.4−0.5
Majority 1131.2+1.0
Turnout 8,78386.0+10.2
Registered electors 10,215
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
General election 1895: Leeds Central [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerald Balfour 4,631 53.8 +3.2
Liberal Leifchild Jones 3,97746.2−3.2
Majority 6547.6+6.4
Turnout 8,60883.1−2.9
Registered electors 10,353
Conservative hold Swing +3.2

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Leeds Central [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerald Balfour 4,144 57.7 +3.9
Liberal Samuel Montagu 3,04242.3−3.9
Majority 1,10215.4+7.8
Turnout 7,18673.2−9.9
Registered electors 9,820
Conservative hold Swing +3.9
Robert Armitage in 1906 Robert Armitage.jpg
Robert Armitage in 1906
General election 1906: Leeds Central [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Armitage 4,188 57.3 +15.0
Conservative Gerald Balfour 3,11942.7−15.0
Majority 1,06914.6N/A
Turnout 7,30782.2+9.0
Registered electors 8,893
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +15.0

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Leeds Central [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Armitage 3,987 54.2 −3.1
Conservative John Gordon3,36645.8+3.1
Majority 6218.4−6.2
Turnout 7,35387.9+5.7
Liberal hold Swing -3.1
General election December 1910: Leeds Central [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Armitage 3,519 52.6 −2.6
Conservative John Gordon3,16947.4+2.6
Majority 3505.2−5.2
Turnout 6,68879.9−8.0
Liberal hold Swing -2.6

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Leeds Central [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Liberal Robert Armitage 11,47470.6+18.0
Independent * Ernest Terry2,63416.2New
Co-operative Party Joseph Smith2,14613.2New
Majority 8,84054.4+49.2
Turnout 16,25437.4−42.5
Registered electors 43,496
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

* Terry was supported by the three local branches of National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers, National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers and Comrades of the Great War.

Robert Armitage in 1922 1922 Robert Armitage.jpg
Robert Armitage in 1922

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Leeds Central [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Arthur Willey 14,137 50.0 New
Labour Henry Slesser 7,84427.8New
Liberal Robert Armitage 6,26022.2−58.4
Majority 6,29322.2N/A
Turnout 28,24166.1+28.7
Registered electors 42,738
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing N/A
1923 Leeds Central by-election [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Charles Wilson 13,085 47.6 −2.4
Labour Henry Slesser 11,35941.4+13.6
Liberal Gilbert Stone 3,02611.0−11.2
Majority 1,7266.2−16.0
Turnout 27,47064.3−1.8
Registered electors 42,738
Unionist hold Swing −8.0
General election 1923: Leeds Central [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Charles Wilson 14,853 56.2 +6.2
Labour Henry Slesser 11,57443.8+16.0
Majority 3,27912.4−9.8
Turnout 26,42760.1−6.0
Registered electors 43,972
Unionist hold Swing −4.9
General election 1924: Leeds Central [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Charles Wilson 16,182 59.6 +3.4
Labour E. J. C. Neep 10,97540.4−3.4
Majority 5,20719.2+6.8
Turnout 27,15761.0+0.9
Registered electors 44,532
Unionist hold Swing +3.4
General election 1929: Leeds Central
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Richard Denman 17,322 44.6 +4.2
Unionist Charles Wilson 15,95841.0−18.6
Liberal Myer Jack Landa5,60714.4New
Majority 1,3643.6N/A
Turnout 38,88768.9+7.9
Registered electors 56,417
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +11.4

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Leeds Central
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Labour Richard Denman 26,49671.36New
Labour Moss Turner-Samuels 10,63328.64
Majority 15,86342.72N/A
Turnout 37,12966.20
National Labour gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: Leeds Central
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Labour Richard Denman 17,74756.43−14.9
Labour Fred Lindley 13,70143.57+14.9
Majority 4,04612.86−29.9
Turnout 31,44861.44−4.8
National Labour hold Swing −14.9

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Leeds Central [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour George Porter 13,37057.14
Conservative Charles Denman 8,01134.24New
Liberal Basil Mayer Sandelson2,0178.62New
Majority 5,35922.90N/A
Turnout 23,39863.43
Labour gain from National Labour Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Leeds Central [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour George Porter 24,03060.75+3.6
Conservative William Barford13,35133.75+2.0
Liberal Victor Delepine2,1765.50−3.1
Majority 10,67927.00+4.1
Turnout 39,55778.26+14.8
Labour hold Swing +2.1
General election 1951: Leeds Central [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour George Porter 23,96762.35+1.6
Conservative William Barford14,47537.65+3.9
Majority 9,49224.70−2.3
Turnout 38,44277.10−1.2
Labour hold Swing −1.2

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ UKIP's swing nationally was +9.5% in 2015
  2. ↑ The Liberal Democrats's swing nationally was −15.2% in 2015, 1.7% less than in Leeds Central

References

  1. ↑ "Leeds Central Parliamentary constituency". BBC. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "'Leeds Central', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Order 1951. SI 1951/320". Statutory Instruments 1951. Vol. II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1952. pp. 410–412.
  4. 1 2 "Local statistics – Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk.
  5. 1 2 "Politics". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ Parish: Key Statistics: Economic. (2011 census) Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  7. ↑ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ BBC (11 July 2008). "Election Records". BBC News. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  10. 1 2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 1)
  11. ↑ "UK General Election results: June 1983 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  12. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Leeds Central". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Leeds Central". BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  17. ↑ "Leeds Central" (PDF). Leeds City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  18. ↑ "Leeds Central Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  20. ↑ "General News" . Edinburgh Evening News . 2 May 1885. p. 4. Retrieved 3 December 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ↑ "Election News" . Dundee Courier . 7 June 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 3 December 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN   0-900178-06-X.
  23. 1 2 3 4 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
  24. ↑ "UK General Election results: July 1945 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  25. ↑ "UK General Election results: February 1950 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  26. ↑ "UK General Election results: October 1951 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
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