1971 Leeds City Council election

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The 1971 Leeds municipal elections were held on 14 May 1971, [1] with one third of the councillors up for vote including a double vacancy in Talbot. [2]

Contents

Reflecting national patterns, [1] the results were a near mirror-image of the 1968 results, as Labour achieved their highest vote share since 1945, and their greatest number of votes since 1953. It was the Conservatives who sunk to a low-point this time around, setting post-war record lows in both vote percentages and actual votes. However, with the defeat being less severe and the entirety of the council not being elected this time, the Conservatives held on to control with the superior number of aldermen allotted to them the previous year. [2] Overall turnout across the city was 37.8%. [3]

Starting from such a shrunken base following their overwhelming defeat in 1968, Labour gained over half of seats up for election, as well as holding the seats in the four wards they won previously (City, East Hunslet, Holbeck and Middleton). Labour gained seventeen in total, with all but Castleton from the Conservatives: Armley, Beeston, Bramley, Burley, Burmantofts, Castleton, Gipton, Harehills, Kirkstall, Osmondthorpe, Richmond Hill, Scott Hall, Seacroft, Stanningley, Whinmoor, Woodhouse and Wortley. Castleton was gained from the Liberals, who repeated their success in West Hunslet for the third year running and gained from the Conservatives, leaving their total unchanged. [2]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1971
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 21170+1767.756.976,350+14.8
  Conservative 9017-1729.036.448,893-10.6
  Liberal 11103.26.08,016-3.8
  Communist 00000.00.7965-0.2

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

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Cllr Ald CllrAld
Conservatives62164516
Labour23144014
Liberals5050
Total90309030
120120
Working majority 34   2   0   2 
 36  2 

Ward results

Armley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour C. Buttery3,14756.2+23.6
Conservative B. Stockwell1,73431.0-5.4
Liberal G. Ashton67812.1-14.8
Communist P. Wilton430.8-0.1
Majority1,41325.2+21.4
Turnout 5,602
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +14.5
Beeston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Harry Booth3,15156.7+17.5
Conservative J. Farrell2,16138.9-11.9
Liberal E. Webster2494.5-5.5
Majority99017.8+6.2
Turnout 5,561
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +14.7
Bramley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Denise Atkinson4,01367.1+16.9
Conservative J. Hart1,97232.9-10.0
Majority2,04134.1+26.9
Turnout 5,985
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +13.4
Burley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Sully2,70061.4+13.3
Conservative A. Rimmer1,61536.8-12.9
Communist T. Flynn791.8-0.4
Majority1,08524.7+23.2
Turnout 4,394
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +13.1
Burmantofts [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Millett3,57973.9+18.0
Conservative H. Flockton1,18524.5-9.0
Communist F. Stockdale781.6+0.8
Majority2,39449.4+27.0
Turnout 4,842
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +13.5
Castleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Sedler2,09648.9+12.3
Liberal M. Begard1,95245.5-8.2
Conservative H. Stockwell1914.5-4.2
Communist K. Robinson471.1+0.1
Majority1443.4-13.7
Turnout 4,286
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +10.2
Chapel Allerton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative P. Sparling2,52771.1-11.2
Labour B. Selby68519.3+7.7
Liberal R. Whitelock3419.6+3.5
Majority1,84251.8-19.0
Turnout 3,553
Conservative hold Swing -9.4
City [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Merritt2,22685.8+20.0
Conservative W. Annan36914.2-14.5
Majority1,85771.6+34.6
Turnout 2,595
Labour hold Swing +17.2
Cookridge [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Keith Loudon2,46549.7-9.8
Labour G. Bowesley1,77635.8+13.7
Liberal E. Finkle71914.5-3.9
Majority68913.9-23.5
Turnout 4,960
Conservative hold Swing -11.7
East Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L. Haughton2,55584.1+17.5
Conservative B. Cresswell2889.5-3.6
Liberal H. Fearnley1946.4-13.9
Majority2,26774.6+28.3
Turnout 3,037
Labour hold Swing +10.5
Gipton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Waterman3,03764.4+13.4
Conservative W. Buckland1,52732.4-12.7
Liberal K. Pedder922.0-0.7
Communist J. Bellamy611.3+0.0
Majority1,51032.0+26.0
Turnout 4,717
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +13.0
Halton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative S. Tomlinson3,18565.9-10.6
Labour J. Moran1,65134.1+11.7
Majority1,53431.7-22.3
Turnout 4,836
Conservative hold Swing -11.1
Harehills [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Wood1,60348.0+18.2
Conservative J. Moran1,58347.4-17.5
Liberal D. Thorpe1564.7-0.6
Majority200.6-34.5
Turnout 3,342
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.8
Headingley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative P. Goodwin2,39759.4-12.0
Labour J. Chartres1,64140.6+12.0
Majority75618.8-24.0
Turnout 4,038
Conservative hold Swing -12.0
Holbeck [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Beevers2,63783.1+23.0
Conservative N. Skin36611.5-1.1
Liberal R. Newby1725.4-22.0
Majority2,27171.5+38.9
Turnout 3,175
Labour hold Swing +12.0
Kirkstall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Stafford4,05260.2+16.8
Conservative T. Beevers2,59438.5-11.7
Communist J. Sidebottom871.3-0.5
Majority1,45821.7+14.9
Turnout 6,733
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +14.2
Middleton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Taylor3,52183.9+20.7
Conservative P. Johnson3728.9-5.2
Liberal L. Ellis1814.3-15.9
Communist D. Prescott1222.9+0.5
Majority3,14975.0+32.0
Turnout 4,196
Labour hold Swing +12.9
Moortown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. Challenor2,32352.1-16.5
Labour A. Baum1,68737.9+14.6
Liberal S. Waldenburg44610.0+1.9
Majority63614.3-31.1
Turnout 4,456
Conservative hold Swing -15.5
Osmondthorpe [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Hamilton3,66075.3+13.7
Conservative Doreen Wood1,20124.7-12.4
Majority2,45950.6+26.1
Turnout 4,861
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +13.0
Richmond Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour V. Whelan3,15178.1+20.8
Conservative S. Gill81820.3-18.4
Communist P. Fawcett651.6+0.2
Majority2,33357.8+39.1
Turnout 4,034
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +19.6
Roundhay [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative G. Lax2,88578.3-7.0
Labour C. Green80021.7+7.0
Majority2,08556.6-14.1
Turnout 3,685
Conservative hold Swing -7.0
Scott Hall [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Bloom2,58667.9+19.1
Conservative E. Lindins1,15330.3-16.6
Communist M. Tomplak691.8-2.5
Majority1,43337.6+35.7
Turnout 3,808
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.8
Seacroft [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour George Mudie 5,11578.6+9.3
Conservative D. Ball1,32820.4-9.5
Communist A. Dale671.0+0.2
Majority3,78758.2+18.9
Turnout 6,510
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +9.4
Stanningley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Christina Myers3,36669.1+14.7
Conservative K. Knapton1,43129.4-7.4
Communist F. Sidebottom771.6+0.7
Majority1,93539.7+22.2
Turnout 4,874
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +11.0
Talbot [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J. Sherwin2,69270.5-11.0
Conservative Ronnie Feldman2,645
Labour A. Barnard90223.6+5.1
Labour J. Morgan897
Liberal C. Thompson2255.9+5.9
Liberal G. Braham209
Majority1,74346.9-16.1
Turnout 3,819
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing -8.0
Weetwood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. Hall3,60781.4+3.5
Labour J. Underwood82518.6+8.9
Majority2,78262.8-3.9
Turnout 4,432
Conservative hold Swing -2.7
West Hunslet [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal David Austick 2,20152.1+10.7
Labour J. Hodkinson1,49235.3+4.6
Conservative D. Nicholls53312.6-15.3
Majority70916.8+6.1
Turnout 4,226
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +3.0
Whinmoor [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L. Jackson3,18175.8+16.5
Conservative C. Clark97023.1-15.5
Communist H. Besser461.1-1.0
Majority2,21152.7+32.0
Turnout 4,197
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +16.0
Woodhouse [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour I. Levy2,17157.7+13.4
Conservative May Sexton1,46539.0-13.4
Communist L. Morris1243.3-0.1
Majority70618.8+10.7
Turnout 3,760
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +13.4
Wortley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Thurlow3,34458.6+12.1
Conservative J. Kirwan1,95634.3-10.2
Liberal R. Buxton4107.2-1.9
Majority1,38824.3+22.4
Turnout 5,710
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +11.1

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References

  1. 1 2 "British Laborites Sweep Local Voting". The New York Times . 15 May 1971. 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 33 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post . 15 May 1971.
  3. ↑ "Labour sweeps in with 20 majority in Leeds". The Yorkshire Post . 6 May 1972. Scan here
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