1960 Leeds City Council election

The 1960 Leeds municipal elections were held on 12 May 1960, with one third of the council set to be re-elected.[1]

A large swing of 5.5%[2] to the Conservatives allowed them their first election victory since 1951 - having won the most votes in several elections since then, but never amounting to a majority of seats.[1] The Conservatives made their six gains from Labour in the wards of Beeston, Bramley, Harehills, Stanningley, Westfield, Woodhouse and Wortley, halving Labour's majority of councillors from 24 to 12.[1][2]

Elsewhere, the Liberals managed a post-war first of beating Labour to second place in Allerton and Far Headingley, and the first Independent candidate standing since the war, Dennis Peddar, made negligible impact in Westfield.[1] Turnout fell sharply for this election - by nearly a quarter from the previous year - to a new low of 27.5%.[2]

Election result

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Leeds Local Election Result 1960
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 15 6 0 +6 53.6 54.3 52,399 +5.3
  Labour 13 0 6 -6 46.4 41.0 39,553 -5.5
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 4.2 4,029 +0.2
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.5 500 0.0
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 73 +0.1

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:[2]

Party Previous council New council
Cllr Ald Cllr Ald
Labour 54 18 48 18
Conservatives 30 10 36 10
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  24    8   12    8 
 32   20 

Ward results

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Allerton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B. Lyons 3,514 76.8 −10.6
Liberal Julius Blum 674 14.7 +14.7
Labour A. Baum 388 8.5 −4.2
Majority 2,840 62.1 −12.6
Turnout 4,576
Conservative hold Swing -12.6
Armley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Lee 1,582 52.7 −4.5
Conservative R. Beal 1,421 47.3 +4.5
Majority 161 5.4 −8.9
Turnout 3,003
Labour hold Swing -4.5
Beeston[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Farrell 3,004 50.0 +3.4
Labour A. Tallant 2,573 42.8 +0.2
Liberal H. Linley 433 7.2 −3.5
Majority 431 7.2 +3.2
Turnout 6,010
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.6
Blenheim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Sedgley 1,736 65.2 +1.9
Conservative J. Butterfield 926 34.8 −1.9
Majority 810 30.4 +3.7
Turnout 2,662
Labour hold Swing +1.9
Bramley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Dean 2,279 49.5 +8.6
Labour H. Battersby 1,879 40.8 −9.5
Liberal Walter Holdsworth 446 9.7 +0.9
Majority 400 8.7 −0.7
Turnout 4,604
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.0
Burmantofts[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Watson 1,384 64.1 −4.2
Conservative D. Mowbray 776 35.9 +4.2
Majority 608 28.2 −8.6
Turnout 2,160
Labour hold Swing -4.2
City[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Stoner 901 57.3 −7.4
Conservative B. Emmett 672 42.7 +7.4
Majority 229 14.6 −14.7
Turnout 1,573
Labour hold Swing -7.4
Cross Gates[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Jackson 2,121 55.5 −8.1
Conservative G. Lockwood 1,700 44.5 +8.1
Majority 421 11.0 −16.2
Turnout 3,821
Labour hold Swing -8.1
East Hunslet[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Houghton 1,313 65.3 −9.3
Conservative M. Green 699 34.7 +9.3
Majority 614 30.5 −18.6
Turnout 2,012
Labour hold Swing -9.3
Far Headingley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Rostron 3,374 62.6 −2.5
Liberal John Humphrey Morrish 1,098 20.4 +3.6
Labour H. Swain 917 17.0 −1.1
Majority 2,276 42.2 −4.8
Turnout 5,389
Conservative hold Swing -3.0
Halton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Brooksbank 3,752 80.7 +4.9
Labour L. Wray 897 19.3 −4.9
Majority 2,855 61.4 +9.9
Turnout 4,649
Conservative hold Swing +4.9
Harehills[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Astle 2,734 63.5 +7.9
Labour W. Todd 1,569 36.5 −7.9
Majority 1,165 27.1 +15.8
Turnout 4,303
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.9
Holbeck[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Smith 1,342 64.1 +5.0
Conservative B. Morland 752 35.9 +11.7
Majority 590 28.2 −6.6
Turnout 2,094
Labour hold Swing -3.3
Hunslet Carr[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Booth 1,550 68.8 −0.3
Conservative A. Roberts 704 31.2 +11.4
Majority 846 37.5 −11.8
Turnout 2,254
Labour hold Swing -5.8
Hyde Park[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Davison 2,095 70.6 +6.7
Labour L. Steele 874 29.4 −6.7
Majority 1,221 41.1 +13.3
Turnout 2,969
Conservative hold Swing +6.7
Kirkstall[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Happold 2,251 51.8 −6.3
Conservative S. Codd 2,092 48.2 +6.3
Majority 159 3.7 −12.6
Turnout 4,343
Labour hold Swing -6.3
Meanwood[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Pedley 2,989 77.9 +4.7
Labour A. Kirk 846 22.1 −4.7
Majority 2,143 55.9 +9.3
Turnout 3,835
Conservative hold Swing +4.7
Middleton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Brown 1,405 72.1 −4.7
Conservative H. Alexander 427 21.9 +7.9
Communist R. Wilkinson 118 6.1 +3.1
Majority 978 50.2 −12.6
Turnout 1,950
Labour hold Swing -6.3
Moortown[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Bolton 3,714 80.9 +4.0
Labour D. Thomas 879 19.1 −4.0
Majority 2,835 61.7 +8.0
Turnout 4,593
Conservative hold Swing +4.0
Osmondthorpe[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Douglas Gabb 1,774 71.2 −3.1
Conservative A. Lunn 719 28.8 +3.1
Majority 1,055 42.3 −6.3
Turnout 2,493
Labour hold Swing -3.1
Potternewton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Bradley 1,691 70.1 +4.3
Labour Kevin Gould 602 25.0 −4.7
Communist H. Fawcett 118 4.9 +0.4
Majority 1,089 45.2 +9.0
Turnout 2,411
Conservative hold Swing +4.5
Richmond Hill[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Rooney 1,093 74.2 −2.0
Conservative H. Flockton 381 25.8 +2.0
Majority 712 48.3 −4.0
Turnout 1,474
Labour hold Swing -2.0
Roundhay[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G. Monkman 3,362 79.1 +8.8
Labour D. Yelland 888 20.9 −8.8
Majority 2,474 58.2 +17.5
Turnout 4,250
Conservative hold Swing +8.8
Stanningley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A. Vickers 1,749 42.6 +7.1
Labour E. Coward 1,621 39.5 −6.4
Liberal J. Grimshaw 734 17.9 −0.7
Majority 128 3.1 −7.3
Turnout 4,104
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.7
Wellington[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Aimee Tong 1,862 72.4 −1.7
Conservative B. Pearce 542 21.1 +2.0
Communist G. Hodgson 169 6.6 −0.4
Majority 1,320 51.3 −3.7
Turnout 2,573
Labour hold Swing -1.8
Westfield[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative May Sexton 1,576 44.1 −4.1
Labour H. Wiseman 1,397 39.1 −12.7
Liberal E. Vasey 530 14.8 +14.8
Independent Dennis Pedder 73 2.0 +2.0
Majority 179 5.0 +1.4
Turnout 3,576
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +4.3
Woodhouse[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A. Chadwick 1,686 48.6 +9.6
Labour R. Ellis 1,572 45.3 −2.5
Liberal A. Oliver 114 3.3 −6.0
Communist E. Meth 95 2.7 −1.0
Majority 114 3.3 −5.5
Turnout 3,467
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.0
Wortley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bertrand Mather 3,069 56.8 +5.5
Labour J. Stephenson 2,337 43.2 −5.5
Majority 732 13.5 +11.0
Turnout 5,406
Conservative hold Swing +5.5

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 13 May 1960.
  2. ^ a b c d Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.