1970 Leeds City Council election

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]

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
	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Conservative	15	0	11	-11	48.4	47.0	58,281	-11.7
Labour	14	10	0	+10	45.2	42.1	52,168	+14.2
Liberal	2	1	0	+1	6.4	9.8	12,134	-1.5
Communist	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.9	1,108	-0.8
Ind. Conservative	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.1	400	-0.3
National Front	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.1	91	+0.1

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

Party		Previous council		New council
Party		Cllr	Ald	Cllr	Ald
	Conservatives	73	25	62	25
	Labour	13	5	23	5
	Liberals	4	0	5	0
Total		90	30	90	30
Total		120		120
Working majority		56	20	34	20
Working majority		76		54

Ward results

Armley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Stephenson	1,862	36.3	−2.2
	Labour	W. Thurlow	1,669	32.6	+10.7
	Liberal	P. Chadsworth	1,380	26.9	−2.2
	Ind. Conservative	G. Atkinson	168	3.3	−2.2
	Communist	P. Wilton	46	0.9	−0.7
Majority			193	3.8	−5.6
Turnout			5,125
	Conservative hold		Swing	-6.4

Beeston^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. Platt	2,247	50.8	−10.3
	Conservative	A. Dunn	2,208
	Labour	S. Whelan	1,734	39.2	+10.1
	Labour	M. Chadwick	1,685
	Liberal	A. Webster	443	10.0	+0.2
	Liberal	D. Dawson	394
Majority			513	11.6	−20.4
Turnout			4,424
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing	-10.2

Bramley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Eric Atkinson	2,334	50.1	+23.4
	Conservative	D. Armitage	1,998	42.9	−11.3
	Liberal	J. Coates	325	7.0	−12.1
Majority			336	7.2	−20.3
Turnout			4,657
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+17.3

Burley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Davies	1,868	49.6	−16.6
	Labour	J. Sully	1,813	48.2	+22.9
	Communist	T. Flynn	84	2.2	−6.3
Majority			55	1.5	−39.5
Turnout			3,765
	Conservative hold		Swing	-19.7

Burmantofts^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	K. Cohen	2,834	55.9	+9.0
	Conservative	J. Brightbart	1,697	33.5	−16.3
	Liberal	E. Britton	496	9.8	+9.8
	Communist	F. Stockdale	40	0.8	−2.4
Majority			1,137	22.4	+19.5
Turnout			5,067
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+12.6

Castleton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Michael Meadowcroft	2,127	53.7	−0.9
	Labour	K. Dockway	1,449	36.6	+9.0
	Conservative	E. Lewis	343	8.7	−7.7
	Communist	G. Corscadden	39	1.0	−0.4
Majority			678	17.1	−9.9
Turnout			3,958
	Liberal hold		Swing	-4.9

Chapel Allerton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Long	2,854	82.3	−0.7
	Labour	G. Bloom	401	11.6	+4.3
	Liberal	Deryck Ernest Senior	211	6.1	−0.7
Majority			2,453	70.8	−7.9
Turnout			3,466
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.9

City^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ernest Morris	1,748	65.7	+12.3
	Conservative	J. Sexton	764	28.7	−14.2
	Liberal	Graham Rowlands	75	2.8	+2.8
	Communist	T. Johnston	72	2.7	−0.9
Majority			984	37.0	+26.4
Turnout			2,659
	Labour hold		Swing	+13.2

Cookridge^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	S. Lyons	2,605	59.5	−14.9
	Labour	W. Lodge	966	22.1	+7.0
	Liberal	E. Finkle	806	18.4	+7.9
Majority			1,639	37.4	−21.9
Turnout			4,377
	Conservative hold		Swing	-10.9

East Hunslet^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	B. Pepper	1,907	66.6	+8.9
	Liberal	J. Barie	581	20.3	+0.8
	Conservative	I. Holmes	374	13.1	−9.7
Majority			1,326	46.3	+11.3
Turnout			2,862
	Labour hold		Swing	+4.0

Gipton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Moynihan	2,125	51.0	+14.0
	Conservative	W. Buckland	1,876	45.1	−16.1
	Liberal	K. Pedder	110	2.6	+2.6
	Communist	J. Bellamy	53	1.3	−0.6
Majority			249	6.0	−18.1
Turnout			4,164
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+15.0

Halton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Vaughan	3,846	76.4	−9.4
	Labour	W. Spence	1,129	22.4	+11.6
	Communist	G. McGowan	56	1.1	−2.2
Majority			2,717	54.0	−21.0
Turnout			5,031
	Conservative hold		Swing	-10.5

Harehills^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. White	1,550	64.9	−11.9
	Labour	G. Wood	712	29.8	+18.1
	Liberal	D. Preethy	127	5.3	−6.2
Majority			838	35.1	−29.9
Turnout			2,389
	Conservative hold		Swing	-15.0

Headingley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. Barron	2,904	71.4	−8.3
	Labour	T. Cooke	1,164	28.6	+17.4
Majority			1,740	42.8	−25.6
Turnout			4,068
	Conservative hold		Swing	-12.8

Holbeck^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Matthews	1,868	60.0	+12.7
	Liberal	R. Whitelock	852	27.4	−2.7
	Conservative	J. Spragg	392	12.6	−10.0
Majority			1,016	32.6	15.3
Turnout			3,112
	Labour hold		Swing	+7.7

Kirkstall^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Robertson	2,825	50.2	−7.7
	Labour	J. Underwood	2,440	43.4	+10.7
	Liberal	R. Worrall	256	4.6	−3.1
	Communist	J. Sidebottom	102	1.8	+0.1
Majority			385	6.8	−18.3
Turnout			5,623
	Conservative hold		Swing	-9.2

Middleton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	S. Binns	2,507	63.2	+9.2
	Liberal	S. Robinson	803	20.3	−2.7
	Conservative	G. Hartley	558	14.1	−2.3
	Communist	D. Priscott	96	2.4	−4.2
Majority			1,704	43.0	+12.0
Turnout			3,964
	Labour hold		Swing	+5.9

Moortown^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Vaughan	2,668	68.6	−5.4
	Labour	A. Donohoe	903	23.2	+12.0
	Liberal	S. Rowland	316	8.1	−6.6
Majority			1,765	45.4	−13.9
Turnout			3,887
	Conservative hold		Swing	-8.7

Osmondthorpe^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Douglas Gabb	2,810	61.6	+11.8
	Conservative	Doreen Wood	1,694	37.1	−8.6
	Communist	T. Kelly	57	1.2	−3.2
Majority			1,116	24.5	+20.4
Turnout			4,561
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+10.2

Richmond Hill^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Mathers	2,293	57.4	+19.4
	Conservative	D. Eastham	1,547	38.7	−15.9
	Liberal	A. Wren	70	1.8	−2.5
	Communist	P. Fawcett	57	1.4	−1.8
	National Front	B. Thurlow	31	0.8	+0.8
Majority			746	18.7	+2.1
Turnout			3,998
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+17.6

Roundhay^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Challenor	3,166	85.3	−6.0
	Labour	Denise Atkinson	544	14.7	+6.0
Majority			2,622	70.7	−11.9
Turnout			3,710
	Conservative hold		Swing	-6.0

Scott Hall^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Ellis	1,432	48.8	+24.3
	Conservative	L. Horton	1,377	46.9	−28.6
	Communist	A. Dale	127	4.3	+4.3
Majority			55	1.9	−49.1
Turnout			2,936
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+26.4

Seacroft^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	K. Woolmer	4,023	69.2	+22.7
	Conservative	M. Freegood	1,737	29.9	−19.6
	Communist	H. Besser	51	0.9	−3.0
Majority			2,286	39.3	+36.3
Turnout			5,811
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+21.1

Stanningley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kevin Gould	2,657	54.3	+10.4
	Conservative	A. Vickers	1,800	36.8	−15.0
	Liberal	V. Lockwood	390	8.0	+8.0
	Communist	P. Sidebottom	43	0.9	−3.3
Majority			857	17.5	+9.6
Turnout			4,890
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+12.7

Talbot^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Crousden	3,172	81.5	−6.0
	Labour	R. Sedler	721	18.5	+6.0
Majority			2,451	63.0	−11.9
Turnout			3,893
	Conservative hold		Swing	-6.0

Weetwood^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	B. Peart	3,737	77.9	−3.5
	Liberal	B. Reynolds	537	11.2	−1.3
	Labour	A. Baum	465	9.7	+3.5
	National Front	R. Green	60	1.3	+1.3
Majority			3,200	66.7	−2.1
Turnout			4,799
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.1

West Hunslet^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W. Taylor	1,710	41.4	−13.4
	Labour	E. Hodkinson	1,267	30.7	+12.5
	Conservative	J. Crosby	1,152	27.9	+0.9
Majority			115	10.7	−17.1
Turnout			4,129
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	-12.9

Whinmoor^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	B. Coward	2,123	59.3	+10.7
	Conservative	V. McNair	1,382	38.6	−10.9
	Communist	J. Scawthorne	74	2.1	+0.2
Majority			741	20.7	+19.8
Turnout			3,579
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+10.8

Woodhouse^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Sexton	1,735	52.4	−10.8
	Labour	C. Buttery	1,468	44.3	+13.2
	Communist	L. Morris	111	3.3	−2.4
Majority			267	8.1	−23.9
Turnout			3,314
	Conservative hold		Swing	-12.0

Wortley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Sargeant	2,662	46.4	+18.7
	Conservative	R. Beal	2,551	44.5	−15.8
	Liberal	Walter Holdsworth	519	9.1	−2.8
Majority			111	1.9	−30.6
Turnout			5,732
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+17.2

References

^ ^a ^b "Labor Makes Gains in British Elections". The New York Times. 8 May 1970. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
^ ^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. 9 May 1970.

[NYT-1] "Labor Makes Gains in British Elections". The New York Times. 8 May 1970. Retrieved 21 October 2012.

[results-2] ^ ^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. 9 May 1970.

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[2]