1951 Leeds City Council election

The 1951 Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 10 May 1951, with boundary changes prompting the whole council's re-election. With the new wards the council grew by a further two (two additional wards also represented an increase of six councillors and two aldermen), as thirteen newly created wards replaced the eleven that were abolished:

Abolished:

Armley & Wortley
Central
Cross Gates & Temple Newsam
Farnley & Wortley
Holbeck North
Holbeck South
Hunslet Carr & Middleton
Mill Hill & South
North
Upper Armley
West Hunslet

Created:

Allerton
Armley
City
Cross Gates
Halton
Holbeck
Hunslet Carr
Meanwood
Middleton
Moortown
Stanningley
Wellington
Wortley

There was a three percent swing from Labour to the Conservatives (as compared to 1949 – swings from 1950's distorted results show much larger swings as seen below) on the night, delivering the Conservatives control of the council with a 30-seat majority. Turnout naturally rose from the previous year's scarcely contested election, to an above average figure of 45.9%.^[1]^[2]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1951
	Seats	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Conservative	53	63.1	55.8	93,031	+16.8
Labour	31	36.9	39.8	66,370	-11.4
Liberal	0	0.0	4.0	6,692	-0.7
Communist	0	0.0	0.4	703	-4.7

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	36	12	53	18
	Labour	42	14	31	10
Total		78	26	84	28
Total		104		112
Working majority		-6	-2	22	8
Working majority		-8		30

Ward results

Allerton^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Wooler	7,130	78.6	N/A
	Conservative	D. Murphy	6,915
	Conservative	H. Drake	6,879
	Labour	Ms. Mattison	1,057	11.6	N/A
	Labour	A. Hammond	1,057
	Labour	Ms. Hammond	1,006
	Liberal	S. Lee	888	9.8	N/A
Majority			5,822	66.9	N/A
Turnout			9,075		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Armley^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Glover	3,278	46.2	N/A
	Labour	J. Hodgson	3,159	44.5	N/A
	Conservative	G. Atkinson	3,103
	Labour	E. Cohen	3,075
	Labour	P. Holmes	3,001
	Conservative	J. North	2,910
	Liberal	F. Johnson	658	9.3	N/A
Majority			28	1.7	N/A
Turnout			7,095		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Beeston^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Collins	4,639	54.8	N/A
	Conservative	P. Woodward	4,450
	Conservative	F. Gummersall	4,400
	Labour	S. Binns	3,131	37.0	N/A
	Labour	T. Jessup	3,044
	Labour	F. Burnley	3,031
	Liberal	J. T. Ward	694	8.2	N/A
	Liberal	F. Fearnley	489
	Liberal	Victor Louis Raymond Delepine	446
Majority			1,269	17.8	N/A
Turnout			8,464		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Blenheim^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	B. Lyons	3,032	55.0	N/A
	Conservative	K. Davison	3,024
	Conservative	J. Butterfield	3,009
	Labour	J. Walsh	2,478	45.0	N/A
	Labour	J. Wallbanks	2,472
	Labour	J. Wilkinson	2,450
Majority			531	10.1	N/A
Turnout			5,510		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Bramley^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. Bennett	3,276	46.3	N/A
	Conservative	B. Pearce	3,227
	Conservative	H. Womersley	3,197
	Labour	E. Atkinson	2,870	40.5	N/A
	Labour	A. Crossland	2,773
	Labour	A. Malcolm	2,559
	Liberal	A. Thompson	935	13.2	N/A
Majority			327	5.7	N/A
Turnout			7,081		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Burmantofts^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Shutt	2,456	56.4	N/A
	Labour	G. Murray	2,415
	Labour	W. Jackson	2,321
	Conservative	J. Sizer	1,895	43.6	N/A
	Conservative	A. Clark	1,874
	Conservative	J. Crotty	1,865
Majority			426	12.9	N/A
Turnout			4,351		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

City^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Hirst	2,144	55.4	N/A
	Labour	E. Stubbs	2,095
	Labour	E. Whitehead	2,066
	Conservative	R. Neill	1,723	44.6	N/A
	Conservative	D. Crockett	1,689
	Conservative	T. Nipe	1,659
Majority			343	10.9	N/A
Turnout			3,867		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Cross Gates^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. Demaine	2,246	51.4	N/A
	Conservative	W. Tull	2,185
	Conservative	A. Ingram	2,169
	Labour	E. Booth	2,120	48.6	N/A
	Labour	H. Wiseman	2,063
	Labour	W. Spence	2,059
Majority			49	2.9	N/A
Turnout			4,366		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

East Hunslet^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Naylor	2,834	60.9	N/A
	Labour	E. Kavanagh	2,736
	Labour	M. Fish	2,730
	Conservative	Ms. Kirwin	1,820	39.1	N/A
	Conservative	K. Stead	1,716
	Conservative	G. Fagan	1,709
Majority			910	21.8	N/A
Turnout			4,654		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Far Headingley^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. Hargrave	5,060	84.4	N/A
	Conservative	G. Dovenor	5,041
	Conservative	W. Hey	4,932
	Labour	D. Beevers	932	15.6	N/A
Majority			4,000	68.9	N/A
Turnout			5,992		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Halton^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Brocksbank	4,834	75.8	N/A
	Conservative	P. Dodson	4,788
	Conservative	C. Watson	4,592
	Labour	A. Harrison	1,546	24.2	N/A
	Labour	Ms. Naylor	1,290
Majority			3,288	51.5	N/A
Turnout			6,380		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Harehills^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Crotty	3,861	66.0	N/A
	Conservative	W. Power	3,787
	Conservative	L. Turnbull	3,766
	Labour	W. Cain	1,986	34.0	N/A
	Labour	E. Simpson	1,939
	Labour	F. Symonds	1,887
Majority			1,780	32.1	N/A
Turnout			5,847		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Holbeck^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. Smith	3,221	51.6	N/A
	Labour	G. Bray	3,183
	Labour	W. Jones	3,105
	Conservative	J. Farrell	2,439	39.1	N/A
	Conservative	I. Clayton	2,388
	Conservative	P. Glew	2,219
	Liberal	C. T. Howes	577	9.3	n/a
	Liberal	J. T. Hill	522
	Liberal	Walter Holdsworth	497
Majority			666	12.5	n/a
Turnout			6,237		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Hunslet Carr^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. Ellison	3,297	57.6	N/A
	Labour	A. Adamson	3,285
	Labour	J. Hodkinson	3,266
	Conservative	R. Horley	1,746	30.5	N/A
	Conservative	J. Loades	1,659
	Conservative	C. Murgatroyd	1,657
	Liberal	A. Burrell	683	11.9	N/A
Majority			1,520	27.1	N/A
Turnout			5,726		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Hyde Park^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. McKay	4,396	64.3	N/A
	Conservative	P. Hutchinson	4,351
	Conservative	F. Walker	4,240
	Labour	R. Whittaker	1,580	23.1	N/A
	Liberal	Stanley Edward Graham	857	12.5	N/A
Majority			2,660	41.2	N/A
Turnout			6,833		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Kirkstall^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Happold	3,318	46.3	N/A
	Labour	D. Matthews	3,180
	Labour	A. Smith	3,110
	Conservative	C. Turnbull	3,090	43.1	N/A
	Conservative	F. Cowell	3,076
	Conservative	J. Coles	2,976
	Liberal	L. Cooper	756	10.6	N/A
	Liberal	G. Foster	432
Majority			20	3.2	N/A
Turnout			7,164		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Meanwood^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Pedley	5,451	77.8	N/A
	Conservative	F. Carter	5,435
	Conservative	V. Cardno	5,414
	Labour	J. Huddleston	1,558	22.2	N/A
	Labour	N. Davy	1,523
	Labour	A. Tong	1,506
Majority			3,856	55.5	N/A
Turnout			7,009		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Middleton^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Brown	3,113	69.4	N/A
	Labour	S. Hand	3,098
	Labour	H. Watson	3,002
	Conservative	E. McQuire	1,370	30.6	N/A
	Conservative	J. Wise	1,197
	Conservative	D. Redmond	1,173
Majority			1,632	38.9	N/A
Turnout			4,483		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Moortown^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Cummings	5,045	78.5	N/A
	Conservative	H. Sellors	5,036
	Conservative	J. Watson	4,942
	Labour	M. Pearce	1,381	21.5	N/A
Majority			3,561	57.0	N/A
Turnout			6,426		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Osmondthorpe^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Rafferty	3,695	66.2	N/A
	Labour	L. Walsh	3,560
	Labour	F. Potter	3,520
	Conservative	N. Webster	1,887	33.8	N/A
	Conservative	W. Brownridge	1,810
	Conservative	H. Howe	1,807
Majority			1,633	32.4	N/A
Turnout			5,582		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Potternewton^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Bidgood	3,113	64.0	N/A
	Conservative	E. Coleman	3,041
	Conservative	C. Driver	2,952
	Labour	A. Sharp	1,397	28.7	N/A
	Labour	H. Dawson	1,348
	Labour	J. Warwick	1,339
	Communist	B. Ramelson	357	7.3	N/A
Majority			1,555	35.3	N/A
Turnout			4,867		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Richmond Hill^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Z. Fernandez	2,461	67.8	N/A
	Labour	W. Fowler	2,414
	Labour	A. King	2,327
	Conservative	W. Clayton	1,169	32.2	N/A
	Conservative	D. Hopkins	1,155
	Conservative	S. Tomlinson	1,086
Majority			1,158	35.6	N/A
Turnout			3,630		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Roundhay^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Monkman	5,902	73.8	N/A
	Conservative	H. Jowitt	5,744
	Conservative	A. Bretherick	5,699
	Labour	S. Spencer	2,096	26.2	N/A
Majority			3,603	47.6	N/A
Turnout			7,998		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Stanningley^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Baker	3,427	56.2	N/A
	Conservative	F. Ayres	3,409
	Conservative	T. Kirby	3,336
	Labour	W. Haswell	2,676	43.8	N/A
	Labour	J. Barriff	2,618
	Labour	H. Waterman	2,617
Majority			660	12.3	N/A
Turnout			6,103		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Wellington^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Farrington	2,832	59.2	N/A
	Labour	J. Underwood	2,735
	Labour	E. Youngman	2,667
	Conservative	J. Palmer	1,604	33.5	N/A
	Conservative	G. Denman	1,558
	Conservative	D. Willis	1,463
	Communist	F. Warburton	346	7.2	N/A
Majority			1,063	25.7	N/A
Turnout			4,782		N/A
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Westfield^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ms. Lister	2,635	61.4	N/A
	Conservative	G. Appleby	2,617
	Conservative	S. Webster	2,540
	Labour	G. Horsley	1,660	38.6	N/A
	Labour	W. Parker	1,541
	Labour	H. Wright	1,520
Majority			880	22.7	N/A
Turnout			4,295		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Woodhouse^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	F. Winterburn	3,053	55.9	N/A
	Conservative	H. Stott	3,051
	Conservative	B. Garden	2,952
	Labour	H. Vick	2,404	44.1	N/A
	Labour	Ms. Clayden	2,363
	Labour	H. Bretherick	2,320
Majority			548	11.8	N/A
Turnout			5,457		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Wortley^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bertrand Mather	3,910	52.0	N/A
	Conservative	Charles Horner	3,686
	Conservative	Mary Dowling	3,675
	Labour	Leonard Wilkinson	2,968	39.5	N/A
	Labour	Edgar Robinson	2,965
	Labour	Harry Kinder	2,863
	Liberal	Robert Baldridge	644	8.6	N/A
Majority			707	12.5	N/A
Turnout			7,522		N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

References

^ ^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 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 11 May 1951.
^ Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.

[results-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 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 11 May 1951.

[2] Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.

[1]

[2]