1963 Leeds City Council election

The 1963 Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 9 May 1963,[1] with one third of the council to be elected.[2]

The Liberals significantly expanded on their prior year's record showing of 10 candidates to 18 candidates this time, obtaining them post-war records in votes and vote share. This hidden a disappointing result for them, seeing swings away from them in the wards they'd fought previously, with Far Headingley the only ward they managed to retain second place in (as well as gaining second place on first standing in Wellington).[2]

This Liberal advancement again mainly hurt the Conservative vote, helping Labour achieve a 2.3% swing[3] to make six gains – reversing all but one of the gains the Tories made in their 1960 victory (the exception being the usually reliable Conservative ward of Harehills, which Labour managed to narrowly gain in 1957).[2] These gains doubled Labour's majority of councillors – with their overall majority now at 28 – as the party made widespread gains nationally to capture a record number of borough seats.[1][3]

Election result

edit
Leeds Local Election Result 1963
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 19 6 0 +6 67.8 45.0 57,636 +1.1
  Conservative 9 0 6 -6 32.1 40.2 51,513 -3.5
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 13.9 17,865 +2.6
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.9 1,167 -0.2

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:[3]

Party Previous council New council
Cllr Ald Cllr Ald
Labour 47 16 54 16
Conservatives 37 12 30 12
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  12    4   24    4 
 16   28 

Ward results

edit
Allerton[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bernard Lyons 3,815 63.6 −0.2
Labour Gerald Bloom 1,147 19.1 +4.4
Liberal Julius Blum 1,034 17.2 −4.2
Majority 2,668 44.5 +2.2
Turnout 5,996
Conservative hold Swing -2.3
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sidney Lee 2,542 55.4 −4.9
Conservative Robert Rowland Beal 1,289 28.1 −11.7
Liberal Graham Rowlands 759 16.5 +16.5
Majority 1,253 27.3 +6.8
Turnout 4,590
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Beevers 3,453 47.7 −1.1
Conservative A. Farrell 2,974 41.1 −10.1
Liberal H. Passmore 730 10.1 +10.1
Communist M. Moore 84 1.2 +1.2
Majority 479 6.6 +4.3
Turnout 7,241
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.5
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernest Morris 1,612 69.8 −1.4
Conservative J. Jenkinson 696 30.2 +1.4
Majority 916 39.6 −2.8
Turnout 2,308
Labour hold Swing -1.4
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Chadwick 2,732 46.9 −6.7
Conservative C. Dean 2,198 37.8 −8.6
Liberal M. Stevens 891 15.3 +15.3
Majority 534 9.2 +1.9
Turnout 5,821
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +0.9
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Watson 2,299 74.2 +0.2
Conservative M. Bauchop 798 25.8 −0.2
Majority 1,501 48.5 +0.4
Turnout 3,097
Labour hold Swing +0.2
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Stoner 1,299 73.1 +1.7
Conservative A. Roberts 477 26.9 −1.7
Majority 822 46.3 +3.4
Turnout 1,776
Labour hold Swing +1.7
Cross Gates[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Jackson 3,603 69.4 +9.7
Conservative E. Hartley 1,592 30.6 −4.0
Majority 2,011 38.7 +13.7
Turnout 5,195
Labour hold Swing +6.8
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Haughton 1,800 72.5 +9.4
Conservative P. Sharples 683 27.5 +7.3
Majority 1,117 45.0 +2.1
Turnout 2,483
Labour hold Swing +1.0
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Somers 4,639 46.0 −1.5
Liberal John Humphrey Morrish 3,728 37.0 −1.2
Labour Kathleen Elizabeth Lloyd 1,707 16.9 +2.8
Majority 911 9.0 −0.3
Turnout 10,074
Conservative hold Swing -0.1
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Brooksbank 3,754 71.6 +8.3
Labour C. Wigley 1,486 28.4 +9.6
Majority 2,268 43.3 −1.3
Turnout 5,240
Conservative hold Swing -0.6
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Astle 2,427 51.2 −9.9
Labour D. Beeston 1,693 35.7 −3.1
Liberal Ronald Gibbon Sissons 616 13.0 +13.0
Majority 734 15.5 −6.8
Turnout 4,736
Conservative hold Swing -3.4
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Smith 2,117 58.6 −9.8
Conservative A. Redmond 877 24.3 −7.3
Liberal J. Crawshaw 490 13.6 +13.6
Communist B. Potter 130 3.6 +3.6
Majority 1,240 34.3 −2.5
Turnout 3,614
Labour hold Swing -1.2
Hunslet Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Booth 2,008 62.8 −3.1
Conservative R. Austwick 770 24.1 −2.5
Liberal G. McKenna 305 9.5 +9.5
Communist L. Hunter 115 3.6 −4.0
Majority 1,238 38.7 −0.6
Turnout 3,198
Labour hold Swing -0.3
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Davison 2,125 44.7 −16.5
Labour Joyce Gould 1,695 35.7 −3.2
Liberal Sydney Herbert Bexan 934 19.6 +19.6
Majority 430 9.0 −13.4
Turnout 4,754
Conservative hold Swing -6.6
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Happold 2,665 53.3 +1.1
Conservative G. Lockwood 1,499 30.0 +0.6
Liberal D. Whittaker 668 13.3 −5.1
Communist B. Huffingley 172 3.4 +3.4
Majority 1,166 23.3 +0.5
Turnout 5,004
Labour hold Swing +0.2
Meanwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Pedley 3,146 54.1 +0.2
Labour J. McPheat 1,613 27.7 +7.6
Liberal Ms. Holdsworth 1,054 18.1 −7.8
Majority 1,533 26.4 −1.6
Turnout 5,813
Conservative hold Swing +3.7
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Brown 2,538 77.1 +0.6
Conservative J. Charlesworth 405 12.3 −5.9
Liberal J. Ward 221 6.7 +6.7
Communist R. Wilkinson 129 3.9 −1.4
Majority 2,133 64.8 +6.5
Turnout 3,293
Labour hold Swing +3.2
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Bolton 4,324 59.7 −2.9
Labour J. Taylor 1,732 23.9 +6.2
Liberal J. Pearlman 1,192 16.4 −3.3
Majority 2,592 35.8 −7.0
Turnout 7,248
Conservative hold Swing -4.5
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Douglas Gabb 2,161 76.8 +2.0
Conservative B. Wilson 653 23.2 −2.0
Majority 1,508 53.6 +3.9
Turnout 2,814
Labour hold Swing +2.0
Potternewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Bradley 1,427 45.5 −7.0
Labour R. Taylor 1,110 35.4 +10.1
Liberal John Brian Meeks 489 15.6 −3.6
Communist H. Fawcett 112 3.6 +0.5
Majority 317 10.1 −17.1
Turnout 3,138
Conservative hold Swing -8.5
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Rooney 2,240 80.0 +2.6
Conservative H. Flockton 430 15.4 −1.9
Communist E. Burwin 131 4.7 −0.7
Majority 1,810 64.6 +4.6
Turnout 2,801
Labour hold Swing +2.2
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Wolstenholme 3,002 59.9 +2.9
Labour D. Thomas 1,087 21.7 +4.9
Liberal A. Clarke 925 18.4 −7.7
Majority 1,915 38.2 +7.4
Turnout 5,014
Conservative hold Swing -2.0
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevin Gould 2,552 43.2 +4.8
Conservative A. Vickers 1,680 28.5 −0.0
Liberal Dennis Pedder 1,673 28.3 −4.7
Majority 872 14.8 +9.4
Turnout 5,905
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.4
Wellington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Aimee Tong 1,894 67.6 −8.2
Liberal B. Freeman 436 15.6 +15.6
Conservative A. Stephen 331 11.8 −4.7
Communist J. Bellamy 141 5.0 −2.7
Majority 1,458 52.0 −7.2
Turnout 2,802
Labour hold Swing -11.9
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Bell 1,649 53.8 −3.4
Conservative May Sexton 1,415 46.2 +3.4
Majority 234 7.6 −6.8
Turnout 3,064
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -3.4
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Ellis 2,274 54.0 +0.2
Conservative F. West 1,326 31.5 −10.7
Liberal F. Smith 459 10.9 +10.9
Communist A. Dale 153 3.6 −0.4
Majority 948 22.5 +10.9
Turnout 4,212
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.4
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Moynihan 2,928 42.1 −7.9
Conservative Bertrand Mather 2,761 39.7 −10.2
Liberal J. Sherwin 1,261 18.1 +18.1
Majority 167 2.4 +2.3
Turnout 6,950
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +1.1

Casual Vacancies

edit
Halton 27 June 1963[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hutchings Rhodes 2501 74.6%
Labour Clement Wigley 853 25.4%
Majority 1,648 49.2%
Turnout 3,354 22.2%
Conservative hold Swing
Roundhay 27 June 1963[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Douglas Thomas 1,774 45.4%
Conservative Bertrand Mather 1,712 43.8%
Liberal Arthur Clarke 424 10.8%
Majority 62 1.6%
Turnout 3,910 24.1%
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Labor and Liberals Gain British Votes". The New York Times. 8 May 1963. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  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 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 10 May 1963.
  3. ^ a b c Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
  4. ^ a b c d "Leeds City Year Book". Leeds City Council. 1963–1964.