1949 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 12 May 1949,[1] with one third of the seats to be elected.[2]

Witnessing a slight swing away from them of 0.5%,[3] the Conservatives won a narrow majority of the seats contested. With the seats last fought in Labour's landslide of 1945, all but four of the Conservative seats were gains. Totalling ten, the Conservatives safely gained Blenheim, Cross Gates & Temple Newsam and Upper Armley; less so in Beeston and Bramley, and very closely in Harehills, Kirkstall, Mill Hill & South and Farnley & Wortley (the latter being won by nine votes).[2] The Conservatives also gained an extra alderman off the back of the gains, reducing Labour's hold to a slender majority of eight. Turnout returned to 46.4% after the spike recorded the previous election.[3]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1949
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 14 10 0 +10 53.8 52.5 89,802 -1.0%
  Labour 12 0 10 -10 46.1 42.8 73,164 +0.0%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 4.1 7,021 +1.1%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.5 908 -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 52 15 42 14
Conservatives 26 11 36 12
Total 78 26 78 26
104 104
Working majority  26    4    6    2 
 30    8 

Ward results
Armley & Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Underwood 3,272 63.9 +0.3
Conservative G. Atkinson 1,848 36.1 -0.3
Majority 1,424 27.8 +0.7
Turnout 5,120
Labour hold Swing +0.3
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ms. Collins 4,239 48.8 -0.6
Labour W. Webster 3,458 40.8 +1.1
Liberal G. Whittaker 908 10.4 -0.4
Majority 691 7.9 -1.8
Turnout 8,695
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -0.8
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative E. Clarke 3,580 60.7 +4.2
Labour Albert Smith 2,322 39.3 +5.0
Majority 1,258 21.3 -0.8
Turnout 5,902
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -0.4
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A. Baker 4,495 47.4 +4.7
Labour E. Kavanagh 4,077 43.0 -3.5
Liberal F. Benfield 913 9.6 -1.2
Majority 418 4.4 +0.6
Turnout 9,485
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +4.1
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Jackson 2,722 70.3 +2.6
Conservative J. Steer 1,151 29.7 -2.6
Majority 1,571 40.6 +5.1
Turnout 3,873
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Central[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Spence 1,747 53.0 -1.2
Conservative P. Stead 1,552 47.0 +1.2
Majority 195 5.9 -2.4
Turnout 3,299
Labour hold Swing -1.2
Cross Gates & Temple Newsam[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Till 6,992 59.4 +1.9
Labour P. Holmes 4,783 40.6 -1.9
Majority 2,209 18.8 +3.9
Turnout 11,775
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.9
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Naylor 2,651 74.7 N/A
Conservative G. Fagan 898 25.3 N/A
Majority 1,753 49.4 N/A
Turnout 3,549 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Carter 7,770 77.0 -4.0
Labour A. Malcolm 1,367 13.5 -5.5
Liberal B. Graham 959 9.5 +9.5
Majority 6,403 63.4 +1.4
Turnout 10,096
Conservative hold Swing +0.7
Farnley & Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Horner 4,518 50.0 +2.3
Labour Leonard Wilkinson 4,509 50.0 -2.3
Majority 9 0.1 -4.4
Turnout 9,027
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +2.3
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Crotty 4,512 50.5 -0.7
Labour Ms. Jolly 4,416 49.5 +0.7
Majority 96 1.1 -1.3
Turnout 8,928
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -0.7
Holbeck North[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ms. Whitehead 1,101 76.9 +17.0
Conservative P. Glew 330 23.1 -3.0
Majority 771 53.9 +20.1
Turnout 1,431
Labour hold Swing +10.0
Holbeck South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Smith 2,719 56.6 +0.9
Conservative H. Drake 1,660 34.5 +1.0
Liberal G. Petch 427 8.9 -2.0
Majority 1,059 22.0 -0.1
Turnout 4,806
Labour hold Swing -0.0
Hunslet Carr & Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Brown 5,309 63.3 -1.5
Conservative H. Grafton 2,367 28.2 -6.9
Liberal A. Burrell 712 8.5 +8.5
Majority 2,942 35.1 +5.4
Turnout 8,388
Labour hold Swing +2.7
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative P. Hutchinson 4,795 70.0 -2.5
Labour D. Matthews 1,425 20.8 -6.7
Liberal G. Foster 628 9.2 +9.2
Majority 3,370 49.2 +4.1
Turnout 6,848
Conservative hold Swing +2.1
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Turnbull 4,174 45.2 -4.6
Labour K. Muir 4,018 43.5 +2.8
Liberal A. Childs 820 8.9 +2.5
Communist R. Huffingley 220 2.4 -0.7
Majority 156 1.7 -7.4
Turnout 9,235
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -3.7
Mill Hill & South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Hey 1,409 50.9 -1.6
Labour Ms. Dray 1,359 49.1 +1.6
Majority 50 1.8 -3.1
Turnout 2,768
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -1.6
North[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative E. Wooler-Loy 7,957 76.0 -4.5
Labour N. Davy 1,451 13.9 -5.6
Liberal W. Hopper 1,062 10.1 +10.1
Majority 6,506 62.1 +1.0
Turnout 10,470
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Matthews 3,959 63.5 +0.4
Conservative T. Nipe 2,274 36.5 -0.4
Majority 1,685 27.0 +0.8
Turnout 6,233
Labour hold Swing +0.4
Pottermewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Driver 3,997 63.3 +5.8
Labour L. Walsh 1,876 29.7 -3.1
Communist B. Ramelson 445 7.0 -2.6
Majority 2,121 33.6 +8.9
Turnout 6,318
Conservative hold Swing +4.4
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. King 2,026 68.5 -0.9
Conservative W. Walford 933 31.5 +0.9
Majority 1,093 36.9 -1.8
Turnout 2,959
Labour hold Swing -0.9
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Tetley 8,944 78.5 +1.5
Labour H. Kinder 2,444 21.5 -1.5
Majority 6,500 57.1 +3.1
Turnout 11,388
Conservative hold Swing +1.5
Upper Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative E. Glover 3,887 57.2 +3.1
Labour E. Blackburn 2,913 42.8 -3.1
Majority 974 14.3 +6.1
Turnout 6,800
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +3.1
West Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Watson 2,848 53.5 +1.0
Conservative J. Farrell 1,644 30.9 +1.6
Liberal H. Kirkley 592 11.1 -3.0
Communist F. Warburton 243 4.6 +0.4
Majority 1,204 22.6 -0.6
Turnout 5,327
Labour hold Swing -0.3
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Stubbs 1,478 54.9 +0.5
Conservative Ms. Gledhill 1,213 45.1 -0.5
Majority 265 9.8 +0.9
Turnout 2,691
Labour hold Swing +0.5
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ms. Clayden 2,824 51.5 +4.2
Conservative G. Taylor 2,663 48.5 +3.7
Majority 161 2.9 +0.4
Turnout 5,487
Labour hold Swing +0.2

References
  1. "Conservatives Score Wide Gains Over Laborites in Municipal Vote". The New York Times. 13 May 1949. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 13 May 1949.
  3. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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