1959 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 7 May 1959,[1] with one third of the seats and extra vacancies in East Hunslet and Stanningley up for election.[2]

Mirroring their national recovery,[1] the Conservatives achieved a 3% swing[3] to win the popular vote and make the only gain of the night in the marginal Wortley.[2] The Liberals fielded their greatest number of candidates since 1951, and as such received their highest vote since then.[2] Turnout fell by just under a percentage point from the year before to 36.3%.[3]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1959
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 19 0 1 -1 63.3 46.5 59,182 -3.3%
  Conservative 11 1 0 +1 36.7 49.0 62,414 +2.9%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 4.0 5,046 +0.3%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.5 630 +0.1%

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 55 18 54 18
Conservatives 29 10 30 10
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  26    8   24    8 
 34   32 

Ward results
Allerton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M. Mustill 4,704 87.4 +1.4
Labour A. Baum 681 12.6 -1.4
Majority 4,023 74.7 +2.8
Turnout 5,385
Conservative hold Swing +1.4
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Bissell 2,341 57.1 -1.3
Conservative J. Ashworth 1,756 42.9 +1.3
Majority 585 14.3 -2.7
Turnout 4,097
Labour hold Swing -1.3
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative P. Woodward 3,555 46.6 +3.8
Labour N. Billington 3,250 42.6 +1.0
Liberal H. Passmore 820 10.8 -4.8
Majority 305 4.0 +2.8
Turnout 7,625
Conservative hold Swing +1.4
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Merritt 1,861 63.4 -5.7
Conservative J. Butterfield 1,076 36.6 +5.7
Majority 785 26.7 -11.4
Turnout 2,937
Labour hold Swing -5.7
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Lord 2,723 50.3 -0.1
Conservative C. Dean 2,214 40.9 +6.3
Liberal G. Petch 474 8.8 -6.2
Majority 509 9.4 -6.4
Turnout 5,411
Labour hold Swing -3.2
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Murray 2,058 68.3 -3.9
Conservative H. Robinson 956 31.7 +3.9
Majority 1,102 36.6 -7.8
Turnout 3,014
Labour hold Swing -3.9
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bernard Atha 1,373 64.6 -2.7
Conservative B. Emmett 751 35.4 +2.7
Majority 622 29.3 -5.4
Turnout 2,124
Labour hold Swing -2.7
Cross Gates[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Harrison 3,273 63.6 -5.2
Conservative F. Hodges 1,874 36.4 +5.2
Majority 1,399 27.2 -10.4
Turnout 5,147
Labour hold Swing -5.2
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Kavanagh 2,349 74.5 -2.2
Labour E. Haughton 2,149
Conservative D. Mowbray 802 25.5 +2.2
Majority 1,347 49.1 -4.5
Turnout 3,151
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing -2.2
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G. Dovenor 4,351 65.1 -12.9
Labour J. Stephenson 1,212 18.1 -3.9
Liberal J. Morrish 1,122 16.8 +16.8
Majority 3,139 47.0 -9.0
Turnout 6,685
Conservative hold Swing -4.5
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Dougray 4,349 75.8 +0.5
Labour J. Taylor 1,391 24.2 -0.5
Majority 2,958 51.5 +1.0
Turnout 5,740
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patrick Crotty 3,177 55.6 +2.1
Labour J. Klineberg 2,532 44.4 -2.1
Majority 645 11.3 +4.2
Turnout 5,709
Conservative hold Swing +2.1
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Bray 2,148 59.0 -3.3
Conservative B. Morland 882 24.2 +7.2
Liberal H. Fearnley 608 16.7 -3.8
Majority 1,266 34.8 -7.1
Turnout 3,638
Labour hold Swing -5.2
Hunslet Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Parker 2,442 69.1 -6.4
Conservative A. Roberts 700 19.8 +8.8
Liberal J. Hill 392 11.1 +1.6
Majority 1,742 49.3 -15.2
Turnout 3,534
Labour hold Swing -7.6
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Walmsley 2,713 63.9 +6.0
Labour W. Fanning 1,532 36.1 -6.0
Majority 1,181 27.8 +11.9
Turnout 4,245
Conservative hold Swing +6.0
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Matthews 3,053 58.2 -0.8
Conservative S. Codd 2,195 41.8 +0.8
Majority 858 16.3 -1.6
Turnout 5,248
Labour hold Swing -0.8
Meanwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative T. Kirkby 3,696 73.3 +0.7
Labour E. Webber 1,347 26.7 -0.7
Majority 2,349 46.6 +1.4
Turnout 5,043
Conservative hold Swing +0.7
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Binns 2,694 76.8 +3.7
Conservative A. Hartley 491 14.0 +3.8
Liberal W. Holdsworth 219 6.2 -6.5
Communist E. Moore 105 3.0 -1.1
Majority 2,203 62.8 +2.5
Turnout 3,509
Labour hold Swing -0.0
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Henson 4,606 76.8 +0.0
Labour L. Steele 1,388 23.2 -0.0
Majority 3,218 53.7 +0.0
Turnout 5,994
Conservative hold Swing +0.0
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Walsh 3,162 74.3 -2.7
Conservative F. Barry 1,094 25.7 +2.7
Majority 2,068 48.6 -5.3
Turnout 4,256
Labour hold Swing -2.7
Pottemewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Lyons 2,266 65.8 +4.0
Labour V. Zermansky 1,021 29.7 -8.5
Communist H. Fawcett 156 4.5 +4.5
Majority 1,245 36.2 +12.6
Turnout 3,443
Conservative hold Swing +6.2
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Cain 1,496 76.1 -3.9
Conservative H. Flockton 469 23.9 +3.9
Majority 1,027 52.3 -7.7
Turnout 1,965
Labour hold Swing -3.9
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Jowitt 4,142 70.3 +2.8
Labour E. Colley 1,747 29.7 -2.8
Majority 2,395 40.7 +5.6
Turnout 5,889
Conservative hold Swing +2.8
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Marshall 2,441 45.9 -6.0
Labour E. Coward 2,436
Conservative A. Vickers 1,890 35.5 +7.9
Conservative D. Vickers 1,658
Liberal J. Grimshaw 991 18.6 -1.9
Liberal J. Blum 617
Majority 551 10.4 -13.9
Turnout 5,322
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing -6.9
Wellington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Underwood 2,129 74.0 -5.2
Conservative B. Pearce 548 19.1 +4.6
Communist G. Hodgson 199 6.9 +0.6
Majority 1,581 55.0 -9.8
Turnout 2,876
Labour hold Swing -4.9
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Cohen 2,141 51.8 -0.3
Conservative May Sexton 1,992 48.2 +0.3
Majority 149 3.6 -0.6
Turnout 4,133
Labour hold Swing -0.3
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Bretherick 2,153 47.9 -12.0
Conservative A. Chadwick 1,755 39.0 -1.1
Liberal W. Hopper 420 9.3 +9.3
Communist D. Banks 170 3.8 +3.8
Majority 398 8.8 -11.0
Turnout 4,498
Labour hold Swing -5.4
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Stubley 3,410 51.2 +1.8
Labour W. Smart 3,244 48.8 -1.8
Majority 166 2.5 +1.3
Turnout 6,654
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.8

References
  1. "British Elections Yield Tory Gains". The New York Times. 8 May 1959. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 8 May 1959.
  3. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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