1961 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 11 May 1961,[1] with one third of the council and a vacancy in Cross Gates up for election.[2]

In contrast to the national picture,[1] the results in Leeds were a mirror-image of the previous year's election, with Labour enjoying a 5.5% swing[3] in their direction, enabling them to win the majority of seats - defending all but one. The sole seat that changed hands, was the Conservative's gain in Wortley - returning the ward to full Conservative representation after a decade of mixture.[2]

The Liberals, now including the unsuccessful Independent of the year before, retained their second place comfortably in Far Headingley and - by contrast - just three votes in Allerton. The Communists fielded a record of six candidates, gaining them their highest share on record, and highest vote since 1947. The BNP also entered their first ever candidate in Leeds, receiving 4% in Armley.[2]

In addition, the allocation of aldermen changed, in accordance to the long running agreement between Labour and the Conservatives that they should be divided up proportional to their councillors - roughly one alderman per three councillors - granting the Tories an extra two at Labour's expense. All of which resulted in Labour's majority amounting to fourteen. Turnout returned to the mid thirties (35.6%) where it had stabilised for the latter half of the former decade, until suffering a sharp drop at the last election.[3]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1961
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 18 0 1 -1 62.1 45.3 56,650 +4.3%
  Conservative 11 1 0 +1 37.9 48.5 60,692 -5.8%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 5.1 6,438 +0.9%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.9 1,073 +0.4%
  British National 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 182 +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 48 18 47 16
Conservatives 36 10 37 12
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  12    8   10    4 
 20   14 

Ward results
Allerton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Bidgood 4,214 72.1 -4.7
Liberal J. Blum 817 14.0 -0.8
Labour A. Baum 814 13.9 +5.4
Majority 3,397 58.1 -4.0
Turnout 5,845
Conservative hold Swing
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K. Cohen 2,451 53.3 +0.6
Conservative R. Beal 1,965 42.7 -4.6
British National D. Hainsworth 182 4.0 +4.0
Majority 486 10.6 +5.2
Turnout 4,598
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Snape 3,538 53.3 +3.3
Labour W. Prichard 3,098 46.7 +3.9
Majority 440 6.6 -0.6
Turnout 6,636
Conservative hold Swing -0.3
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Wallbanks 1,590 60.2 -5.0
Conservative J. Butterfield 1,051 39.8 +5.0
Majority 539 20.4 -10.0
Turnout 2,641
Labour hold Swing -5.0
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Atkinson 3,225 52.6 +11.8
Conservative H. Picking 2,903 47.4 -2.1
Majority 322 5.3 -3.4
Turnout 6,128
Labour hold Swing +6.9
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Lloyd 2,375 73.1 +9.0
Conservative M. Bauchop 876 26.9 -9.0
Majority 1,499 46.1 +18.0
Turnout 3,251
Labour hold Swing +9.0
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Tallant 1,224 61.5 +4.3
Conservative D. Mowbray 765 38.5 -4.3
Majority 459 23.1 +8.5
Turnout 1,989
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Cross Gates[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Booth 3,649 58.4 +2.9
Labour E. Coward 3,122
Conservative G. Lockwood 2,250 36.0 -8.5
Conservative A. Lunn 2,204
Communist B. Wilson 344 5.5 +5.5
Majority 872 22.4 +11.4
Turnout 6,243
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +5.7
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Fish 2,163 73.6 +8.4
Conservative J. Birch 774 26.4 -8.4
Majority 1,389 47.3 +16.8
Turnout 2,937
Labour hold Swing +8.4
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Hey 4,140 58.2 -4.4
Liberal J. Morrish 1,942 27.3 +6.9
Labour J. Moynihan 1,026 14.4 -2.6
Majority 2,198 30.9 -11.3
Turnout 7,108
Conservative hold Swing -5.6
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Watson 3,698 65.7 -15.0
Labour L. Wray 1,018 18.1 -1.2
Liberal C. Leatham 913 16.2 +16.2
Majority 2,680 47.6 -13.8
Turnout 5,629
Conservative hold Swing -6.9
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lawrence Turnbull 3,034 61.3 -2.2
Labour W. Todd 1,915 38.7 +2.2
Majority 1,119 22.6 -4.5
Turnout 4,949
Conservative hold Swing -2.2
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Jones 1,817 57.3 -6.8
Conservative J. Robinson 874 27.6 -8.3
Liberal H. Linley 478 15.1 +15.1
Majority 943 29.8 +1.6
Turnout 3,169
Labour hold Swing +0.7
Hunslet Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Hodkinson 2,130 67.1 -1.7
Conservative M. Hayne 692 21.8 -9.4
Liberal E. Pemberton 354 11.1 +11.1
Majority 1,438 45.3 +7.8
Turnout 3,176
Labour hold Swing +3.8
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Hall 2,388 63.6 -7.0
Labour L. Steele 1,368 36.4 +7.0
Majority 1,020 27.2 -13.9
Turnout 3,756
Conservative hold Swing -7.0
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Smith 3,222 54.4 +2.6
Conservative F. Lucas 2,699 45.6 -2.6
Majority 523 8.8 +5.1
Turnout 5,921
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Meanwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative V. Cardno 3,463 76.1 -1.8
Labour A. Kirk 1,087 23.9 +1.8
Majority 2,376 52.2 -3.7
Turnout 4,550
Conservative hold Swing -1.8
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Malcolm 2,208 73.3 +1.2
Conservative D. Lodge 630 20.9 -1.0
Communist R. Wilkinson 175 5.8 -0.2
Majority 1,578 52.4 +2.2
Turnout 3,013
Labour hold Swing +1.1
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Watson 4,329 75.6 -5.3
Labour J. Taylor 1,398 24.4 +5.3
Majority 2,931 51.2 -10.5
Turnout 5,727
Conservative hold Swing -5.3
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Addlestone 2,443 73.4 +2.2
Conservative A. Bell 887 26.6 -2.2
Majority 1,556 46.7 +4.4
Turnout 3,330
Labour hold Swing +2.2
Pottemewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sydney Symmonds 1,640 58.5 -11.7
Labour Kevin Gould 702 25.0 +0.1
Liberal T. Longhorn 368 13.1 +13.1
Communist H. Fawcett 95 3.4 -1.5
Majority 938 33.4 -11.8
Turnout 2,805
Conservative hold Swing -5.9
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. King 1,781 76.3 +2.1
Conservative H. Flockton 456 19.5 -6.3
Communist E. Burwin 98 4.2 +4.2
Majority 1,325 56.7 +8.4
Turnout 2,335
Labour hold Swing +4.2
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allan Bretherick 3,744 75.6 -3.5
Labour J. Stephenson 1,208 24.4 +3.5
Majority 2,536 51.2 -7.0
Turnout 4,952
Conservative hold Swing -3.5
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Waterman 3,065 48.8 +9.3
Conservative A. Rakusen 2,252 35.8 -6.8
Liberal Dennis Pedder 967 15.4 -2.5
Majority 813 12.9 +9.8
Turnout 6,284
Labour hold Swing +8.0
Wellington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Barratt 2,337 74.5 +2.2
Conservative B. Pearce 593 18.9 -2.1
Communist G. Hodgson 205 6.5 +0.0
Majority 1,744 55.6 +4.3
Turnout 3,135
Labour hold Swing +2.1
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour V. Whelan 1,986 49.0 +9.9
Conservative F. Grainge 1,468 36.2 -7.9
Liberal E. Vasey 599 14.8 +0.0
Majority 518 12.8 +7.8
Turnout 4,053
Labour hold Swing +8.9
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. Taylor 2,262 51.5 +6.2
Conservative F. Greene 1,973 44.9 -3.7
Communist E. Meth 156 3.6 +0.8
Majority 289 6.6 +3.3
Turnout 4,391
Labour hold Swing +4.9
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B. Emmett 3,396 52.4 -4.4
Labour E. Morris 3,088 47.6 +4.4
Majority 308 4.8 -8.7
Turnout 6,484
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -4.4

References
  1. "Britons Shift to the Right". The New York Times. 12 May 1961. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 12 May 1961.
  3. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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