1947 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds municipal elections were held on Saturday 1 November 1947,[1] with one third of the seats, as well as a vacancy in Pottermewton, up for election. With no Liberal candidate this time, East Hunslet went unopposed.[2]

Following favourable national patterns,[1] the swing of two percent[3] to the Conservatives helped the party decisively win the popular vote and, in part thanks to a spike in turnout to 55.3%,[3] gain new post-war records in both share and votes.[2] Despite a deficit of over 20,000 votes and losses totalling seven seats to the Conservatives, Labour were still able to pip them in seats won by an additional seat.[2] As such, Labour's majority was cut by close to a third, but remained safe at 30.[3]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1947
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 14 0 7 -7 51.8 42.8 81,559 -2.1%
  Conservative 13 7 0 +7 48.1 53.5 101,832 +2.1%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 5,774 +0.1%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.7 1,332 -0.0%

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 59 15 52 15
Conservatives 19 11 26 11
Total 78 26 78 26
104 104
Working majority  40    4   26    4 
 44   30 

Ward results
Armley & Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Coan 3,412 63.6 N/A
Conservative G. Atkinson 1,955 36.4 N/A
Majority 1,457 27.2 N/A
Turnout 5,367 N/A
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative P. Woodward 4,776 49.4 +3.7
Labour E. Whitehead 3,840 39.7 -5.9
Liberal A. Whitaker 1,053 10.9 +2.1
Majority 936 9.7 +9.6
Turnout 9,669
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative E. Lister 3,853 56.5 +1.0
Labour A. D'Arcy 2,343 34.3 -10.2
Liberal M. Allen 626 9.2 +9.2
Majority 1,510 22.2 +11.2
Turnout 6,822
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Womersley 5,134 46.5 -8.4
Conservative A. Baker 4,709 42.6 -2.4
Liberal Ms Booth 1,199 10.9 +10.9
Majority 425 3.9 -6.0
Turnout 11,042
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Shutt 2,573 67.7 N/A
Conservative C. Kirby 1,226 32.3 N/A
Majority 1,347 35.4 N/A
Turnout 3,799 N/A
Central[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Walsh 2,043 54.2 -8.2
Conservative F. Morat 1,729 45.8 +8.2
Majority 314 8.3 -16.5
Turnout 3,772
Cross Gates & Temple Newsam[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Bell 8,052 57.4 +0.0
Labour R. Thomas 5,965 42.6 -0.0
Majority 2,087 14.8 +0.0
Turnout 14,017
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Mayhew Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Hargrave 9,236 81.0 +8.7
Labour A. Tallant 2,169 19.0 -1.0
Majority 7,067 62.0 +9.7
Turnout 11,405
Farnley & Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Wallbanks 5,188 52.3 -5.7
Conservative C. Horner 4,738 47.7 +5.7
Majority 450 4.5 -11.4
Turnout 9,926
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Power 5,310 51.2 +4.6
Labour K. Muir 5,060 48.8 -4.6
Majority 250 2.4 -4.4
Turnout 10,370
Holbeck North[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Veitch 1,155 59.9 N/A
Conservative A. Parkinson 503 26.1 N/A
Liberal W. Holdsworth 269 14.0 N/A
Majority 652 33.8 N/A
Turnout 1,927 N/A
Holbeck South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Jones 2,916 55.6 -17.1
Conservative H. Drake 1,757 33.5 +33.5
Liberal W. Hopper 568 10.8 -16.4
Majority 1,159 22.1 -23.5
Turnout 5,241
Hunslet Carr & Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Hodkinson 6,133 64.8 N/A
Conservative J. Walton 3,326 35.2 N/A
Majority 2,807 29.7 N/A
Turnout 9,459 N/A
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Walker 5,644 72.5 +3.7
Labour G. Issott 2,137 27.5 -3.7
Majority 3,507 45.1 +7.4
Turnout 7,781
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Sellers 5,021 49.8 +4.3
Labour M. Malcolm 4,101 40.7 -13.7
Liberal L. Spencer 638 6.3 +6.3
Communist R. Huffingley 313 3.1 +3.1
Majority 920 9.1 +0.2
Turnout 10,073
Mill Hill & South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Jowitt 1,538 52.5 +1.0
Labour H. Holdsworth 1,394 47.5 -1.0
Majority 144 4.9 +1.9
Turnout 2,932
North[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Murphy 9,724 80.5 +2.9
Labour N. Davey 2,349 19.5 -2.9
Majority 7,375 61.1 +5.8
Turnout 12,073
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Fish 4,257 63.1 N/A
Conservative T. Nipe 2,491 36.9 N/A
Majority 1,766 26.2 N/A
Turnout 6,748 N/A
Pottermewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Bidgood 4,468 57.5 +2.5
Conservative C. Driver 4,442
Labour K. Cohen 2,551 32.8 -1.7
Labour R. Peart 2,401
Communist B. Ramelson 753 9.7 -0.8
Majority 1,917 24.7 +4.2
Turnout 7,772
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Fowler 1,900 69.3 -20.5
Conservative R. Eden 840 30.7 +30.7
Majority 1,060 38.7 -41.1
Turnout 2,740
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Monkman 10,330 77.0 +0.5
Labour A. King 3,083 23.0 -0.5
Majority 7,247 54.0 +1.1
Turnout 13,413
Upper Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Hiley 4,386 54.1 +8.9
Labour J. Underwood 3,720 45.9 -2.3
Majority 666 8.2 +5.2
Turnout 8,106
West Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Adamson 3,343 52.4 -13.5
Conservative J. Farrell 1,865 29.2 -1.5
Liberal A. Smith 903 14.2 +14.2
Communist F. Warburton 266 4.2 +0.9
Majority 1,478 23.2 -12.0
Turnout 6,377
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Youngman 1,693 54.4 -7.1
Conservative M. Gledhill 1,417 45.6 +7.1
Majority 276 8.9 -14.1
Turnout 3,110
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Bretherick 3,100 47.3 -9.4
Conservative G. Taylor 2,938 44.8 +1.5
Liberal Ms. Hobson 518 7.9 +7.9
Majority 162 2.5 -10.9
Turnout 6,556

References
  1. "British Laborites Decisively Beaten in Municipal Vote". The New York Times. 2 November 1947. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 2 November 1947.
  3. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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