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
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
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | T. Smith | 2,719 | 56.6 | +0.9 | |
Conservative | H. Drake | 1,660 | 34.5 | +1.0 | |
Liberal | George Petch | 427 | 8.9 | -2.0 | |
Majority | 1,059 | 22.0 | -0.1 | ||
Turnout | 4,806 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -0.0 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | C. Turnbull | 4,174 | 45.2 | -4.6 | |
Labour | K. Muir | 4,018 | 43.5 | +2.8 | |
Liberal | Arthur Lawrence Braithwaite Childe | 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 | |||
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 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | E. Wooler-Loy | 7,957 | 76.0 | -4.5 | |
Labour | N. Davy | 1,451 | 13.9 | -5.6 | |
Liberal | Wilfred Ernest Hopper | 1,062 | 10.1 | +10.1 | |
Majority | 6,506 | 62.1 | +1.0 | ||
Turnout | 10,470 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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 | |||
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
- "Conservatives Score Wide Gains Over Laborites in Municipal Vote". The New York Times. 13 May 1949. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 13 May 1949.
- Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.