1955 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 12 May 1955,[1] with one third of the council up for election, as well as a vacancy in Wellington.[2]

With the third consecutive election producing swings to them - this time a 2.1% swing[3] - the Conservatives managed to top the poll and make gains from Labour for the first time since the 1951 election, echoing their national result.[1] This, however, did not stop Labour winning a comfortable majority of the seats contested. The three gains were in Beeston, Westfield and Wortley - wards where Labour had gained from them following 1951.[2] Party totals remained unchanged with the new division of aldermen effectively wiping out those three gains, as Labour were allotted - at Conservative expense - three more aldermen. Turnout rose marginally to a low figure of 39.4%.[3]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1955
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 17 0 3 -3 58.6 46.2 64,820 -3.7%
  Conservative 12 3 0 +3 41.4 51.9 72,863 +2.5%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.5 2,043 +1.1%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.4 539 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 54 14 51 17
Conservatives 30 14 33 11
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  24    0   18    6 
 24   24 

Ward results
Allerton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Drake 5,547 87.5 +0.9
Labour M. Rooney 790 12.5 -0.9
Majority 4,757 75.1 +1.9
Turnout 6,337
Conservative hold Swing +0.9
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K. Cohen 2,970 54.4 -3.0
Conservative R. Beal 2,126 38.9 -3.7
Liberal A. Powell 367 6.7 +6.7
Majority 844 15.4 +0.6
Turnout 5,463
Labour hold Swing +0.3
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Snape 3,881 54.1 +1.1
Labour H. Booth 3,299 45.9 -1.1
Majority 582 8.1 +2.1
Turnout 7,180
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.1
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Wallbanks 2,368 54.7 -3.1
Conservative W. Murphy 1,958 45.3 +3.1
Majority 410 9.5 -6.2
Turnout 4,326
Labour hold Swing -3.1
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Atkinson 3,012 47.8 -5.6
Conservative C. Dean 2,571 40.8 -5.7
Liberal J. Walker 713 11.3 +11.3
Majority 441 7.0 +0.1
Turnout 6,296
Labour hold Swing +0.0
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Lloyd 2,428 63.1 -3.3
Conservative G. Howden 1,422 36.9 +3.3
Majority 1,006 26.1 -6.6
Turnout 3,850
Labour hold Swing -3.3
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Whitehead 1,638 62.0 -5.4
Conservative J. Cape 1,005 38.0 +5.4
Majority 633 24.0 -10.7
Turnout 2,643
Labour hold Swing -5.4
Cross Gates[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Booth 3,262 57.7 -1.1
Conservative J. Palmer 2,394 42.3 +1.1
Majority 868 15.3 -2.2
Turnout 5,656
Labour hold Swing -1.1
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Fish 2,870 73.3 -3.5
Conservative G. Hewdey 1,044 26.7 +3.5
Majority 1,826 46.7 -7.0
Turnout 3,914
Labour hold Swing -3.5
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Hey 4,665 83.5 -0.4
Labour F. Woolhouse 922 16.5 +0.4
Majority 3,743 67.0 -0.7
Turnout 5,587
Conservative hold Swing -0.4
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Watson 4,371 78.8 +2.7
Labour J. Marshall 1,175 21.2 -2.7
Majority 3,196 57.6 +5.3
Turnout 5,546
Conservative hold Swing +2.7
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lawrence Turnbull 3,515 59.7 +6.2
Labour F. Howard 2,375 40.3 -6.2
Majority 1,140 19.4 +12.4
Turnout 5,890
Conservative hold Swing +6.2
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Jones 2,508 65.8 -2.8
Conservative T. Nipe 1,302 34.2 +2.8
Majority 1,206 31.7 -5.5
Turnout 3,810
Labour hold Swing -2.8
Hunslet Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Hodgkinson 2,662 73.6 -15.2
Conservative J. Bailey 810 22.4 +22.4
Communist J. Bellamy 144 4.0 -7.2
Majority 1,852 51.2 -26.5
Turnout 3,616
Labour hold Swing -18.8
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Walker 3,489 71.2 +2.8
Labour M. Schofield 1,410 28.8 -2.8
Majority 2,079 42.4 +5.5
Turnout 4,899
Conservative hold Swing +2.8
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Smith 3,160 56.0 -5.1
Conservative E. Lucas 2,480 44.0 +5.1
Majority 680 12.1 -10.2
Turnout 5,640
Labour hold Swing -5.1
Meanwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative V. Cardno 4,286 74.7 +4.6
Labour J. Hedley 1,448 25.3 -4.6
Majority 2,838 49.2 +9.2
Turnout 5,734
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Watson 2,586 77.6 -3.6
Conservative F. Stubley 747 22.4 +3.6
Majority 1,839 55.2 -7.2
Turnout 3,333
Labour hold Swing -3.6
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Watson 4,733 76.8 +0.2
Labour E. Norris 1,426 23.2 -0.2
Majority 3,307 53.7 +0.3
Turnout 6,159
Conservative hold Swing +0.2
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Addlestone 2,809 71.8 -5.6
Conservative L. Ideson 1,105 28.2 +5.6
Majority 1,704 43.5 -11.2
Turnout 3,914
Labour hold Swing -5.6
Pottemewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sydney Symmonds 2,480 62.7 -2.0
Labour F. Watson 1,307 33.0 -2.3
Communist S. Bloom 170 4.3 +4.3
Majority 1,173 29.6 +0.2
Turnout 3,957
Conservative hold Swing +0.1
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. King 2,202 78.9 -1.3
Conservative W. Clayton 590 21.1 +1.3
Majority 1,612 57.7 -2.7
Turnout 2,792
Labour hold Swing -1.3
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allan Bretherick 4,782 71.8 +7.3
Labour P. Taylor 1,877 28.2 -7.3
Majority 2,905 43.6 +14.6
Turnout 6,659
Conservative hold Swing +7.3
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Waterman 3,347 49.4 -0.9
Conservative T. Kilby 2,832 41.8 -7.8
Liberal E. Burbridge 592 8.7 +8.7
Majority 515 7.6 +6.9
Turnout 6,771
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Wellington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Barrett 2,657 67.2 -4.4
Labour E. Youngman 2,642
Conservative S. Rostron 699 17.7 -6.0
Conservative F. Richardson 634
Liberal Walter Holdsworth 371 9.4 +9.4
Communist J. Wheatley 225 5.7 +0.9
Majority 1,943 49.5 +1.6
Turnout 3,952
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +0.8
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Lyons 2,577 51.3 +13.0
Labour A. Malcolm 2,442 48.7 -2.2
Majority 135 2.7 -9.8
Turnout 5,019
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.6
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Vick 2,729 56.9 -3.8
Conservative L. Francis 2,066 43.1 +3.8
Majority 663 13.8 -7.7
Turnout 4,795
Labour hold Swing -3.8
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Wolstenholme 3,386 51.9 +1.4
Labour Aimee Tong 3,141 48.1 -1.4
Majority 245 3.8 +2.8
Turnout 6,527
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.4

References
  1. ""Little Election" Raises Hopes of Conservatives". Edmonton Journal. 13 May 1955. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 13 May 1955.
  3. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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