1964 Leeds City Council election

The municipal elections for Leeds were held on Thursday 7 May 1964,[1] with one third of the council seats up for the election. Labour had gained a seat from the Conservatives in the interim.[2]

The Liberal spike of 1962, having faltered the year before, fully unwound in this election, with the Conservatives - the party it had most harmed - seeing a slight recovery in their fortunes, by a tune of a 1.4% swing to them.[2] That recovery, however, wasn't enough to stop Labour gaining their remaining seat in Wortley, confining them - with the exception of Beeston - to their reliable strongholds. Even there, Labour had made significant inroads, with the usually safe seats of Hyde Park and Pottemewton converted to marginals, and in the case of the latter, slashing the majority to just 147 votes. Elsewhere, the Conservatives could be encouraged by the collapse of the Liberal threat in Far Headingley and May Sexton's efforts in Westfield looking increasingly likely to return her to the council with each election.[3]

Pre-empting the upcoming aldermanic elections that year, the Gentlemen's agreement in place between the two parties to divide aldermen totals proportional to their councillors, reapportioned a further three from the Conservatives to Labour, reflecting the new councillor totals - which were Labour's best and the Conservative's worst since 1947.[2] 1947 was also the year in which the Communists obtained their greatest vote, a figure they very nearly matched, fielding a record number of ten candidates. Turnout fell by a percentage point on the previous year, to 36.6%.[2]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1964
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 18 1 0 +1 64.3 46.9 58,821 +1.9%
  Conservative 10 0 1 -1 35.7 44.9 56,340 +4.7%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 7.1 8,910 -6.8%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.0 1,320 +0.1%

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:[2]

Party Previous council New council
Cllr Ald Cllr Ald
Labour 55 16 56 19
Conservatives 29 12 28  9
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  26    4   28   10 
 30   38 

Ward results
Allerton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Bidgood 4,906 69.4 +5.7
Labour W. Pepper 1,516 21.4 +2.3
Liberal Julius Blum 652 9.2 -8.0
Majority 3,390 47.9 +3.4
Turnout 7,074
Conservative hold Swing +1.7
Armley[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K. Cohen 2,550 59.9 +4.5
Conservative A. Stephen 1,211 28.4 +0.3
Liberal Graham Rowlands 499 11.7 -4.8
Majority 1,339 31.4 +4.1
Turnout 4,260
Labour hold Swing +2.1
Beeston[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Snape 3,262 49.2 +8.2
Labour E. Mill 3,173 47.9 +0.2
Communist M. Moore 192 2.9 +1.7
Majority 89 1.3 -5.3
Turnout 6,627
Conservative hold Swing +4.0
Blenheim[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Wallbanks 1,382 68.7 -1.2
Conservative J. Jenkinson 631 31.3 +1.2
Majority 751 37.3 -2.4
Turnout 2,013
Labour hold Swing -1.2
Bramley[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Atkinson 3,749 60.5 +13.6
Conservative F. Stubley 2,444 39.5 +1.7
Majority 1,305 21.1 +11.9
Turnout 6,193
Labour hold Swing +5.9
Burmantofts[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Lloyd 2,064 72.3 -2.0
Conservative M. Bauchop 792 27.7 +2.0
Majority 1,272 44.5 -4.0
Turnout 2,856
Labour hold Swing -2.0
City[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Tallant 1,019 73.4 +0.2
Conservative D. Phillips 370 26.6 -0.2
Majority 649 46.7 +0.4
Turnout 1,389
Labour hold Swing +0.2
Cross Gates[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Booth 3,350 65.5 -3.9
Conservative P. Sharples 1,489 29.1 -1.5
Communist H. Fawcett 278 5.4 +5.4
Majority 1,861 36.4 -2.3
Turnout 5,117
Labour hold Swing -1.2
East Hunslet[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Fish 1,597 72.4 -0.1
Conservative K. Grainge 610 27.6 +0.1
Majority 987 44.7 -0.3
Turnout 2,207
Labour hold Swing -0.1
Far Headingley[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Hey 4,993 53.2 +7.1
Liberal John Humphrey Morrish 2,503 26.7 -10.3
Labour J. Taylor 1,892 20.2 +3.2
Majority 2,490 26.5 +17.5
Turnout 9,388
Conservative hold Swing +8.7
Halton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Watson 4,049 69.5 -2.2
Labour D. Hamilton 1,778 30.5 +2.2
Majority 2,271 39.0 -4.3
Turnout 5,827
Conservative hold Swing -2.2
Harehills[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lawrence Turnbull 2,653 51.4 +0.2
Labour K. Lloyd 2,014 39.0 +3.3
Liberal Ronald Gibbon Sissons 494 9.6 -3.4
Majority 639 12.4 -3.1
Turnout 5,161
Conservative hold Swing -1.5
Holbeck[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Jones 1,851 56.5 -2.1
Conservative A. Redmond 868 26.5 +2.2
Liberal J. Crawshaw 452 13.8 +0.2
Communist J. McCarthy 104 3.2 -0.4
Majority 983 30.0 -4.3
Turnout 3,275
Labour hold Swing -2.1
Hunslet Carr[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Hodkinson 1,823 62.8 +0.0
Conservative R. Austwick 918 31.6 +7.6
Communist A. Gibbons 161 5.5 +2.0
Majority 905 31.2 -7.5
Turnout 2,902
Labour hold Swing -3.8
Hyde Park[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Hall 2,214 49.0 +4.3
Labour W. Prichard 1,755 38.9 +3.2
Liberal Sydney Herbert Bexan 547 12.1 -7.5
Majority 459 10.2 +1.2
Turnout 4,516
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
Kirkstall[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Smith 2,723 55.2 +2.0
Conservative R. Kent 1,678 34.0 +4.1
Liberal D. Whittaker 394 8.0 -5.4
Communist B. Huffingley 134 2.7 -0.7
Majority 1,045 21.2 -2.1
Turnout 4,929
Labour hold Swing -1.0
Meanwood[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative V. Cardno 3,202 58.6 +4.4
Labour J. McPheat 1,702 31.1 +3.4
Liberal Evelyn Mary Briggs 563 10.3 -7.8
Majority 1,500 27.4 +1.0
Turnout 5,467
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
Middleton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Malcolm 2,315 80.9 +3.8
Conservative E. Baker 445 15.5 +3.2
Communist E. Moore 103 3.6 -0.3
Majority 1,870 65.3 +0.5
Turnout 2,863
Labour hold Swing +0.3
Moortown[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Watson 4,627 62.3 +2.6
Labour W. Window 2,005 27.0 +3.1
Liberal E. Norris 799 10.8 -5.7
Majority 2,622 35.3 -0.5
Turnout 7,431
Conservative hold Swing -0.2
Osmondthorpe[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Addlestone 2,118 78.2 +1.4
Conservative K. Mitchell 589 21.8 -1.4
Majority 1,529 56.5 +2.9
Turnout 2,707
Labour hold Swing +1.4
Pottemewton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sydney Symmonds 1,606 47.5 +2.0
Labour Joyce Gould 1,459 43.1 +7.7
Liberal John Brian Meeks 245 7.2 -8.3
Communist R. Ramsden 74 2.2 -1.4
Majority 147 4.3 -5.8
Turnout 3,384
Conservative hold Swing -2.8
Richmond Hill[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. King 2,078 83.5 +3.5
Conservative S. Wheldale 310 12.4 -2.9
Communist E. Burwin 102 4.1 -0.6
Majority 1,768 71.0 +6.4
Turnout 2,490
Labour hold Swing +3.2
Roundhay[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allan Bretherick 4,869 68.2 +8.3
Labour A. Baum 2,268 31.8 +10.1
Majority 2,601 36.4 -1.8
Turnout 7,137
Conservative hold Swing -0.9
Stanningley[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Waterman 2,525 48.3 +5.1
Conservative A. Vickers 1,786 34.1 +5.7
Liberal Dennis Pedder 920 17.6 -10.7
Majority 739 14.1 -0.7
Turnout 5,231
Labour hold Swing -0.3
Wellington[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Barrett 1,551 69.3 +1.7
Conservative K. Beal 380 17.0 +5.2
Liberal Walter Holdsworth 229 10.2 -5.3
Communist B. Kline 79 3.5 -1.5
Majority 1,171 52.3 +0.3
Turnout 2,239
Labour hold Swing -1.7
Westfield[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour V. Whelan 1,344 51.7 -2.1
Conservative May Sexton 1,256 48.3 +2.1
Majority 88 3.4 -4.2
Turnout 2,600
Labour hold Swing -2.1
Woodhouse[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. Taylor 1,981 58.1 +4.2
Conservative F. Greene 1,333 39.1 +7.6
Communist A. Dale 93 2.7 -0.9
Majority 648 19.0 -3.5
Turnout 3,407
Labour hold Swing -1.7
Wortley[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Klineberg 3,239 48.3 +6.2
Conservative B. Emmett 2,849 42.5 +2.8
Liberal Kenneth Roy Dunn 613 9.1 -9.0
Majority 390 5.8 +3.4
Turnout 6,701
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +1.7

References
  1. "Laborites Score in Local Voting". The New York Times. 8 May 1964. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  2. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
  3. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 8 May 1964.
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