1969 Sheffield City Council election

The Sheffield City Council elections were held on 8 May 1969, with one third of the council - plus a double vacancy in Park - up for election. The previous year's historic win by the Conservatives, and their gaining control of the council was ended with these elections, with Labour successfully holding or gaining back seats in wards they lost in the last year's defeat. The previous year's substantial Tory leads in vote figures and seat numbers belied how narrowly won those numerous gains were, with even a tiny swing to Labour destined to return them.

1969 Sheffield City Council election
8 May 1969
28 councillors to Sheffield City Council
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Labour Conservative Liberal
Seats won 18 10 0
Seat change Increase5 Decrease5 Steady0
Majority party before election

Conservative Party (UK)

 Majority party after election

Labour Party (UK)

Labour's win and regaining control of the council was in sharp contrast to the national picture, which seen a repeat of the preceding years' heavy losses to the Conservatives with further losses of their heartlands to Tory control. Sheffield joined Stoke as the only cities left controlled by Labour, with last year's survivor Hull falling this year. Nationally Labour managed just 23 gains, with Sheffield accounting for over a fifth of them.

Given this environment, the Labour response was naturally overjoyed; the Sheffield Brightside MP Eddie Griffiths reacted "I literally had tears in my eyes when I heard the results. I was more excited about these results than by my own election". The Labour group's leader Ald Ron Ironmonger attributed this to their campaigning effort and the electorate voting on a local mindset "[we've] struggled so hard for this. We took this really seriously - we haven't fought a campaign like this for years. I think the victory is due to the good sense of the Sheffield people, and I am proud of them tonight. They have judged the election on the city's own affairs as we asked them to. We are certainly wiser men after a year in opposition. There is no doubt about that."

The Conservative grouping leader Ald Harrold Hebblethwaite responded "Obviously I am very disappointed at this result and I find it quite surprising, though one has always understood that Sheffield is a city on its own, and can never be relied on to follow a national trend. The great pity of it is that Walkley we certainly lost due to the intervention of an Independent, and Sharrow by a Liberal intervention - though obviously we cannot say that as regards Firth Park and Handsworth".

Hebblethwaite accepted that the Rent Rebate scheme had played a large part in last year's results, but qualified "nevertheless I am certain the public have been somewhat confused about the issues this year. Twelve months is not enough time for any party to settle down in control and get its policies under way". Of such policies Labour were to reintroduce the closed-shop clause in Corporation employment which the Tories had dropped and accept the 30 places at Sheffield Girl's High School, which were now too late to reverse.

Overall turnout was up narrowly on the previous year's, to 33.2%[1]

Election result
Sheffield Local Election Result 1969
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 18 5 0 +5 64.3 42.4 52,082 +6.4
  Conservative 10 0 5 -5 35.7 52.8 64,862 -4.6
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.7 2,092 -0.4
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.7 2,065 -0.7
  Other 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.4 1,800 -0.7

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Cllr Ald Cllr Ald
Labour 34 18 39 18
Conservatives 47 9 42 9
Liberals 0 0 0 0
Communists 0 0 0 0
Total 81 27 81 27
108 108
Working majority  13   -9   -3   9 
 4   6 

Ward results
Attercliffe[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Eldred 2,089 71.0 +4.6
Conservative Harold Mellor 852 29.0 -4.6
Majority 1,237 42.0 +9.2
Turnout 2,941 19.0 -2.2
Labour hold Swing +4.6
Beauchief[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. White 6,001 82.2 -0.7
Labour Annie Britton 1,296 17.7 +0.7
Majority 4,705 64.5 -1.4
Turnout 7,297 50.6 -2.5
Conservative hold Swing -0.7
Birley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Yeardley 2,438 49.7 +8.7
Conservative Pauline Minns 2,211 45.1 -9.0
Independent Laurence Gillatt 251 5.2 +0.4
Majority 227 4.6 -8.4
Turnout 4,900 32.3 +1.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +8.8
Brightside[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Sturrock 1,966 55.2 +2.5
Conservative Kathleene Moore 1,319 37.0 +0.8
J. Robinson 165 4.6 +4.6
Independent Communist R. Wilkinson 109 3.0 +3.0
Majority 647 18.2 +1.6
Turnout 3,559 27.6 +0.5
Labour hold Swing +0.8
Broomhill[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A. Smith 3,154 77.3 +11.0
Labour R. Thackeray 690 16.9 -1.7
D. Morris 233 5.8 +5.8
Majority 2,464 60.4 +12.7
Turnout 4,077 31.1 -2.0
Conservative hold Swing +6.3
Burngreave[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Pate 2,346 55.9 +13.6
Conservative Cliff Godber 1,695 40.4 -9.3
Communist A. March 153 3.6 -1.0
Majority 651 15.5 +8.1
Turnout 4,194 31.6 +4.3
Labour hold Swing +11.4
Castle[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Horton 2,088 67.5 +13.5
Conservative L. Chambers 788 25.5 -8.5
Communist Edna Ashworth 216 7.0 +1.6
Majority 1,300 42.0 +22.1
Turnout 3,092 27.5 -1.4
Labour hold Swing +11.0
Darnall[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Owen 2,902 59.0 +9.9
Conservative Roger Outram 2,014 41.0 -9.9
Majority 888 18.0 +16.3
Turnout 4,916 32.8 +2.4
Labour hold Swing +9.9
Dore[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thornton Lambert 4,983 79.7 -0.6
Labour Marie Rodgers 1,272 20.3 +0.6
Majority 3,711 59.4 -1.2
Turnout 6,255 47.7 -1.0
Conservative hold Swing -0.6
Ecclesall[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edith Edeson 4,341 83.9 +5.7
Labour James Pearson 835 16.1 +5.9
Majority 3,506 67.7 -0.1
Turnout 5,176 35.5 -7.2
Conservative hold Swing -0.1
Firth Park[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Morris 2,147 43.7 +4.4
Conservative Andrew Oxley 1,944 39.5 -6.5
Liberal Francis Butler 670 13.6 +3.6
Communist Barry Bracken 155 3.1 -1.5
Majority 203 4.1 -2.6
Turnout 4,916 34.5 +1.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.4
Gleadless[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Heslop 3,898 57.1 -6.7
Labour Phillip Grisdale 2,347 34.8 +3.9
Liberal Dennis Boothroyd 581 8.5 +2.7
Majority 1,551 22.7 -10.6
Turnout 6,826 44.5 -2.0
Conservative hold Swing -5.3
Hallam[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Wragg 3,755 70.4 -9.1
Labour Harry Hall 954 17.9 -2.5
Liberal Jean Mason 622 11.7 +11.7
Majority 2,801 52.5 -6.6
Turnout 5,331 38.5 -1.0
Conservative hold Swing -3.3
Handsworth[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Nicholls 2,563 55.8 +6.2
Conservative Jack Kerton 2,031 44.2 -6.2
Majority 532 11.6 +10.6
Turnout 4,594 36.1 +3.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +6.2
Heeley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Earl 3,377 56.4 -1.3
Labour Alfred Wood 2,193 36.7 +0.5
Communist J. Turton 411 6.9 +0.8
Majority 1,184 19.8 -1.8
Turnout 5,981 37.3 -3.2
Conservative hold Swing -0.9
Hillsborough[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Constance Dodson 3,500 64.7 -3.7
Labour William Meade 1,912 35.3 +3.7
Majority 1,588 29.3 -7.3
Turnout 5,412 36.8 -6.0
Conservative hold Swing -3.6
Intake[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marvyn Moore 2,613 52.9 -4.4
Labour Arnold Wood 2,329 47.1 +4.4
Majority 284 5.7 -8.7
Turnout 4,942 31.3 -1.3
Conservative hold Swing -4.4
Manor[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dora Fitter 2,027 59.6 +10.3
Conservative D. Russell 1,156 34.0 -5.0
Communist John Hukin 219 6.4 -5.3
Majority 871 25.6 +15.2
Turnout 3,402 24.8 -1.0
Labour hold Swing +7.6
Mosborough[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Foulds 2,078 62.8 +13.4
Conservative Eric Vawser 1,230 37.2 -13.4
Majority 848 25.6 +24.5
Turnout 3,308 38.0 +4.4
Labour hold Swing +13.4
Nether Edge[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ivan Harrington 4,085 79.9 -2.9
Labour Charlotte Ellis 1,029 20.1 +2.9
Majority 3,056 59.7 -5.8
Turnout 5,114 36.8 -3.0
Conservative hold Swing -2.9
Nether Shire[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Moseley 2,221 52.1 +12.6
Conservative Hazel Black 1,766 41.4 +4.7
Communist Ken Hattersley 278 6.5 +1.1
Majority 455 10.7 +7.9
Turnout 4,265 34.5 -4.9
Labour hold Swing +3.9
Netherthorpe[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Doris Mulhearn 1,994 57.6 +11.8
Conservative E. Dawson 1,309 37.8 -8.0
Communist Roy Barrett 156 4.5 -3.8
Majority 685 19.8 +19.7
Turnout 3,459 31.5 +2.6
Labour hold Swing +9.9
Owlerton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Watson 2,257 62.0 +18.4
Conservative Zena Thompson 1385 38.0 -7.8
Majority 872 23.9 +21.7
Turnout 3,642 25.2 +2.7
Labour hold Swing +13.1
Park[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Knowles 2,466 64.7 +17.7
Labour Peter Jones 2,458
Conservative June Harris 1,091 28.6 -2.5
Conservative Peter Huddart 1,021
Communist Cyril Morton 253 6.6 +1.9
Majority 1,375 36.1 +20.3
Turnout 3,810 23.2 -1.6
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +10.1
Sharrow[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ethal Evans 1,991 47.9 +3.8
Conservative David Pinder 1,824 43.8 -7.7
Liberal Colin Wood 219 5.3 +5.3
National Front George Clark 125 3.0 -1.5
Majority 167 4.0 -3.5
Turnout 4,159 37.2 -2.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.7
Southey Green[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Winifred Golding 1,866 65.2 +13.1
Conservative Charles Hughes 772 27.0 -7.4
Communist Gordon Ashberry 224 7.8 -5.7
Majority 1,094 38.2 +20.5
Turnout 2,862 21.2 +0.2
Labour hold Swing +10.2
Walkley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bernard Kidd 1,786 39.9 -0.8
Conservative Leslie Hesp 1,768 39.5 -9.3
G. Green 773 17.3 +17.3
National Front Alan Holmes 144 3.2 -2.1
Majority 18 0.4 -7.7
Turnout 4,471 31.5 +0.0
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.2

References
  1. "Sheffield Local Elections 1960–1995 scans". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
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