1970 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds elections were held on 8 May 1970,[1] with one third of the seats up for election, as well as an extra vacancy in Beeston.[2]

The election seen a nationally resurgent[1] Labour gain 10 seats and achieve a 13% swing from the Conservatives, returning to a competitive status after the routings suffered the previous two elections. Labour gains were as follows: Bramley, Burmantofts, Gipton, Osmondthorpe, Richmond Hill, Scott Hall, Seacroft, Stanningley, Whinmoor and Wortley. There was also a narrow hold in Burley, with Labour close to eliminating the almost 40% Conservative majority managed there the year before. The Liberals further increased their representation with a gain from the Conservatives, repeating their success in West Hunslet following the previous year's upset.[2]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1970
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 15 0 11 -11 48.4 47.0 58,281 -11.7
  Labour 14 10 0 +10 45.2 42.1 52,168 +14.2
  Liberal 2 1 0 +1 6.4 9.8 12,134 -1.5
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.9 1,108 -0.8
  Ind. Conservative 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 400 -0.3
  National Front 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 91 +0.1

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
Conservatives 73 25 62 25
Labour 13 5 23 5
Liberals 4 0 5 0
Total 90 30 90 30
120 120
Working majority  56   20   34   20 
 76   54 

Ward results
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Stephenson 1,862 36.3 -2.2
Labour W. Thurlow 1,669 32.6 +10.7
Liberal P. Chadsworth 1,380 26.9 -2.2
Ind. Conservative G. Atkinson 168 3.3 -2.2
Communist P. Wilton 46 0.9 -0.7
Majority 193 3.8 -5.6
Turnout 5,125
Conservative hold Swing -6.4
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Platt 2,247 50.8 -10.3
Conservative A. Dunn 2,208
Labour S. Whelan 1,734 39.2 +10.1
Labour M. Chadwick 1,685
Liberal A. Webster 443 10.0 +0.2
Liberal D. Dawson 394
Majority 513 11.6 -20.4
Turnout 4,424
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing -10.2
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Atkinson 2,334 50.1 +23.4
Conservative D. Armitage 1,998 42.9 -11.3
Liberal J. Coates 325 7.0 -12.1
Majority 336 7.2 -20.3
Turnout 4,657
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.3
Burley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M. Davies 1,868 49.6 -16.6
Labour J. Sully 1,813 48.2 +22.9
Communist T. Flynn 84 2.2 -6.3
Majority 55 1.5 -39.5
Turnout 3,765
Conservative hold Swing -19.7
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K. Cohen 2,834 55.9 +9.0
Conservative J. Brightbart 1,697 33.5 -16.3
Liberal E. Britton 496 9.8 +9.8
Communist F. Stockdale 40 0.8 -2.4
Majority 1,137 22.4 +19.5
Turnout 5,067
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +12.6
Castleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Michael Meadowcroft 2,127 53.7 -0.9
Labour K. Dockway 1,449 36.6 +9.0
Conservative E. Lewis 343 8.7 -7.7
Communist G. Corscadden 39 1.0 -0.4
Majority 678 17.1 -9.9
Turnout 3,958
Liberal hold Swing -4.9
Chapel Allerton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Long 2,854 82.3 -0.7
Labour G. Bloom 401 11.6 +4.3
Liberal Deryck Ernest Senior 211 6.1 -0.7
Majority 2,453 70.8 -7.9
Turnout 3,466
Conservative hold Swing -3.9
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernest Morris 1,748 65.7 +12.3
Conservative J. Sexton 764 28.7 -14.2
Liberal Graham Rowlands 75 2.8 +2.8
Communist T. Johnston 72 2.7 -0.9
Majority 984 37.0 +26.4
Turnout 2,659
Labour hold Swing +13.2
Cookridge[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Lyons 2,605 59.5 -14.9
Labour W. Lodge 966 22.1 +7.0
Liberal E. Finkle 806 18.4 +7.9
Majority 1,639 37.4 -21.9
Turnout 4,377
Conservative hold Swing -10.9
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Pepper 1,907 66.6 +8.9
Liberal J. Barie 581 20.3 +0.8
Conservative I. Holmes 374 13.1 -9.7
Majority 1,326 46.3 +11.3
Turnout 2,862
Labour hold Swing +4.0
Gipton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Moynihan 2,125 51.0 +14.0
Conservative W. Buckland 1,876 45.1 -16.1
Liberal K. Pedder 110 2.6 +2.6
Communist J. Bellamy 53 1.3 -0.6
Majority 249 6.0 -18.1
Turnout 4,164
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +15.0
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Vaughan 3,846 76.4 -9.4
Labour W. Spence 1,129 22.4 +11.6
Communist G. McGowan 56 1.1 -2.2
Majority 2,717 54.0 -21.0
Turnout 5,031
Conservative hold Swing -10.5
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. White 1,550 64.9 -11.9
Labour G. Wood 712 29.8 +18.1
Liberal D. Preethy 127 5.3 -6.2
Majority 838 35.1 -29.9
Turnout 2,389
Conservative hold Swing -15.0
Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Barron 2,904 71.4 -8.3
Labour T. Cooke 1,164 28.6 +17.4
Majority 1,740 42.8 -25.6
Turnout 4,068
Conservative hold Swing -12.8
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Matthews 1,868 60.0 +12.7
Liberal R. Whitelock 852 27.4 -2.7
Conservative J. Spragg 392 12.6 -10.0
Majority 1,016 32.6 15.3
Turnout 3,112
Labour hold Swing +7.7
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Robertson 2,825 50.2 -7.7
Labour J. Underwood 2,440 43.4 +10.7
Liberal R. Worrall 256 4.6 -3.1
Communist J. Sidebottom 102 1.8 +0.1
Majority 385 6.8 -18.3
Turnout 5,623
Conservative hold Swing -9.2
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Binns 2,507 63.2 +9.2
Liberal S. Robinson 803 20.3 -2.7
Conservative G. Hartley 558 14.1 -2.3
Communist D. Priscott 96 2.4 -4.2
Majority 1,704 43.0 +12.0
Turnout 3,964
Labour hold Swing +5.9
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative E. Vaughan 2,668 68.6 -5.4
Labour A. Donohoe 903 23.2 +12.0
Liberal S. Rowland 316 8.1 -6.6
Majority 1,765 45.4 -13.9
Turnout 3,887
Conservative hold Swing -8.7
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Douglas Gabb 2,810 61.6 +11.8
Conservative Doreen Wood 1,694 37.1 -8.6
Communist T. Kelly 57 1.2 -3.2
Majority 1,116 24.5 +20.4
Turnout 4,561
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +10.2
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Mathers 2,293 57.4 +19.4
Conservative D. Eastham 1,547 38.7 -15.9
Liberal A. Wren 70 1.8 -2.5
Communist P. Fawcett 57 1.4 -1.8
National Front B. Thurlow 31 0.8 +0.8
Majority 746 18.7 +2.1
Turnout 3,998
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.6
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Challenor 3,166 85.3 -6.0
Labour Denise Atkinson 544 14.7 +6.0
Majority 2,622 70.7 -11.9
Turnout 3,710
Conservative hold Swing -6.0
Scott Hall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Ellis 1,432 48.8 +24.3
Conservative L. Horton 1,377 46.9 -28.6
Communist A. Dale 127 4.3 +4.3
Majority 55 1.9 -49.1
Turnout 2,936
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +26.4
Seacroft[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K. Woolmer 4,023 69.2 +22.7
Conservative M. Freegood 1,737 29.9 -19.6
Communist H. Besser 51 0.9 -3.0
Majority 2,286 39.3 +36.3
Turnout 5,811
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +21.1
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevin Gould 2,657 54.3 +10.4
Conservative A. Vickers 1,800 36.8 -15.0
Liberal V. Lockwood 390 8.0 +8.0
Communist P. Sidebottom 43 0.9 -3.3
Majority 857 17.5 +9.6
Turnout 4,890
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +12.7
Talbot[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Crousden 3,172 81.5 -6.0
Labour R. Sedler 721 18.5 +6.0
Majority 2,451 63.0 -11.9
Turnout 3,893
Conservative hold Swing -6.0
Weetwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B. Peart 3,737 77.9 -3.5
Liberal B. Reynolds 537 11.2 -1.3
Labour A. Baum 465 9.7 +3.5
National Front R. Green 60 1.3 +1.3
Majority 3,200 66.7 -2.1
Turnout 4,799
Conservative hold Swing -1.1
West Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal W. Taylor 1,710 41.4 -13.4
Labour E. Hodkinson 1,267 30.7 +12.5
Conservative J. Crosby 1,152 27.9 +0.9
Majority 115 10.7 -17.1
Turnout 4,129
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing -12.9
Whinmoor[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Coward 2,123 59.3 +10.7
Conservative V. McNair 1,382 38.6 -10.9
Communist J. Scawthorne 74 2.1 +0.2
Majority 741 20.7 +19.8
Turnout 3,579
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +10.8
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A. Sexton 1,735 52.4 -10.8
Labour C. Buttery 1,468 44.3 +13.2
Communist L. Morris 111 3.3 -2.4
Majority 267 8.1 -23.9
Turnout 3,314
Conservative hold Swing -12.0
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Sargeant 2,662 46.4 +18.7
Conservative R. Beal 2,551 44.5 -15.8
Liberal Walter Holdsworth 519 9.1 -2.8
Majority 111 1.9 -30.6
Turnout 5,732
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.2

References
  1. "Labor Makes Gains in British Elections". The New York Times. 8 May 1970. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 9 May 1970.
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