1990 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds City Council elections were held on Thursday, 4 May 1990, with one third of the council and two casual vacancies in Beeston and North to be elected. There had been a number of by-elections in the interim, resulting in two Labour gains in Armley and Burmantofts from the Social and Liberal Democrats and holds elsewhere.

Map of the results for the 1990 Leeds council election.

The election was held amidst deep unpopularity for the Conservative national government and their poll tax measure, resulting in the party's worst ever performance in the English locals.[1] The effects it had in Leeds were no less severe, with the party obtaining a record low vote share, with their victories confined to just 4 of the 33 wards, restricted to their Northern heartlands – Cookridge, North, Roundhay and Wetherby – losing stalwarts Aireborough, Halton, Pudsey North and Weetwood to Labour for the first time.

Both the Conservative vote and the SLD vote were little changed from the previous election; the landslide was caused by a remarkable increase in Labour's vote – over 50% on recent elections – bringing with it a record turnout (with 1979 omitted). The SLD's slate was notably much reduced, fielding their lowest number of candidates since 1978, after their fall-back at their last outing. Similar to the last election, their sole loss was found in Armley to Labour, narrowly holding onto Otley & Wharfedale, but much more comfortably their Horsforth and Moortown seats. In total, Labour's five gains extended their majority by ten, comfortably surpassing party records in votes, vote share and council majority.

Elsewhere, the leader of the newly formed Liberal Party Michael Meadowcroft – alongside his fellow candidate in Harehills – won a respectable second place in Bramley. Meanwhile, their fellow SLD defectors, the SDP joined the Communists in producing just one candidate – with both collecting negligible support, suggesting possible demise (with the latter likely adversely impacted by recent international events).[2]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1990
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 27 5 0 +5 77.1 56.1 141,610 +9.9%
  Conservative 5 0 4 -4 14.3 26.7 67,284 -6.3%
  SLD 3 0 1 -1 8.6 14.4 36,325 -2.7%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.4 3,481 +0.6%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.0 2,623 +1.0%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 626 -1.6%
  SDP 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 256 -0.8%
  National Front 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 109 +0.0%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 67 -0.2%

This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Labour 61 66
Conservative 25 21
SLD 12 11
Independent 1 1
Total 99 99
Working majority  23   33 

Ward results
Aireborough[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Dunn 4,672 45.3 +14.1
Conservative M. Atkinson 3,914 38.0 -5.8
SLD D. Gowland 1,726 16.7 -8.3
Majority 758 7.4 -5.1
Turnout 10,312
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +9.9
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Lowe 4,788 67.0 +12.1
Conservative R. Mundell 1,256 17.6 -1.6
SLD D. Colton 1,099 15.4 -10.4
Majority 3,532 49.4 +22.5
Turnout 7,143
Labour gain from SLD Swing +11.2
Barwick & Kippax[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Parker 6,002 62.7 +3.9
Conservative John Procter 2,532 26.5 -8.7
SLD G. Roberts 600 6.3 +0.3
Green D. Corry 436 4.6 +4.6
Majority 3,470 36.3 +12.6
Turnout 9,570
Labour hold Swing +6.3
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jon Trickett 4,180 72.3 +4.5
Labour D. Congreve 3,690
Conservative A. Rhodes 1,009 17.5 -7.5
Conservative H. Woodhead 929
Green D. Blakemore 590 10.2 +10.2
Majority 3,171 54.9 +12.0
Turnout 5,779
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +6.0
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Atkinson 4,867 65.9 -2.9
Liberal Michael Meadowcroft 1,831 24.8 +24.8
Conservative T. Cooper 689 9.3 -7.4
Majority 3,036 41.1 -10.9
Turnout 7,387
Labour hold Swing -13.8
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Butterfield 4,267 63.7 +19.4
SLD T. Ineson 2,030 30.3 -19.2
Conservative C. Wilson 399 6.0 -0.2
Majority 2,237 33.4 +28.3
Turnout 6,696
Labour hold Swing +19.3
Chapel Allerton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Taggart 4,772 72.7 +7.3
Conservative P. Lawton 1,215 18.5 -5.4
SLD J. Levy 578 8.8 +3.6
Majority 3,557 54.2 +12.8
Turnout 6,565
Labour hold Swing +6.4
City & Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C. Myers 4,843 79.1 +2.1
SLD A. Davies 701 11.5 +3.8
Conservative D. Boynton 576 9.4 -6.0
Majority 4,142 67.7 +6.1
Turnout 6,120
Labour hold Swing -0.8
Cookridge[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Carter 4,143 48.8 -11.5
Labour G. Morrison 3,063 36.1 +13.0
SLD E. Brazier 1,278 15.1 +3.8
Majority 1,080 12.7 -24.5
Turnout 8,484
Conservative hold Swing -12.2
Garforth & Swillington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Groves 6,239 67.1 +9.7
Conservative C. Jones 2,133 23.0 -13.2
SLD R. Hutchinson 921 9.9 +3.6
Majority 4,106 44.2 +22.9
Turnout 9,293
Labour hold Swing +11.4
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Sully 3,840 44.9 +11.1
Conservative D. Schofield 3,569 41.7 -12.9
SLD D. Hollingsworth 1,149 13.4 +1.7
Majority 271 3.2 -17.6
Turnout 8,558
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +12.0
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour U. Ryatt 3,906 64.8 -0.7
Liberal R. Senior 792 13.1 +13.1
Conservative K. Weightman 708 11.7 -3.7
Independent S. Prasad 449 7.4 +7.4
Independent D. Talbot 177 2.9 +2.9
Majority 3,114 51.6 +5.2
Turnout 6,032
Labour hold Swing -6.9
Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Truswell 3,965 55.1 +13.3
SLD C. Shaw 1,250 17.4 -12.7
Conservative G. Castle 1,058 14.7 -0.7
Green G. Rainford 850 11.8 +2.4
Communist B. Cooper 67 0.9 -2.3
Majority 2,715 37.8 +26.0
Turnout 7,190
Labour hold Swing +13.0
Horsforth[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SLD M. Shaw 3,756 42.4 -2.1
Conservative R. Richardson 3,032 34.2 -5.8
Labour J. Erskine 2,072 23.4 +7.9
Majority 724 8.2 +3.7
Turnout 8,860
SLD hold Swing +1.8
Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Gunnell 4,619 91.0 +13.1
Conservative D. Thomas 458 9.0 -1.5
Majority 4,161 82.0 +14.7
Turnout 5,077
Labour hold Swing +7.3
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bernard Atha 5,507 81.8 +15.3
Conservative S. McBarron 1,229 18.2 -0.8
Majority 4,278 63.5 +16.1
Turnout 6,736
Labour hold Swing +8.0
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Middleton 4,876 85.6 +8.2
Conservative A. Wright 823 14.4 -1.4
Majority 4,053 71.1 +9.6
Turnout 5,699
Labour hold Swing +4.8
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SLD W. Winlow 3,737 44.9 -2.7
Conservative C. Thompson 2,430 29.2 -4.9
Labour J. Talbot 2,164 26.0 +7.6
Majority 1,307 15.7 +2.2
Turnout 8,331
SLD hold Swing +1.1
Morley North[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Jones 5,390 66.0 +15.2
Conservative J. Galek 2,772 34.0 -5.6
Majority 2,618 32.1 +20.9
Turnout 8,162
Labour hold Swing +10.4
Morley South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K. Burnley 5,857 67.9 +4.4
Conservative L. Frost 1,858 21.5 -7.8
SLD T. Leadley 803 9.3 +2.2
National Front N. Howard 109 1.3 +1.3
Majority 3,999 46.4 +12.2
Turnout 8,627
Labour hold Swing +6.1
North[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Manning 3,795 49.9 -7.7
Conservative P. Harrand 3,621
Labour B. Brady 2,432 32.0 +8.3
Labour J. Lister 2,206
SLD R. Barr 1,115 14.7 +1.0
SLD D. Dresser 1,091
SDP B. Finniestone 256 3.4 -1.6
Majority 1,363 17.9 -16.0
Turnout 7,598
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing -8.0
Otley & Wharfedale[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SLD C. Campbell 3,681 35.9 +1.2
Conservative G. Francis 3,560 34.7 -11.9
Labour S. Egan 3,009 29.4 +15.8
Majority 121 1.2 -10.7
Turnout 10,250
SLD hold Swing +6.5
Pudsey North[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Ross 4,304 45.3 +15.9
Conservative J. Bashall 3,295 34.7 -17.0
SLD J. Heppell 1,897 20.0 +1.1
Majority 1,009 10.6 -11.6
Turnout 9,496
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +16.4
Pudsey South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Lewis 4,734 56.4 +26.8
Conservative R. Cam 2,147 25.6 +4.6
SLD A. Fleet 1,508 18.0 +15.0
Majority 2,587 30.8 +14.0
Turnout 8,389
Labour hold Swing +11.1
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. McGee 5,141 80.1 +1.0
SLD K. Norman 787 12.3 +2.6
Conservative W. Birch 490 7.6 -3.5
Majority 4,354 67.8 -0.2
Turnout 6,418
Labour hold Swing -0.8
Rothwell[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Hudson 4,695 63.1 -3.4
Conservative A. Heeson 1,464 19.7 -6.3
SLD A. Barber 1,276 17.2 +9.6
Majority 3,231 43.5 +3.0
Turnout 7,435
Labour hold Swing +1.4
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. White 3,826 46.8 -10.0
Labour K. Prior 2,844 34.8 +10.2
SLD J. Pullan 862 10.5 -3.6
Green A. Tear 643 7.9 +3.4
Majority 982 12.0 -20.2
Turnout 8,175
Conservative hold Swing -10.1
Seacroft[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Vollans 4,729 82.4 +1.1
Conservative H. Gill 591 10.3 -3.3
SLD S. Fisher 421 7.3 +2.2
Majority 4,138 72.1 +4.4
Turnout 5,741
Labour hold Swing +2.2
University[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Dale 3,883 72.8 -2.0
Conservative R. Winfield 553 10.4 -3.4
Green A. Begg 491 9.2 +9.2
SLD A. Appleyard 405 7.6 -0.3
Majority 3,330 62.5 -1.4
Turnout 5,332
Labour hold Swing +0.7
Weetwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Moxon 3,313 41.0 +11.6
Conservative J. Hamilton 2,794 34.5 -8.0
SLD J. Ewens 1,509 18.7 -6.3
Green C. Nash 471 5.8 +2.7
Majority 519 6.4 -6.7
Turnout 8,087
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +9.8
Wetherby[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Evans 5,899 60.3 -6.7
Labour J. Postill 2,612 26.7 +10.7
SLD J. Macarthur 1,266 12.9 +2.4
Majority 3,287 33.6 -17.3
Turnout 9,777
Conservative hold Swing -8.7
Whinmoor[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Hemmingway 4,439 65.4 +8.1
Conservative P. Rayner 1,735 25.6 -10.9
SLD C. Ward 615 9.1 +2.8
Majority 2,704 39.8 +19.0
Turnout 6,789
Labour hold Swing +9.5
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Bedford 5,586 67.5 +7.9
Conservative B. Nicol 1,489 18.0 -4.4
SLD W. Moss 1,198 14.5 -3.5
Majority 4,097 49.5 +12.2
Turnout 8,273
Labour hold Swing +6.1

References
  1. "Tories saved by Poll Tax?". The Economist. 12 May 1990. p. 35.
  2. "District results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 5 May 1990.
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