1953 Leeds City Council election

The 1953 Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 7 May 1953,^[1] with one third of the council as well as a vacancy in Richmond Hill to be elected.^[2]

Winning control of Leeds was one of Labour's highlights in a night that seen them make gains across the country.^[1] Whilst there was a swing away from Labour to the Conservatives of over four percent^[3] from the previous year's high benchmark, Labour were able to repeat most of the gains they achieved the year before, with the two exceptions being Armley - a seat they already held - and Beeston, which the Tories managed to hold by sixty-six votes this time around. In total they gained seven seats, replacing the Tories slim majority of two with a majority of twelve.^[2] Turnout continued its trend downwards with a post-war low of 41.4%.^[3]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1953
	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Labour	19	7	0	+7	65.5	52.5	78,259	-4.0
Conservative	10	0	7	-7	34.5	46.7	69,560	+4.2
Liberal	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.6	923	-0.2
Communist	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.2	294	+0.1

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:^[3]

Party		Previous council		New council
Party		Cllr	Ald	Cllr	Ald
	Labour	41	14	48	14
	Conservatives	43	14	36	14
Total		84	28	84	28
Total		112		112
Working majority		-2	0	12	0
Working majority		-2		12

Ward results

Allerton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Mustill	5,260	85.2	+1.3
	Labour	W. Stoner	917	14.8	−1.3
Majority			4,343	70.3	+2.6
Turnout			6,177
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.3

Armley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Hodgson	3,815	61.3	−0.1
	Conservative	J. Longstaff	2,407	38.7	+0.1
Majority			1,408	22.6	−0.2
Turnout			6,222
	Labour hold		Swing	-0.1

Beeston^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Woodward	3,810	50.4	+1.5
	Labour	S. Binns	3,744	49.6	−1.5
Majority			66	0.9	−1.2
Turnout			7,554
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.5

Blenheim^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Merritt	3,144	56.9	−0.6
	Conservative	K. Davison	2,386	43.1	+0.6
Majority			758	13.7	−1.2
Turnout			5,530
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	-0.6

Bramley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Lord	3,285	53.4	−6.6
	Conservative	B. Pearce	2,862	46.6	+6.6
Majority			423	6.9	−13.1
Turnout			6,147
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	-6.6

Burmantofts^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Murray	2,832	71.1	−3.7
	Conservative	K. Platts	1,150	28.9	+3.7
Majority			1,682	42.2	−7.5
Turnout			3,982
	Labour hold		Swing	-3.7

City^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Stubbs	2,449	69.3	+0.4
	Conservative	N. Kay	1,083	30.7	−0.4
Majority			1,366	38.7	+0.9
Turnout			3,532
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.4

Cross Gates^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Harrison	3,181	66.3	−3.8
	Conservative	W. Tull	1,618	33.7	+3.8
Majority			1,563	32.6	−7.6
Turnout			4,799
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	-3.8

East Hunslet^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Kavanagh	3,064	75.1	−7.6
	Conservative	G. Hewdey	1,017	24.9	+7.6
Majority			2,047	50.2	−15.1
Turnout			4,081
	Labour hold		Swing	-7.6

Far Headingley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Dovenor	4,112	82.1	+3.1
	Labour	J. Bissell	897	17.9	−3.1
Majority			3,215	64.2	+6.2
Turnout			5,009
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.1

Halton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Dodson	3,933	72.7	+6.3
	Labour	A. Vickers	1,476	27.3	−2.4
Majority			2,457	45.4	+8.7
Turnout			5,409
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.3

Harehills^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	B. Garden	2,918	53.6	+2.4
	Labour	D. Gabb	2,529	46.4	−2.4
Majority			389	7.1	+4.7
Turnout			5,447
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.4

Holbeck^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Bray	3,545	64.3	−5.0
	Conservative	S. Ristron	1,384	25.1	+1.6
	Liberal	K. Heald	582	10.6	+3.4
Majority			2,161	39.2	−6.7
Turnout			5,511
	Labour hold		Swing	-3.3

Hunslet Carr^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Parker	3,408	75.1	−5.0
	Conservative	N. Cooke	942	20.8	+3.9
	Communist	R. Wilkinson	185	4.1	+1.2
Majority			2,466	54.4	−8.9
Turnout			4,535
	Labour hold		Swing	-4.4

Hyde Park^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Walmsley	3,402	63.4	+3.4
	Labour	I. Calvert	1,965	36.6	−3.4
Majority			1,437	26.8	+6.8
Turnout			5,367
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.4

Kirkstall^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Matthews	4,446	62.8	−0.3
	Conservative	R. Neill	2,628	37.2	+5.2
Majority			1,818	25.7	−5.5
Turnout			7,074
	Labour hold		Swing	-2.7

Meanwood^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	F. Carter	4,231	69.0	+0.9
	Labour	J. Hedley	1,900	31.0	−0.9
Majority			2,331	38.0	+1.7
Turnout			6,131
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.9

Middleton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	S. Hand	3,510	85.3	−4.4
	Conservative	F. Stubley	604	14.7	+4.4
Majority			2,906	70.6	−8.9
Turnout			4,114
	Labour hold		Swing	-4.4

Moortown^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. Henson	4,179	70.2	−2.5
	Labour	R. Hyams	1,771	29.8	+2.5
Majority			2,408	40.5	−4.9
Turnout			2,408
	Conservative hold		Swing	-2.5

Osmondthorpe^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. Walsh	3,690	79.5	−3.5
	Conservative	D. Bradley	954	20.5	+3.5
Majority			2,736	58.9	−7.1
Turnout			4,644
	Labour hold		Swing	-3.5

Potternewton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Coleman	2,460	61.3	+5.6
	Labour	F. Howard	1,550	38.7	−5.6
Majority			910	22.7	+11.1
Turnout			4,010
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.6

Richmond Hill^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Cain	2,838	80.0	−5.0
	Labour	W. Fowler	2,728
	Conservative	W. Clayton	710	20.0	+5.0
	Conservative	H. Harwood	585
Majority			2,018	60.0	−10.0
Turnout			3,548
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing	-5.0

Roundhay^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Jowitt	4,409	66.6	+7.3
	Labour	E. Morris	2,207	33.4	−7.3
Majority			2,202	33.3	+14.6
Turnout			6,616
	Conservative hold		Swing	+7.3

Stanningley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	P. Kennally	3,059	51.8	−7.5
	Conservative	F. Ayres	2,850	48.2	+7.5
Majority			209	3.5	−15.1
Turnout			5,909
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	-7.5

Wellington^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Underwood	3,461	72.7	−3.1
	Conservative	J. Palmer	848	17.8	−0.2
	Liberal	Harry Burbridge	341	7.2	+2.7
	Communist	F. Warburton	109	2.3	+0.7
Majority			2,613	54.9	−2.9
Turnout			4,759
	Labour hold		Swing	-1.4

Westfield^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Stan Cohen	2,916	56.7	+1.7
	Conservative	G. Appleby	2,228	43.3	−1.7
Majority			688	13.4	+3.4
Turnout			5,144
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+1.7

Woodhouse^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Bretherick	3,456	59.9	−5.0
	Conservative	H. Stott	2,318	40.1	+5.0
Majority			1,138	19.7	−10.1
Turnout			5,774
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	-5.0

Wortley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Smart	3,204	52.9	−2.4
	Conservative	Charles Horner	2,857	47.1	+2.4
Majority			347	5.7	−4.8
Turnout			6,061
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	-2.4

References

^ ^a ^b "U.K. Labour Gains in Boroughs". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 May 1953. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 8 May 1953.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.

[SMH-1] "U.K. Labour Gains in Boroughs". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 May 1953. Retrieved 15 August 2012.

[results-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 8 May 1953.

[sharpe-3] Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.

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