1971 Leeds City Council election

The 1971 Leeds municipal elections were held on 14 May 1971,^[1] with one third of the councillors up for vote including a double vacancy in Talbot.^[2]

Reflecting national patterns,^[1] the results were a near mirror-image of the 1968 results, as Labour achieved their highest vote share since 1945, and their greatest number of votes since 1953. It was the Conservatives who sunk to a low-point this time around, setting post-war record lows in both vote percentages and actual votes. However, with the defeat being less severe and the entirety of the council not being elected this time, the Conservatives held on to control with the superior number of aldermen allotted to them the previous year.^[2] Overall turnout across the city was 37.8%.^[3]

Starting from such a shrunken base following their overwhelming defeat in 1968, Labour gained over half of seats up for election, as well as holding the seats in the four wards they won previously (City, East Hunslet, Holbeck and Middleton). Labour gained seventeen in total, with all but Castleton from the Conservatives: Armley, Beeston, Bramley, Burley, Burmantofts, Castleton, Gipton, Harehills, Kirkstall, Osmondthorpe, Richmond Hill, Scott Hall, Seacroft, Stanningley, Whinmoor, Woodhouse and Wortley. Castleton was gained from the Liberals, who repeated their success in West Hunslet for the third year running and gained from the Conservatives, leaving their total unchanged.^[2]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1971
	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Labour	21	17	0	+17	67.7	56.9	76,350	+14.8
Conservative	9	0	17	-17	29.0	36.4	48,893	-10.6
Liberal	1	1	1	0	3.2	6.0	8,016	-3.8
Communist	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.7	965	-0.2

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

Party		Previous council		New council
Party		Cllr	Ald	Cllr	Ald
	Conservatives	62	16	45	16
	Labour	23	14	40	14
	Liberals	5	0	5	0
Total		90	30	90	30
Total		120		120
Working majority		34	2	0	2
Working majority		36		2

Ward results

Armley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. Buttery	3,147	56.2	+23.6
	Conservative	B. Stockwell	1,734	31.0	−5.4
	Liberal	G. Ashton	678	12.1	−14.8
	Communist	P. Wilton	43	0.8	−0.1
Majority			1,413	25.2	+21.4
Turnout			5,602
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+14.5

Beeston^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Harry Booth	3,151	56.7	+17.5
	Conservative	J. Farrell	2,161	38.9	−11.9
	Liberal	E. Webster	249	4.5	−5.5
Majority			990	17.8	+6.2
Turnout			5,561
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+14.7

Bramley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Denise Atkinson	4,013	67.1	+16.9
	Conservative	J. Hart	1,972	32.9	−10.0
Majority			2,041	34.1	+26.9
Turnout			5,985
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+13.4

Burley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Sully	2,700	61.4	+13.3
	Conservative	A. Rimmer	1,615	36.8	−12.9
	Communist	T. Flynn	79	1.8	−0.4
Majority			1,085	24.7	+23.2
Turnout			4,394
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+13.1

Burmantofts^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Millett	3,579	73.9	+18.0
	Conservative	H. Flockton	1,185	24.5	−9.0
	Communist	F. Stockdale	78	1.6	+0.8
Majority			2,394	49.4	+27.0
Turnout			4,842
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+13.5

Castleton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Sedler	2,096	48.9	+12.3
	Liberal	M. Begard	1,952	45.5	−8.2
	Conservative	H. Stockwell	191	4.5	−4.2
	Communist	K. Robinson	47	1.1	+0.1
Majority			144	3.4	−13.7
Turnout			4,286
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing	+10.2

Chapel Allerton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Sparling	2,527	71.1	−11.2
	Labour	B. Selby	685	19.3	+7.7
	Liberal	R. Whitelock	341	9.6	+3.5
Majority			1,842	51.8	−19.0
Turnout			3,553
	Conservative hold		Swing	-9.4

City^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Merritt	2,226	85.8	+20.0
	Conservative	W. Annan	369	14.2	−14.5
Majority			1,857	71.6	+34.6
Turnout			2,595
	Labour hold		Swing	+17.2

Cookridge^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Keith Loudon	2,465	49.7	−9.8
	Labour	G. Bowesley	1,776	35.8	+13.7
	Liberal	E. Finkle	719	14.5	−3.9
Majority			689	13.9	−23.5
Turnout			4,960
	Conservative hold		Swing	-11.7

East Hunslet^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. Haughton	2,555	84.1	+17.5
	Conservative	B. Cresswell	288	9.5	−3.6
	Liberal	H. Fearnley	194	6.4	−13.9
Majority			2,267	74.6	+28.3
Turnout			3,037
	Labour hold		Swing	+10.5

Gipton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Waterman	3,037	64.4	+13.4
	Conservative	W. Buckland	1,527	32.4	−12.7
	Liberal	K. Pedder	92	2.0	−0.7
	Communist	J. Bellamy	61	1.3	+0.0
Majority			1,510	32.0	+26.0
Turnout			4,717
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+13.0

Halton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	S. Tomlinson	3,185	65.9	−10.6
	Labour	J. Moran	1,651	34.1	+11.7
Majority			1,534	31.7	−22.3
Turnout			4,836
	Conservative hold		Swing	-11.1

Harehills^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Wood	1,603	48.0	+18.2
	Conservative	J. Moran	1,583	47.4	−17.5
	Liberal	D. Thorpe	156	4.7	−0.6
Majority			20	0.6	−34.5
Turnout			3,342
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+17.8

Headingley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Goodwin	2,397	59.4	−12.0
	Labour	J. Chartres	1,641	40.6	+12.0
Majority			756	18.8	−24.0
Turnout			4,038
	Conservative hold		Swing	-12.0

Holbeck^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Beevers	2,637	83.1	+23.0
	Conservative	N. Skin	366	11.5	−1.1
	Liberal	R. Newby	172	5.4	−22.0
Majority			2,271	71.5	+38.9
Turnout			3,175
	Labour hold		Swing	+12.0

Kirkstall^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Stafford	4,052	60.2	+16.8
	Conservative	T. Beevers	2,594	38.5	−11.7
	Communist	J. Sidebottom	87	1.3	−0.5
Majority			1,458	21.7	+14.9
Turnout			6,733
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+14.2

Middleton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Taylor	3,521	83.9	+20.7
	Conservative	P. Johnson	372	8.9	−5.2
	Liberal	L. Ellis	181	4.3	−15.9
	Communist	D. Prescott	122	2.9	+0.5
Majority			3,149	75.0	+32.0
Turnout			4,196
	Labour hold		Swing	+12.9

Moortown^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Challenor	2,323	52.1	−16.5
	Labour	A. Baum	1,687	37.9	+14.6
	Liberal	S. Waldenburg	446	10.0	+1.9
Majority			636	14.3	−31.1
Turnout			4,456
	Conservative hold		Swing	-15.5

Osmondthorpe^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Hamilton	3,660	75.3	+13.7
	Conservative	Doreen Wood	1,201	24.7	−12.4
Majority			2,459	50.6	+26.1
Turnout			4,861
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+13.0

Richmond Hill^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	V. Whelan	3,151	78.1	+20.8
	Conservative	S. Gill	818	20.3	−18.4
	Communist	P. Fawcett	65	1.6	+0.2
Majority			2,333	57.8	+39.1
Turnout			4,034
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+19.6

Roundhay^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Lax	2,885	78.3	−7.0
	Labour	C. Green	800	21.7	+7.0
Majority			2,085	56.6	−14.1
Turnout			3,685
	Conservative hold		Swing	-7.0

Scott Hall^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Bloom	2,586	67.9	+19.1
	Conservative	E. Lindins	1,153	30.3	−16.6
	Communist	M. Tomplak	69	1.8	−2.5
Majority			1,433	37.6	+35.7
Turnout			3,808
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+17.8

Seacroft^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	George Mudie	5,115	78.6	+9.3
	Conservative	D. Ball	1,328	20.4	−9.5
	Communist	A. Dale	67	1.0	+0.2
Majority			3,787	58.2	+18.9
Turnout			6,510
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+9.4

Stanningley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Christina Myers	3,366	69.1	+14.7
	Conservative	K. Knapton	1,431	29.4	−7.4
	Communist	F. Sidebottom	77	1.6	+0.7
Majority			1,935	39.7	+22.2
Turnout			4,874
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+11.0

Talbot^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Sherwin	2,692	70.5	−11.0
	Conservative	Ronnie Feldman	2,645
	Labour	A. Barnard	902	23.6	+5.1
	Labour	J. Morgan	897
	Liberal	C. Thompson	225	5.9	+5.9
	Liberal	G. Braham	209
Majority			1,743	46.9	−16.1
Turnout			3,819
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing	-8.0

Weetwood^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Hall	3,607	81.4	+3.5
	Labour	J. Underwood	825	18.6	+8.9
Majority			2,782	62.8	−3.9
Turnout			4,432
	Conservative hold		Swing	-2.7

West Hunslet^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Austick	2,201	52.1	+10.7
	Labour	J. Hodkinson	1,492	35.3	+4.6
	Conservative	D. Nicholls	533	12.6	−15.3
Majority			709	16.8	+6.1
Turnout			4,226
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+3.0

Whinmoor^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. Jackson	3,181	75.8	+16.5
	Conservative	C. Clark	970	23.1	−15.5
	Communist	H. Besser	46	1.1	−1.0
Majority			2,211	52.7	+32.0
Turnout			4,197
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+16.0

Woodhouse^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	I. Levy	2,171	57.7	+13.4
	Conservative	May Sexton	1,465	39.0	−13.4
	Communist	L. Morris	124	3.3	−0.1
Majority			706	18.8	+10.7
Turnout			3,760
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+13.4

Wortley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Thurlow	3,344	58.6	+12.1
	Conservative	J. Kirwan	1,956	34.3	−10.2
	Liberal	R. Buxton	410	7.2	−1.9
Majority			1,388	24.3	+22.4
Turnout			5,710
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+11.1

References

^ ^a ^b "British Laborites Sweep Local Voting". The New York Times. 15 May 1971. Retrieved 21 October 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 ^ae ^af ^ag "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 15 May 1971.
^ "Labour sweeps in with 20 majority in Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 6 May 1972. Scan here

[NYT-1] "British Laborites Sweep Local Voting". The New York Times. 15 May 1971. Retrieved 21 October 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 ^ae ^af ^ag "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 15 May 1971.

[3] "Labour sweeps in with 20 majority in Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 6 May 1972. Scan here

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e (1970 ←) 1971 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1972)
London boroughs	Barking Barnet Bexley Brent Bromley Camden Croydon Ealing Enfield Greenwich Hackney Hammersmith Haringey Harrow Havering Hillingdon Hounslow Islington Kensington and Chelsea Kingston upon Thames Lambeth Lewisham Merton Newham Redbridge Richmond upon Thames Southwark Sutton Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest Wandsworth Westminster
County boroughs	Cardiff Leeds Liverpool Manchester Newport Sheffield Swansea
City corporations	Aberdeen Dundee Edinburgh Glasgow
Rural districts	Easthampstead

v t e Council elections in West Yorkshire
Mayor	2021 2024
Bradford	1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Calderdale	1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Kirklees	1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Leeds	1945 1946 1947 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
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West Yorkshire CC	1973 1977 1981 Abolished
West Riding CC	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 Abolished
See also: Wards Boundary changes