1947 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds municipal elections were held on Saturday 1 November 1947,^[1] with one third of the seats, as well as a vacancy in Pottermewton, up for election. With no Liberal candidate this time, East Hunslet went unopposed.^[2]

Following favourable national patterns,^[1] the swing of two percent^[3] to the Conservatives helped the party decisively win the popular vote and, in part thanks to a spike in turnout to 55.3%,^[3] gain new post-war records in both share and votes.^[2] Despite a deficit of over 20,000 votes and losses totalling seven seats to the Conservatives, Labour were still able to pip them in seats won by an additional seat.^[2] As such, Labour's majority was cut by close to a third, but remained safe at 30.^[3]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1947
	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Labour	14	0	7	-7	51.8	42.8	81,559	-2.1%
Conservative	13	7	0	+7	48.1	53.5	101,832	+2.1%
Liberal	0	0	0	0	0.0	3.0	5,774	+0.1%
Communist	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.7	1,332	-0.0%

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	59	15	52	15
	Conservatives	19	11	26	11
Total		78	26	78	26
Total		104		104
Working majority		40	4	26	4
Working majority		44		30

Ward results

Armley & Wortley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Coan	3,412	63.6	N/A
	Conservative	G. Atkinson	1,955	36.4	N/A
Majority			1,457	27.2	N/A
Turnout			5,367		N/A

Beeston^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Woodward	4,776	49.4	+3.7
	Labour	E. Whitehead	3,840	39.7	−5.9
	Liberal	A. Whitaker	1,053	10.9	+2.1
Majority			936	9.7	+9.6
Turnout			9,669

Blenheim^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Lister	3,853	56.5	+1.0
	Labour	A. D'Arcy	2,343	34.3	−10.2
	Liberal	M. Allen	626	9.2	+9.2
Majority			1,510	22.2	+11.2
Turnout			6,822

Bramley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Womersley	5,134	46.5	−8.4
	Conservative	A. Baker	4,709	42.6	−2.4
	Liberal	Ms Booth	1,199	10.9	+10.9
Majority			425	3.9	−6.0
Turnout			11,042

Burmantofts^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Shutt	2,573	67.7	N/A
	Conservative	C. Kirby	1,226	32.3	N/A
Majority			1,347	35.4	N/A
Turnout			3,799		N/A

Central^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Walsh	2,043	54.2	−8.2
	Conservative	F. Morat	1,729	45.8	+8.2
Majority			314	8.3	−16.5
Turnout			3,772

Cross Gates & Temple Newsam^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Bell	8,052	57.4	+0.0
	Labour	R. Thomas	5,965	42.6	−0.0
Majority			2,087	14.8	+0.0
Turnout			14,017

East Hunslet^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Mayhew	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Labour hold		Swing	N/A

Far Headingley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Hargrave	9,236	81.0	+8.7
	Labour	A. Tallant	2,169	19.0	−1.0
Majority			7,067	62.0	+9.7
Turnout			11,405

Farnley & Wortley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Wallbanks	5,188	52.3	−5.7
	Conservative	C. Horner	4,738	47.7	+5.7
Majority			450	4.5	−11.4
Turnout			9,926

Harehills^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. Power	5,310	51.2	+4.6
	Labour	K. Muir	5,060	48.8	−4.6
Majority			250	2.4	−4.4
Turnout			10,370

Holbeck North^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Veitch	1,155	59.9	N/A
	Conservative	A. Parkinson	503	26.1	N/A
	Liberal	W. Holdsworth	269	14.0	N/A
Majority			652	33.8	N/A
Turnout			1,927		N/A

Holbeck South^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Jones	2,916	55.6	−17.1
	Conservative	H. Drake	1,757	33.5	+33.5
	Liberal	W. Hopper	568	10.8	−16.4
Majority			1,159	22.1	−23.5
Turnout			5,241

Hunslet Carr & Middleton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Hodkinson	6,133	64.8	N/A
	Conservative	J. Walton	3,326	35.2	N/A
Majority			2,807	29.7	N/A
Turnout			9,459		N/A

Hyde Park^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	F. Walker	5,644	72.5	+3.7
	Labour	G. Issott	2,137	27.5	−3.7
Majority			3,507	45.1	+7.4
Turnout			7,781

Kirkstall^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Sellers	5,021	49.8	+4.3
	Labour	M. Malcolm	4,101	40.7	−13.7
	Liberal	L. Spencer	638	6.3	+6.3
	Communist	R. Huffingley	313	3.1	+3.1
Majority			920	9.1	+0.2
Turnout			10,073

Mill Hill & South^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Jowitt	1,538	52.5	+1.0
	Labour	H. Holdsworth	1,394	47.5	−1.0
Majority			144	4.9	+1.9
Turnout			2,932

North^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. Murphy	9,724	80.5	+2.9
	Labour	N. Davey	2,349	19.5	−2.9
Majority			7,375	61.1	+5.8
Turnout			12,073

Osmondthorpe^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	M. Fish	4,257	63.1	N/A
	Conservative	T. Nipe	2,491	36.9	N/A
Majority			1,766	26.2	N/A
Turnout			6,748		N/A

Pottermewton^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Bidgood	4,468	57.5	+2.5
	Conservative	C. Driver	4,442
	Labour	K. Cohen	2,551	32.8	−1.7
	Labour	R. Peart	2,401
	Communist	B. Ramelson	753	9.7	−0.8
Majority			1,917	24.7	+4.2
Turnout			7,772

Richmond Hill^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Fowler	1,900	69.3	−20.5
	Conservative	R. Eden	840	30.7	+30.7
Majority			1,060	38.7	−41.1
Turnout			2,740

Roundhay^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	C. Monkman	10,330	77.0	+0.5
	Labour	A. King	3,083	23.0	−0.5
Majority			7,247	54.0	+1.1
Turnout			13,413

Upper Armley^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Hiley	4,386	54.1	+8.9
	Labour	J. Underwood	3,720	45.9	−2.3
Majority			666	8.2	+5.2
Turnout			8,106

West Hunslet^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Adamson	3,343	52.4	−13.5
	Conservative	J. Farrell	1,865	29.2	−1.5
	Liberal	A. Smith	903	14.2	+14.2
	Communist	F. Warburton	266	4.2	+0.9
Majority			1,478	23.2	−12.0
Turnout			6,377

Westfield^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Youngman	1,693	54.4	−7.1
	Conservative	M. Gledhill	1,417	45.6	+7.1
Majority			276	8.9	−14.1
Turnout			3,110

Woodhouse^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Bretherick	3,100	47.3	−9.4
	Conservative	G. Taylor	2,938	44.8	+1.5
	Liberal	Ms. Hobson	518	7.9	+7.9
Majority			162	2.5	−10.9
Turnout			6,556

References

^ ^a ^b "British Laborites Decisively Beaten in Municipal Vote". The New York Times. 2 November 1947. Retrieved 15 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 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 2 November 1947.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.

[NYT-1] "British Laborites Decisively Beaten in Municipal Vote". The New York Times. 2 November 1947. Retrieved 15 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 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 2 November 1947.

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

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v t e Council elections in West Yorkshire
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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
Wakefield	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
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