Leeds South (UK Parliament constituency)

Leeds South
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
County	1885–1974: West Riding of Yorkshire 1974–1983: West Yorkshire
1885 (1885)–1983 (1983)
Number of members	One
Replaced by	Morley and Leeds South
Created from	Leeds

Leeds South was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election. It was then largely replaced by the new Morley and Leeds South constituency.

It was the seat of the former Leader of the Labour Party, the late Hugh Gaitskell, and the former Home Secretary Merlyn Rees.

History

The constituency was created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and was first used in the general election of that year. Leeds had previously been represented by two MPs (1832–1868) and three MPs (1868–1885). From 1885 it was represented by five single-member constituencies: Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West. The constituencies of Morley, Otley and Pudsey were also created in 1885.

The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election. It was then largely replaced by the new Morley and Leeds South constituency. After the 1983 general election Leeds was represented by the constituencies of Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North East, Leeds North West, Leeds West and Morley and Leeds South. There were also constituencies of Elmet (created 1983) and Pudsey.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1885	Sir Lyon Playfair	Liberal
	1892 by-election	Sir John Lawson Walton	Liberal
	1908 by-election	William Middlebrook	Coalition Liberal
	1922	Henry Charleton	Labour
	1931	Noel Whiteside	Conservative
	1935	Henry Charleton	Labour
	1945	Rt Hon Hugh Gaitskell	Labour
	1963 by-election	Merlyn Rees	Labour
1983		constituency abolished

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 1)

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Bristol South East	Constituency represented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer 1950–1951	Succeeded by Saffron Walden
Preceded by Lewisham South	Constituency represented by the Leader of the Opposition 1955–1963	Succeeded by Belper