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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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