1955 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 12 May 1955,[1] with one third of the council up for election, as well as a vacancy in Wellington.[2]

With the third consecutive election producing swings to them - this time a 2.1% swing[3] - the Conservatives managed to top the poll and make gains from Labour for the first time since the 1951 election, echoing their national result.[1] This, however, did not stop Labour winning a comfortable majority of the seats contested. The three gains were in Beeston, Westfield and Wortley - wards where Labour had gained from them following 1951.[2] Party totals remained unchanged with the new division of aldermen effectively wiping out those three gains, as Labour were allotted - at Conservative expense - three more aldermen. Turnout rose marginally to a low figure of 39.4%.[3]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1955
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 17 0 3 -3 58.6 46.2 64,820 -3.7%
  Conservative 12 3 0 +3 41.4 51.9 72,863 +2.5%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.5 2,043 +1.1%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.4 539 +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
Cllr Ald Cllr Ald
Labour 54 14 51 17
Conservatives 30 14 33 11
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  24    0   18    6 
 24   24 

Ward results
Allerton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative H. Drake 5,547 87.5 +0.9
Labour M. Rooney 790 12.5 -0.9
Majority 4,757 75.1 +1.9
Turnout 6,337
Conservative hold Swing +0.9
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour K. Cohen 2,970 54.4 -3.0
Conservative R. Beal 2,126 38.9 -3.7
Liberal A. Powell 367 6.7 +6.7
Majority 844 15.4 +0.6
Turnout 5,463
Labour hold Swing +0.3
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative L. Snape 3,881 54.1 +1.1
Labour H. Booth 3,299 45.9 -1.1
Majority 582 8.1 +2.1
Turnout 7,180
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.1
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour J. Wallbanks 2,368 54.7 -3.1
Conservative W. Murphy 1,958 45.3 +3.1
Majority 410 9.5 -6.2
Turnout 4,326
Labour hold Swing -3.1
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Eric Atkinson 3,012 47.8 -5.6
Conservative C. Dean 2,571 40.8 -5.7
Liberal J. Walker 713 11.3 +11.3
Majority 441 7.0 +0.1
Turnout 6,296
Labour hold Swing +0.0
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour G. Lloyd 2,428 63.1 -3.3
Conservative G. Howden 1,422 36.9 +3.3
Majority 1,006 26.1 -6.6
Turnout 3,850
Labour hold Swing -3.3
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour E. Whitehead 1,638 62.0 -5.4
Conservative J. Cape 1,005 38.0 +5.4
Majority 633 24.0 -10.7
Turnout 2,643
Labour hold Swing -5.4
Cross Gates[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour F. Booth 3,262 57.7 -1.1
Conservative J. Palmer 2,394 42.3 +1.1
Majority 868 15.3 -2.2
Turnout 5,656
Labour hold Swing -1.1
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour M. Fish 2,870 73.3 -3.5
Conservative G. Hewdey 1,044 26.7 +3.5
Majority 1,826 46.7 -7.0
Turnout 3,914
Labour hold Swing -3.5
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative W. Hey 4,665 83.5 -0.4
Labour F. Woolhouse 922 16.5 +0.4
Majority 3,743 67.0 -0.7
Turnout 5,587
Conservative hold Swing -0.4
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative C. Watson 4,371 78.8 +2.7
Labour J. Marshall 1,175 21.2 -2.7
Majority 3,196 57.6 +5.3
Turnout 5,546
Conservative hold Swing +2.7
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Lawrence Turnbull 3,515 59.7 +6.2
Labour F. Howard 2,375 40.3 -6.2
Majority 1,140 19.4 +12.4
Turnout 5,890
Conservative hold Swing +6.2
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour W. Jones 2,508 65.8 -2.8
Conservative T. Nipe 1,302 34.2 +2.8
Majority 1,206 31.7 -5.5
Turnout 3,810
Labour hold Swing -2.8
Hunslet Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour J. Hodgkinson 2,662 73.6 -15.2
Conservative J. Bailey 810 22.4 +22.4
Communist J. Bellamy 144 4.0 -7.2
Majority 1,852 51.2 -26.5
Turnout 3,616
Labour hold Swing -18.8
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative F. Walker 3,489 71.2 +2.8
Labour M. Schofield 1,410 28.8 -2.8
Majority 2,079 42.4 +5.5
Turnout 4,899
Conservative hold Swing +2.8
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Albert Smith 3,160 56.0 -5.1
Conservative E. Lucas 2,480 44.0 +5.1
Majority 680 12.1 -10.2
Turnout 5,640
Labour hold Swing -5.1
Meanwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative V. Cardno 4,286 74.7 +4.6
Labour J. Hedley 1,448 25.3 -4.6
Majority 2,838 49.2 +9.2
Turnout 5,734
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Harold Watson 2,586 77.6 -3.6
Conservative F. Stubley 747 22.4 +3.6
Majority 1,839 55.2 -7.2
Turnout 3,333
Labour hold Swing -3.6
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Watson 4,733 76.8 +0.2
Labour E. Norris 1,426 23.2 -0.2
Majority 3,307 53.7 +0.3
Turnout 6,159
Conservative hold Swing +0.2
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour G. Addlestone 2,809 71.8 -5.6
Conservative L. Ideson 1,105 28.2 +5.6
Majority 1,704 43.5 -11.2
Turnout 3,914
Labour hold Swing -5.6
Pottemewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sydney Symmonds 2,480 62.7 -2.0
Labour F. Watson 1,307 33.0 -2.3
Communist S. Bloom 170 4.3 +4.3
Majority 1,173 29.6 +0.2
Turnout 3,957
Conservative hold Swing +0.1
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour A. King 2,202 78.9 -1.3
Conservative W. Clayton 590 21.1 +1.3
Majority 1,612 57.7 -2.7
Turnout 2,792
Labour hold Swing -1.3
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Allan Bretherick 4,782 71.8 +7.3
Labour P. Taylor 1,877 28.2 -7.3
Majority 2,905 43.6 +14.6
Turnout 6,659
Conservative hold Swing +7.3
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour R. Waterman 3,347 49.4 -0.9
Conservative T. Kilby 2,832 41.8 -7.8
Liberal E. Burbridge 592 8.7 +8.7
Majority 515 7.6 +6.9
Turnout 6,771
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Wellington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour N. Barrett 2,657 67.2 -4.4
Labour E. Youngman 2,642
Conservative S. Rostron 699 17.7 -6.0
Conservative F. Richardson 634
Liberal W. Holdsworth 371 9.4 +9.4
Communist J. Wheatley 225 5.7 +0.9
Majority 1,943 49.5 +1.6
Turnout 3,952
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +0.8
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative L. Lyons 2,577 51.3 +13.0
Labour A. Malcolm 2,442 48.7 -2.2
Majority 135 2.7 -9.8
Turnout 5,019
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.6
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Henry Vick 2,729 56.9 -3.8
Conservative L. Francis 2,066 43.1 +3.8
Majority 663 13.8 -7.7
Turnout 4,795
Labour hold Swing -3.8
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative D. Wolstenholme 3,386 51.9 +1.4
Labour Aimee Tong 3,141 48.1 -1.4
Majority 245 3.8 +2.8
Turnout 6,527
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.4
gollark: It talks about using "technology" to "proactively identify bad actors".
gollark: T&S is presumably not waiting for invites or... actually joining, just reading messages.
gollark: It says so in the blog post.
gollark: Also, ALL my hills are weird, thank YOU.
gollark: Yes, I am looking at their blog post, and honestly the idea of them "proactively" reviewing servers without reports is kind of worrying?

References
  1. ""Little Election" Raises Hopes of Conservatives". Edmonton Journal. 13 May 1955. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 13 May 1955.
  3. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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