The 1957 Leeds municipal elections were held 9 May 1957,[1] with one third of the council up for election, alongside extra vacancies in the City, Halton and Woodhouse wards.[2]

Much like the national picture, with Labour winning record representation on borough councils,[1] Labour outstripped their prior efforts, defending all of their 1954 gains as well as gaining in Beeston and Harehills – two wards they failed to win in their peak of 1952, despite accruing only a modest swing of 1.2% swing[3] (although they had come within a vote to taking the former the previous year). Unlike 1952 or the year before, Labour failed to gain Wortley this time, as the Liberal damage to the Conservative vote was unwound.[2] The two gains increased Labour's majority to 28, mirroring the Conservatives' after their triumphant 1951 election. Turnout rose to 36.2% following last year's plummet to the low thirties.[2][3]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1957
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 21 2 0 +2 67.7 50.2 64,454 +2.0
  Conservative 10 0 2 -2 32.2 46.4 59,508 -1.0
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.1 4,019 -0.6
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.3 374 -0.3

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 51 17 53 17
Conservatives 33 11 31 11
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  18    6   22    6 
 24   28 

Ward results

Allerton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B. Lyons 5,091 86.6 +0.8
Labour J. Klineberg 787 13.4 -0.8
Majority 4,304 73.2 +1.6
Turnout 5,878
Conservative hold Swing +0.8
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Lee 2,621 56.7 +0.9
Conservative J. Broomfield 2,002 43.3 -0.9
Majority 619 13.4 +1.8
Turnout 4,623
Labour hold Swing +0.9
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Tallant 3,688 47.2 -2.8
Conservative J. Farrell 3,363 43.0 -7.0
Liberal H. Passmore 764 9.8 +9.8
Majority 325 4.2 +4.2
Turnout 7,815
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.1
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Lake 2,268 67.6 +7.2
Conservative W. McClellan 1,085 32.4 -7.2
Majority 1,183 35.3 +14.4
Turnout 3,353
Labour hold Swing +7.2
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Rhodes 3,285 54.4 +5.9
Conservative B. Pearce 1,938 32.1 -4.1
Liberal J. Walker 811 13.4 -1.8
Majority 1,347 22.3 +10.0
Turnout 6,034
Labour hold Swing +5.0
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Watson 2,414 70.7 +4.4
Conservative S. Hick 1,002 29.3 -4.4
Majority 1,412 41.3 +8.7
Turnout 3,416
Labour hold Swing +4.4
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Stoner 1,846 64.9 +0.3
Labour Bernard Atha 1,745
Conservative J. Butterfield 999 35.1 -0.3
Conservative K. Wigin 992
Majority 746 29.8 +0.6
Turnout 2,845
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +0.3
Cross Gates[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Jackson 3,188 61.9 -1.4
Conservative H. Williams 1,964 38.1 +1.4
Majority 1,224 23.8 -2.8
Turnout 5,152
Labour hold Swing -1.4
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Naylor 2,498 75.3 +1.8
Conservative B. Watson 820 24.7 -1.8
Majority 1,678 50.6 +3.5
Turnout 3,318
Labour hold Swing +1.8
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Rostron 4,145 74.8 -4.5
Labour G. Brogden 1,399 25.2 +4.5
Majority 2,746 49.5 -9.0
Turnout 5,544
Conservative hold Swing -4.5
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Brooksbank 3,958 77.2 +0.5
Conservative J. Dougray 3,768
Labour J. Marshall 1,172 22.8 -0.5
Labour A. Grange 1,135
Majority 2,596 54.3 +1.0
Turnout 5,130
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Sedler 2,825 50.5 +2.9
Conservative N. Kay 2,770 49.5 -2.9
Majority 55 1.0 -3.9
Turnout 5,595
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.9
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Smith 2,344 61.0 +0.0
Conservative K. Orton 835 21.7 +0.6
Liberal John Brian Meeks 661 17.2 -0.5
Majority 1,509 39.3 -0.6
Turnout 3,840
Labour hold Swing -0.3
Hunslet Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Booth 2,708 80.4 -11.7
Conservative J. Judge 544 16.2 +16.2
Communist E. Moore 116 3.4 -4.5
Majority 2,164 64.3 -19.8
Turnout 3,368
Labour hold Swing -13.9
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Davison 2,828 60.3 -7.9
Labour E. Coward 1,865 39.7 +7.9
Majority 963 20.5 -15.7
Turnout 4,693
Conservative hold Swing -7.9
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Happold 3,171 60.9 -0.1
Conservative E. Lodge 2,032 39.1 +0.1
Majority 1,139 21.9 -0.2
Turnout 5,203
Labour hold Swing -0.1
Meanwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Pedley 3,654 73.9 -1.8
Labour F. Woolhouse 1,291 26.1 +1.8
Majority 2,363 47.8 -3.5
Turnout 4,945
Conservative hold Swing -1.8
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Brown 2,429 83.2 -2.2
Conservative F. Stubley 491 16.8 +2.2
Majority 1,938 66.4 -4.4
Turnout 2,920
Labour hold Swing -2.2
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Bolton 4,306 74.2 -3.4
Labour L. Steele 1,496 25.8 +3.4
Majority 2,810 48.4 -6.9
Turnout 5,802
Conservative hold Swing -3.4
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Douglas Gabb 2,710 77.1 +1.8
Conservative L. Ideson 807 22.9 -1.8
Majority 1,903 54.1 +3.5
Turnout 3,517
Labour hold Swing +1.8
Pottemewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Bradley 2,044 60.4 -0.5
Labour V. Zermansky 1,341 39.6 +5.6
Majority 703 20.8 -6.1
Turnout 3,385
Conservative hold Swing -3.0
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Rooney 1,825 77.0 +0.3
Conservative J. Ashworth 544 23.0 -0.3
Majority 1,281 54.1 +0.6
Turnout 2,369
Labour hold Swing +0.3
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G. Monkman 3,927 67.8 -3.0
Labour D. Yelland 1,867 32.2 +3.0
Majority 2,060 35.6 -5.9
Turnout 5,794
Conservative hold Swing -3.0
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Spence 2,646 50.3 +0.9
Conservative A. Vickers 1,644 31.2 +0.5
Liberal J. Grimshaw 972 18.5 -1.4
Majority 1,002 19.0 +0.3
Turnout 5,262
Labour hold Swing +0.2
Wellington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Aimee Tong 2,413 90.3 +13.6
Communist G. Hodgson 258 9.7 +4.8
Majority 2,155 80.7 +22.4
Turnout 2,671
Labour hold Swing +4.4
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Wiseman 2,639 56.0 +2.4
Conservative M. Sexton 1,735 36.8 +0.0
Liberal George Petch 337 7.2 -2.4
Majority 904 19.2 +2.5
Turnout 4,711
Labour hold Swing +1.2
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Ellis 2,754 60.3 +10.7
Labour P. Taylor 2,583
Conservative A. Chadwick 1,813 39.7 -5.4
Conservative L. Francis 1,787
Majority 941 20.6 +16.1
Turnout 4,567
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +8.0
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bertrand Mather 3,167 47.9 +4.7
Labour E. Morris 2,964 44.9 +1.1
Liberal Walter Holdsworth 474 7.2 -5.8
Majority 203 3.1 +2.5
Turnout 6,605
Conservative hold Swing +1.8

References

  1. ^ a b "Laborites Win Locally". The New York Times. 10 May 1957. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  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 "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 10 May 1957.
  3. ^ a b c Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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