The 1962 Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 10 May 1962,[1] with one third of the council to be elected.[2]

Both Labour and Conservative took hits to their vote (although falling more at the Conservative's expense meant a 1.7% swing to Labour[3]) as the Liberals received record support, more than doubling contemporary results to surpass the 10,000 marker in votes and obtaining a double-figure vote share for the first time.[2] Unable to add to the gains they were making across England and Wales that night,[1] they won second-place in the majority of the ten wards they fought - although most looked unlikely to pay much dividend, simply pipping Labour to distant second-place in safe-Conservative seats. The closest races - offering some prospect of success for them - were found in Far Headingley where they managed a swing of just under 11% to wipe away two-thirds of the Tory majority, and achieving an even larger swing of 14% to turn Stanningley into a Labour-held three-way marginal.[2]

The Liberals weren't alone in fielding their greatest number of candidates, as the Communists matched their 1950 record of seven candidates, surpassing one percent for the first time (beyond 1950). Despite these advances, the only change was to be found in the Conservative-Labour battleground of Wortley, with Labour gaining the seat by a mere three votes.[2] Turnout fell modestly to 33.9% on the previous year.[3]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1962
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 18 1 0 +1 64.3 43.9 51,574 -1.4
  Conservative 10 0 1 -1 35.7 43.7 51,392 -4.8
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 11.3 13,237 +6.2
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.1 1,256 +0.2

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 47 16 48 16
Conservatives 37 12 36 12
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  10    4   12    4 
 14   16 

Ward results

Allerton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Marshall 3,702 63.8 -8.3
Liberal Julius Blum 1,246 21.5 +7.5
Labour A. Baum 856 14.7 +0.8
Majority 2,456 42.3 -15.8
Turnout 5,804
Conservative hold Swing -7.9
Armley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Bissell 2,330 60.3 +6.9
Conservative R. Beal 1,537 39.7 -3.0
Majority 793 20.5 +9.9
Turnout 3,867
Labour hold Swing +4.9
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A. Hartley 3,162 51.2 -2.1
Labour J. Prichard 3,017 48.8 +2.1
Majority 145 2.3 -4.3
Turnout 6,179
Conservative hold Swing -2.1
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Merritt 1,613 71.2 +11.0
Conservative J. Cumberland 651 28.8 -11.0
Majority 962 42.5 +22.1
Turnout 2,264
Labour hold Swing +11.0
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Lord 2,801 53.7 +1.0
Conservative H. Pickering 2,418 46.3 -1.0
Majority 383 7.3 +2.0
Turnout 5,219
Labour hold Swing +1.0
Burmantofts[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Murray 2,069 74.1 +1.0
Conservative M. Bauchop 725 25.9 -1.0
Majority 1,344 48.1 +2.0
Turnout 2,794
Labour hold Swing +1.0
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bernard Atha 1,280 71.5 +9.9
Conservative D. Mowbray 511 28.5 -9.9
Majority 769 42.9 +19.8
Turnout 1,791
Labour hold Swing +9.9
Cross Gates[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Coward 3,037 59.6 +1.2
Conservative F. West 1,763 34.6 -1.4
Communist B. Wilson 295 5.8 +0.3
Majority 1,274 25.0 +2.6
Turnout 5,095
Labour hold Swing +1.3
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Kavanagh 1,712 63.1 -10.5
Conservative J. Birch 548 20.2 -6.1
Liberal E. Pemberton 452 16.7 +16.7
Majority 1,164 42.9 -4.4
Turnout 2,712
Labour hold Swing -2.2
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G. Dovenor 3,937 47.6 -10.7
Liberal John Humphrey Morrish 3,166 38.2 +10.9
Labour J. Moynihan 1,175 14.2 -0.2
Majority 771 9.3 -21.6
Turnout 8,278
Conservative hold Swing -10.8
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Shires 3,883 63.3 -2.4
Labour A. Kirk 1,151 18.8 +0.7
Liberal E. Vasey 1,098 17.9 +1.7
Majority 2,785 44.6 -3.0
Turnout 6,132
Conservative hold Swing -1.5
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patrick Crotty 2,615 61.2 -0.1
Labour G. Bloom 1,660 38.8 +0.1
Majority 955 22.3 -0.3
Turnout 4,275
Conservative hold Swing -0.1
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Bray 1,754 68.4 +11.1
Conservative J. Robinson 810 31.6 +4.0
Majority 944 36.8 +7.0
Turnout 2,564
Labour hold Swing +3.5
Hunslet Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Parker 1,810 65.9 -1.2
Conservative R. Austwick 729 26.5 +4.7
Communist L. Hunter 209 7.6 +7.6
Majority 1,081 39.3 -6.0
Turnout 2,748
Labour hold Swing -2.9
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Fielding 2,038 61.2 -2.4
Labour L. Steele 1,293 38.8 +2.4
Majority 745 22.4 -4.8
Turnout 3,331
Conservative hold Swing -2.4
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Matthews 2,808 52.1 -2.3
Conservative F. Lucas 1,581 29.4 -16.2
Liberal D. Whittaker 996 18.5 +18.5
Majority 1,227 22.8 +14.0
Turnout 5,385
Labour hold Swing +6.9
Meanwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative T. Kirkby 2,733 53.9 -22.2
Liberal Graham Rowlands 1,315 25.9 +25.9
Labour J. Taylor 1,023 20.2 -3.7
Majority 1,418 28.0 -24.2
Turnout 5,071
Conservative hold Swing -24.0
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Binns 2,251 76.5 +3.2
Conservative D. Lodge 535 18.2 -2.7
Communist R. Wilkinson 157 5.3 -0.5
Majority 1,716 58.3 +5.9
Turnout 2,943
Labour hold Swing +2.9
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Henson 3,703 62.5 -13.1
Liberal G. Statman 1,170 19.8 +19.8
Labour K. Lloyd 1,050 17.7 -6.7
Majority 2,533 42.8 -8.4
Turnout 5,923
Conservative hold Swing -16.4
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Walsh 2,384 74.8 +1.5
Conservative A. Bell 802 25.2 -1.5
Majority 1,582 49.7 +3.0
Turnout 3,186
Labour hold Swing +1.5
Pottemewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Lyons 1,785 52.5 -6.0
Labour Kevin Gould 859 25.3 +0.2
Liberal T. Longhorn 652 19.2 +6.1
Communist H. Fawcett 103 3.0 -0.4
Majority 926 27.2 -6.2
Turnout 3,399
Conservative hold Swing -3.1
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Cain 1,897 77.3 +1.1
Conservative A. Booth 424 17.3 -2.2
Communist E. Burwin 132 5.4 +1.2
Majority 1,473 60.0 +3.3
Turnout 2,453
Labour hold Swing +1.6
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Codd 2,949 57.0 -18.6
Liberal A. Clarke 1,355 26.2 +26.2
Labour D. Thomas 869 16.8 -7.6
Majority 1,594 30.8 -20.4
Turnout 5,173
Conservative hold Swing -22.4
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Marshall 2,079 38.5 -10.3
Liberal Dennis Pedder 1,787 33.1 +17.7
Conservative A. Rakuson 1,540 28.5 -7.4
Majority 292 5.4 -7.5
Turnout 5,406
Labour hold Swing -14.0
Wellington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Underwood 2,018 75.8 +1.2
Conservative A. Stephen 440 16.5 -2.4
Communist G. Hodgson 206 7.7 +1.2
Majority 1,578 59.2 +3.6
Turnout 2,664
Labour hold Swing +1.8
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Cohen 1,824 57.2 +8.2
Conservative A. Sexton 1,364 42.8 +6.6
Majority 460 14.4 +1.6
Turnout 3,188
Labour hold Swing +0.8
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Bretherick 2,064 53.8 +2.3
Conservative P. Greene 1,620 42.2 -2.7
Communist E. Meth 154 4.0 +0.5
Majority 444 11.6 +5.0
Turnout 3,838
Labour hold Swing +2.5
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Stephenson 2,890 50.0 +2.4
Conservative F. Stubley 2,887 50.0 -2.4
Majority 3 0.1 -4.7
Turnout 5,777
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.4

References

  1. ^ a b "Macmillan Party Set Back at Polls". The New York Times. 11 May 1962. Retrieved 18 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 af "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 11 May 1962.
  3. ^ a b c Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
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