1965 Leeds City Council election

The municipal elections for Leeds were held on Thursday 13 May 1965,[1] with one third of the council and an extra vacancy in Allerton to be elected.[2]

Building upon the previous year, the Conservatives fully reversed the downward trend they'd been on since 1960. With a whopping 10.2%[3] swing their way, they defeated the Labour Party in a manner not seen since 1951, with Labour's share reduced to the thirties - surpassing even their record low then.

The Conservatives six gains were largely a regaining of Labour's 1963 gains, with the notable exceptions of Beeston, which they already held, and Kirkstall - a first for the ward, which had been monolithically Labour since the boundary changes in 1951.[2]

The Conservatives also recovered Roundhay from Labour who gained it in a by-election in 1963.

Elsewhere, the Liberals continued their decline from the 1962 highs, now at near enough where they were pre-spike. In contrast, the Communists, having steadily raised their candidates in each election since the mid-1950s were now fielding a record of 12, achieving party records in both vote and share. Turnout fell again by just over two percent on last year's figure to 34.5%.[3][4]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1965
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 17 6 0 +6 58.6 56.1 65,041 +11.2%
  Labour 12 0 6 -6 41.4 37.8 43,813 -9.1%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 4.6 5,366 -2.5%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.5 1,741 +0.5%

The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:[4]

Party Previous council New council
Cllr Ald Cllr Ald
Labour 56 19 50 19
Conservatives 28  9 34  9
Total 84 28 84 28
112 112
Working majority  28   10   16   10 
 38   26 

Ward result
Allerton[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Marshall 5,358 78.8 +9.4
Conservative John William Harwood Long 5,174
Labour Gerald Bloom 1,442 21.2 -0.2
Labour Donald Chadwick 1,308
Majority 3,732 57.6 +9.7
Turnout 6,800
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing +4.8
Armley[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joseph Bissell 1,907 52.6 -7.2
Conservative Kevin Anthony Beal 1,717 47.4 +19.0
Majority 190 5.2 -26.2
Turnout 3,624
Labour hold Swing -13.1
Beeston[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Hartley 3,496 58.4 +9.2
Labour Eric Forbes Mill 2,400 40.1 -7.8
Communist Frederick Sidebottom 87 1.5 -1.4
Majority 1,096 18.3 +17.0
Turnout 5,983
Conservative hold Swing +8.5
Blenheim[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Merritt 1,100 59.6 -9.1
Conservative Rolland Derrick Austwick 747 40.4 +9.1
Majority 353 19.1 -18.2
Turnout 1,847
Labour hold Swing -9.1
Bramley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jack Hart 2,973 56.4 +16.9
Labour William Lord 2,297 43.6 -16.9
Majority 676 12.8 -8.3
Turnout 5,270
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +16.9
Burmantofts[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Murray 1,431 56.1 -16.2
Conservative Jessie Margaret (commonly known as Peggy) White 1,120 43.9 +16.2
Majority 311 12.2 -32.3
Turnout 2,551
Labour hold Swing -16.2
City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bernard Peter Atha 724 61.6 -11.7
Conservative Michael Herbert Baker 451 38.4 +11.7
Majority 273 23.2 -23.5
Turnout 1,175
Labour hold Swing -11.7
Cross Gates[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Enid Muriel Coward 3,708 57.7 -7.7
Conservative Sidney Andrew Codd 2,294 35.7 +6.6
Communist Henry Fawcett 421 6.6 +1.1
Majority 1,414 22.0 -14.4
Turnout 6,423
Labour hold Swing -7.1
East Hunslet[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernest Kavanagh 1,017 63.1 -9.2
Conservative Keith Anthony Frederick Grainger 594 36.9 +9.2
Majority 423 26.3 -18.4
Turnout 1,611
Labour hold Swing -9.2
Far Headingley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Edwin Roberts 5,905 67.2 +14.0
Labour Nellie Doreen Jenner 1,649 18.8 -1.4
Liberal Anastasios Christodoulop 1,238 14.1 -12.6
Majority 4,256 48.4 +21.9
Turnout 8,792
Conservative hold Swing +7.7
Halton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hutchings Rhodes 4,879 78.4 +8.9
Labour Doreen Hamilton 1,347 21.6 -8.9
Majority 3,532 56.7 +17.7
Turnout 6,226
Conservative hold Swing +8.9
Harehills[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patrick Crotty 2,720 58.9 +7.5
Labour Howard Howlett 1,639 35.5 -3.5
Liberal Ronald Gibbon Sissons 258 5.6 -4.0
Majority 1,081 23.4 +11.0
Turnout 4,617
Conservative hold Swing +5.5
Holbeck[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gertrude Bray 1,304 55.0 -1.5
Conservative Michael Waddington 905 38.2 +11.7
Communist Joyce McCarthy 160 6.8 +3.6
Majority 399 16.8 -13.2
Turnout 2,369
Labour hold Swing -6.6
Hunslet Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Wilfred Parker 1,311 57.9 -4.9
Conservative Herbert Ernest Lister 852 37.6 +6.0
Communist Leslie Hunter 101 4.5 -1.1
Majority 459 20.3 -10.9
Turnout 2,264
Labour hold Swing -5.4
Hyde Park[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ronald Derek Fielding 2,495 55.9 +6.8
Labour Wilfred Window 1,166 26.1 -12.8
Liberal Deryck ernest Senior 689 15.4 +3.3
Communist Stanley Peter Walker 116 2.6 +2.6
Majority 1,329 29.8 +19.6
Turnout 4,466
Conservative hold Swing +9.8
Kirkstall[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Raymond Kent 2,202 50.4 +16.3
Labour Dennis Burrill Matthews 2,020 46.2 -9.0
Communist Beryl Huffinley 150 3.4 +0.7
Majority 182 4.2 -17.0
Turnout 4,372
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +12.6
Meanwood[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas William Kirkby 3,232 67.6 +9.0
Labour John McPheat 1,049 21.9 -9.2
Liberal Evelyn Mary Briggs 500 10.5 +0.2
Majority 2,183 45.7 +18.3
Turnout 4,781
Conservative hold Swing +9.1
Middleton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour St. John Binns 1,833 74.7 -6.1
Conservative Frank Stubley 477 19.4 +3.9
Communist Enos Leslie Moore 143 5.8 +2.2
Majority 1,356 55.3 -10.0
Turnout 2,453
Labour hold Swing -5.0
Moortown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Louie Ellen Henson 5,532 71.2 +8.9
Labour Bernard Ingham 1,485 19.1 -7.9
Liberal Kenneth Roy Dunn 561 7.2 -3.5
Communist Philip Boyes 190 2.4 +2.4
Majority 4,047 52.1 +16.8
Turnout 7,768
Conservative hold Swing +8.4
Osmondthorpe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John (aka Jack) Pritchard 1,322 65.3 -13.0
Conservative Ethel Megan Lewis 704 34.7 +13.0
Majority 618 30.5 -26.0
Turnout 2,026
Labour hold Swing -13.0
Pottenewton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Irwin Norman Bellow 2,270 56.2 +8.8
Labour Joyce Brenda Gould 1,267 31.4 -11.7
Liberal Sydney Herbert Bexan 427 10.6 +3.3
Communist Raymond Ramsden 73 1.8 -0.4
Majority 1,003 24.8 +20.5
Turnout 4,037
Conservative hold Swing +10.2
Richmond Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Cain 1,463 69.6 -13.9
Conservative Alfred Patrick Sexton 519 24.7 +12.2
Communist Eric Burwin 121 5.8 +1.7
Majority 944 44.9 -26.1
Turnout 2,103
Labour hold Swing -13.0
Roundhay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Commander Johnson 5,144 77.4 +9.2
Labour Douglas Thomas 1,503 22.6 -9.2
Majority 3,641 54.8 +18.4
Turnout 6,647
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.2
Stanningley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alfred Matthew Vickers 2,052 45.1 +11.0
Labour John Henry Marshall 1,701 37.4 -10.9
Liberal Dennis Pedder 793 17.4 -0.1
Majority 351 7.7 -6.4
Turnout 4,546
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +10.9
Wellington[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Herbert Underwood 997 58.4 -10.9
Conservative Elizabeth Anne Farrar 356 20.8 +3.9
Liberal Ernest Howson 272 15.9 +5.7
Communist Marion Rogers 83 4.9 +1.3
Majority 641 37.5 -14.8
Turnout 1,708
Labour hold Swing -7.4
Westfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative May Sexton 1,413 56.6 +8.3
Labour Stanley Cohen 1,083 43.4 -8.3
Majority 330 13.2 +9.8
Turnout 2,496
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.3
Woodhouse[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Chadwick Green 1,441 51.7 +12.5
Labour Harold Bretherick 1,252 44.9 -13.3
Communist Arthur Dale 96 3.4 +0.7
Majority 189 6.8 -12.2
Turnout 2,789
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +12.9
Wortley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Emmett 3,193 51.4 +8.8
Labour Joseph Stephenson 2,396 38.5 -9.8
Liberal Walter Holdsworth 628 10.1 +1.0
Majority 797 12.8 +7.0
Turnout 6,217
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.3

[5]

References
  1. "The News of the Week in Review: Two Crises". The New York Times. 16 May 1965. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  2. "Municipal results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 14 May 1965.
  3. Sharpe, L.J. (1967). Voting in cities: the 1964 borough elections.
  4. Whitaker, Joseph (1965). Whitaker's Almanack 1965.
  5. "Leeds City Year Book". Leeds City Council. 1965.
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