1982 Leeds City Council election

Elections to Leeds City Council were held on Thursday, 6 May 1982, with one-third of the council to be elected. As well as that, there was a vacancy to fill after the defection of Whinmoor incumbent Edward Hewitt to the newly formed Alliance between the Liberal Party and the Labour-breakaway Social Democratic Party in February, following his colleague and Headingley councillor, Ernest Millet, who had also defected to the SDP two months prior.[1]

Map of the results for the 1982 Leeds council election.

The first election featuring the Alliance seen their support increase by a third upon the previous election, mostly at the expense of the Labour vote, but also helped by the comparative absence of minor parties this election. The Alliance surge resulted in Leeds first three-way race for the popular vote, with the Conservatives pipping Labour by less than 3,000 votes.[1]

The large swings from Labour to Alliance produced gains in Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, as well as allowing Conservative gains in Barwick & Kippax, Garforth & Swillington, Morley North and Pudsey South. There was also an Alliance gain from the Conservatives in the already marginal Horsforth, but with the Ecologist absence playing a bigger role there. Despite the inferior vote and near-halving of their majority by six losses, Labour still won a plurality of the seats fought, and gained back the Headingley and Whinmoor seats they'd lost through defections.[1]

Election result
Leeds Local Election Result 1982
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 16 2 6 -4 47.1 34.4 69,222 -9.3%
  Conservative 13 4 1 +3 38.2 35.8 72,113 +1.4%
  Alliance 5 3 2 +1 14.7 29.4 59,161 +11.4%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 475 -0.4%
  Ecology 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 284 -2.6%

This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Labour 60 56
Conservatives 29 32
Alliance 10 11
Total 99 99
Working majority  21   13 

Ward results
Aireborough[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative T. Hawkins 3,530 42.1 +1.6
Alliance (Liberal) G. McCabe 3,062 36.6 +6.5
Labour P. Booth 1,783 21.3 -5.0
Majority 468 5.6 -4.9
Turnout 8,375
Conservative hold Swing -2.4
Armley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) M. Roberts 2,531 46.5 -5.1
Labour A. Gunter 1,600 29.4 -2.0
Conservative H. Hinchliffe 1,260 23.1 +7.2
Communist J. Light 53 1.0 -0.1
Majority 931 17.1 -3.1
Turnout 5,444
Alliance hold Swing -1.5
Barwick & Kippax[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B. Rowley 2,797 42.7 +5.9
Labour K. Smith 2,581 39.4 -11.6
Alliance (SDP) D. Howard 1,175 17.9 +11.8
Majority 216 3.3 -10.9
Turnout 6,553
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.7
Beeston[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGowan 2,297 46.3 -4.0
Conservative W. Birch 1,585 32.0 +4.3
Alliance (SDP) L. Shaffner 1,074 21.7 +2.1
Majority 712 14.4 -8.3
Turnout 4,956
Labour hold Swing -4.1
Bramley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Atkinson 2,545 45.5 -19.2
Alliance (Liberal) A. Ballentyne 2,017 36.1 +22.7
Conservative F. Stubley 1,028 18.4 -3.5
Majority 528 9.4 -33.5
Turnout 5,590
Labour hold Swing -20.9
Burmantofts[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) M. Clay 3,235 53.1 +14.3
Labour R. Sedler 2,135 35.1 -12.3
Conservative V. Dodgson 666 10.9 +0.3
Communist M. Monkman 54 0.9 -2.3
Majority 1,100 18.1 +9.5
Turnout 6,090
Alliance gain from Labour Swing +13.3
Chapel Allerton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Taggart 3,307 55.5 +4.2
Conservative M. Sexton 1,609 27.0 -6.9
Alliance (Liberal) C. Smith 1,041 17.5 +8.8
Majority 1,698 28.5 +11.1
Turnout 5,957
Labour hold Swing +5.5
City & Holbeck[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C. Myers 3,022 61.7 -6.1
Alliance (Liberal) S. Gillen 1,101 22.5 +2.5
Conservative D. Tomlinson 778 15.9 +3.6
Majority 1,921 39.2 -8.6
Turnout 4,901
Labour hold Swing -4.3
Cookridge[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Carter 3,869 55.9 -2.8
Alliance (SDP) J. Johnson 2,152 31.1 +16.3
Labour U. Wadsworth 897 13.0 -8.9
Majority 1,717 24.8 -12.1
Turnout 6,918
Conservative hold Swing -9.5
Garforth & Swillington[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Schofield 2,895 40.5 +2.2
Labour E. Smith 2,473 34.6 -16.7
Alliance (SDP) P. Wilson 1,777 24.9 +17.7
Majority 422 5.9 -7.1
Turnout 7,145
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.4
Halton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Wood 3,578 55.9 -3.4
Alliance (SDP) J. Ratcliffe 1,675 26.2 +19.3
Labour P. McGreevy 1,151 18.0 -15.9
Majority 1,903 29.7 +4.4
Turnout 6,404
Conservative hold Swing -11.3
Harehills[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Briggs 3,083 60.2 -3.3
Conservative F. Brownbridge 1,306 25.5 -2.4
Alliance (Liberal) T. Bland 736 14.4 +5.7
Majority 1,777 34.7 -0.9
Turnout 5,125
Labour hold Swing -0.4
Headingley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Truswell 2,775 45.8 +4.0
Conservative M. Castle 1,853 30.6 +0.1
Alliance (SDP) E. Millet 1,291 21.3 +10.9
Communist B. Cooper 142 2.3 -2.8
Majority 922 15.2 +3.9
Turnout 6,061
Labour gain from Alliance Swing +1.9
Horsforth[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) J. Cummins 3,469 45.6 +2.0
Conservative V. Stevens 3,335 43.8 +3.8
Labour J. Monksfield 803 10.6 -0.5
Majority 134 1.8 -1.8
Turnout 7,607
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing -0.9
Hunslet[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Trevor Park 2,823 73.6 -10.8
Alliance (SDP) G. Fox 657 17.1 +8.3
Conservative J. Sibbald 354 9.2 +2.5
Majority 2,166 56.5 -19.1
Turnout 3,834
Labour hold Swing -9.5
Kirkstall[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bernard Atha 3,266 55.8 -7.1
Conservative A. Walkington 1,738 29.7 +3.1
Alliance (Liberal) J. Ackrill 769 13.1 +6.7
Communist B. Jackson 83 1.4 -0.8
Majority 1,528 26.1 -10.2
Turnout 5,856
Labour hold Swing -5.1
Middleton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour I. Walters 2,287 64.0 -9.5
Alliance (Liberal) D. Hart 662 18.5 +8.4
Conservative A. Larvin 623 17.4 +4.2
Majority 1,625 45.5 -14.8
Turnout 3,572
Labour hold Swing -8.9
Moortown[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Symmonds 3,198 49.4 -3.5
Alliance (SDP) M. Harris 2,333 36.1 +22.5
Labour D. Barker 938 14.5 -13.0
Majority 865 13.4 -12.0
Turnout 6,469
Conservative hold Swing -13.0
Morley North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Verity 2,748 41.2 +3.6
Labour N. Hirst 2,334 35.0 -13.5
Alliance (SDP) H. Smith 1,594 23.9 +15.0
Majority 414 6.2 -4.7
Turnout 6,676
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.5
Morley South[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K. Burnley 3,176 51.2 -14.9
Alliance (SDP) E. Hewitt 1,521 24.5 +24.5
Conservative J. Sturgeon 1,508 24.3 -3.6
Majority 1,655 26.7 -11.5
Turnout 6,205
Labour hold Swing -19.7
North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative K. Sibbald 3,430 57.5 -0.1
Alliance (SDP) J. Midgley 1,833 30.7 +21.5
Labour B. Payne 706 11.8 -14.4
Majority 1,597 26.8 -4.5
Turnout 5,969
Conservative hold Swing -10.8
Otley & Wharfedale[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) C. Campbell 4,271 47.4 +0.0
Conservative E. Davies 3,650 40.5 +2.8
Labour P. Ward 800 8.9 -1.0
Ecology A. Laurence 284 3.2 -1.8
Majority 621 6.9 -2.8
Turnout 9,005
Alliance hold Swing -1.4
Pudsey North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Bashall 3,386 44.6 -0.6
Labour N. Rhodes 2,140 28.2 -9.4
Alliance (SDP) J. Fothergill 2,070 27.3 +9.9
Majority 1,246 16.4 +8.8
Turnout 7,596
Conservative hold Swing +4.4
Pudsey South[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Mortimer 2,182 34.6 -5.2
Labour D. Brown 2,141 33.9 -4.0
Alliance (Liberal) R. Keighley 1,991 31.5 +9.2
Majority 41 0.6 -1.2
Turnout 6,314
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -0.6
Richmond Hill[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) S. Sadler 3,401 55.3 +33.6
Labour W. Prichard 2,222 36.1 -29.8
Conservative G. Bullock 529 8.6 -3.8
Majority 1,179 19.2 -25.1
Turnout 6,152
Alliance gain from Labour Swing +31.7
Rothwell[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Hudson 2,811 48.4 -9.8
Conservative D. Boynton 1,485 25.6 -0.6
Alliance (SDP) P. Burton 1,453 25.0 +15.9
Communist R. Horsbrough 56 1.0 -1.5
Majority 1,326 22.8 -9.3
Turnout 5,805
Labour hold Swing -4.6
Roundhay[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. White 4,407 60.0 -1.7
Alliance (Liberal) L. Thackray 1,949 26.6 +12.4
Labour E. McGee 984 13.4 -6.1
Majority 2,458 33.5 -8.7
Turnout 7,340
Conservative hold Swing -7.0
Seacroft[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Vollans 2,848 62.8 -15.7
Conservative J. Higham 855 18.9 +3.7
Alliance (SDP) T. Ayres 831 18.3 +14.1
Majority 1,993 44.0 -19.3
Turnout 4,534
Labour hold Swing -9.7
University[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Jenner 2,698 62.9 +0.7
Alliance (Liberal) N. Flood 814 19.0 +5.8
Conservative H. Woodhead 693 16.1 -0.9
Communist J. Rodgers 87 2.0 -1.8
Majority 1,884 43.9 -1.3
Turnout 4,292
Labour hold Swing -2.5
Weetwood[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Hamilton 3,102 46.2 +0.0
Alliance (SDP) S. Browning 1,937 28.9 +11.9
Labour M. Verity 1,671 24.9 -5.1
Majority 1,165 17.4 +1.1
Turnout 6,710
Conservative hold Swing -5.9
Wetherby[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Gray 4,474 68.9 +2.3
Alliance (Liberal) T. Burgess 1,424 21.9 +12.0
Labour P. Adams 591 9.1 -3.8
Majority 3,050 47.0 -6.8
Turnout 6,489
Conservative hold Swing -4.8
Whinmoor[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Platt 1,866 40.2 -14.3
Labour R. Blower 1,843
Conservative M. Beardsall 1,600 34.5 -1.2
Conservative W. Buckland 1,527
Alliance (SDP) P. Davies 1,173 25.3 +15.5
Alliance (SDP) M. Lance 1,072
Majority 243 5.7 -13.1
Turnout 4,639
Labour hold Swing
Labour gain from Alliance Swing -6.5
Wortley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Bedford 2,468 37.0 -8.1
Alliance (Liberal) A. Gilchrist 2,142 32.1 +5.2
Conservative H. Connah 2,062 30.9 +2.9
Majority 326 4.9 -12.2
Turnout 6,672
Labour hold Swing -6.6

References
  1. "District results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 7 May 1982.
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