1978 Leeds City Council election

1978 UK local government election November 2019 July 2026 Elections to Leeds City Council were held on 4 May 1978, with one third of the council up for election, as well as an extra vacancy in Wetherby. Prior to the election, the Hunslet East and West incumbent, Dennis Peddar, had defected from the Liberals to Independent, and fought this election as such. The election seen a returning swing to Labour, although gains and losses were spread fairly equitably, with Labour narrowly gaining from the Conservatives in Wortley and comfortably from the Independent in Hunslet East and West, but losing Burmantofts and Richmond Hill to the Liberals. The Conservative gain from the Liberals in Pudsey South left the two parties' totals unchanged. This resulted in the Conservatives retaining control of the council, with an unaltered majority of four.District results: Leeds The Yorkshire Post 5 May 1978 Election result Leeds local election result 1978 Conservative Party (UK) 15 1 1 0 45.4 43.8 86,707 -4.3% Labour Party (UK) 15 2 1 1 45.4 40.5 80,070 +6.6% Liberal Party (UK) 3 1 1 0 9.1 12.2 24,057 -3.2% Ecology Party 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.2 2,422 +1.1% National Front (UK) 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.1 2,185 +0.2% Independent (politician) 0 0 1 -1 0.0 0.7 1,425 +0.6% Communist Party of Great Britain 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.5 913 +0.1% This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections: PartyPrevious councilNew council Conservatives 50 50 Labour 38 39 Liberals 7 7 Independent 1 0 Total 96 96 Working majority #FFBF00 4 darkgray #FFBF00 4 darkgray Ward results Aireborough Conservative Party (UK) W. Hudson 5,202 56.6 +0.2 Labour Party (UK) M. Dunn 2,429 26.4 -0.4 Liberal Party (UK) J. Brown 1,556 16.9 +0.1 2,773 30.2 +0.6 9,187 Conservative Party (UK) +0.3 Armley and Castleton Liberal Party (UK) M. Meadowcroft 3,007 45.0 +4.5 Labour Party (UK) C. Buttery 2,122 31.8 -1.3 Conservative Party (UK) C. Mathers 1,339 20.0 -1.6 National Front (UK) M. Spink 87 1.3 +0.5 Ecology Party J. Garrett 74 1.1 +1.1 Communist Party of Great Britain J. Hodgson 54 0.8 -0.2 885 13.2 +5.8 6,683 Liberal Party (UK) +2.9 Beeston and Holbeck Labour Party (UK) A. Beevers 4,409 61.7 +11.6 Conservative Party (UK) E. Lucas 2,574 36.0 -3.3 National Front (UK) E. Thomas 161 2.3 +2.3 1,835 25.7 +14.8 7,144 Labour Party (UK) +7.4 Bramley Labour Party (UK) E. Atkinson 2,764 53.9 +2.6 Conservative Party (UK) W. Broadbent 1,339 26.1 -9.2 Liberal Party (UK) D. Selby 910 17.8 +4.5 National Front (UK) S. Smith 60 1.2 +1.2 Communist Party of Great Britain J. Light 52 1.0 +1.0 1,425 27.8 +11.8 5,125 Labour Party (UK) +5.9 Burley Labour Party (UK) L. Cohen 1,811 54.2 +14.5 Conservative Party (UK) A. Sexton 1,307 39.1 -12.5 Ecology Party K. Baxter 133 4.0 +4.0 Communist Party of Great Britain B. Jackson 57 1.7 -0.8 National Front (UK) C. Whitehead 36 1.1 -0.2 504 15.1 +3.2 3,344 Labour Party (UK) +13.5 Burmantofts and Richmond Hill Liberal Party (UK) M. Clay 3,901 50.5 +16.1 Labour Party (UK) Michael McGowan 2,729 35.3 -4.0 Conservative Party (UK) R. Simpson 897 11.6 -7.5 National Front (UK) S. Rigby 119 1.5 -1.1 Communist Party of Great Britain M. Monkman 84 1.1 -0.5 1,172 15.2 +10.2 7,730 Liberal Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) +10.0 Chapel Allerton and Scott Hall Conservative Party (UK) P. Sparling 4,039 51.6 -11.5 Labour Party (UK) J. Kerwin-Davey 2,984 38.1 +10.3 Liberal Party (UK) D. Thorpe 495 6.3 -2.8 National Front (UK) P. Jackson 148 1.9 +1.9 Communist Party of Great Britain L. Willoughby 108 1.4 +1.4 Ecology Party T. Bernstein 54 0.7 +0.7 1,055 13.5 -21.8 7,828 Conservative Party (UK) -10.9 City and Woodhouse Labour Party (UK) W. Merritt 2,644 64.3 +12.1 Conservative Party (UK) C. Hudson 1,093 26.6 -2.7 Liberal Party (UK) A. Ali 177 4.3 -10.4 Communist Party of Great Britain J. Rodgers 130 3.2 -0.7 National Front (UK) A. Rhodes 69 1.7 +1.7 1,551 37.7 +14.8 4,113 Labour Party (UK) +7.4 Cookridge and Weetwood Conservative Party (UK) Ralph David Hall 6,201 64.5 -8.3 Labour Party (UK) John Illingworth 2,091 21.7 +3.3 Liberal Party (UK) David Gazey 1,132 11.8 +2.9 Ecology Party P. Lewenz 197 2.0 +2.0 4,110 42.7 -11.6 9,621 Conservative Party (UK) -5.8 Garforth North and Barwick Conservative Party (UK) B. Rowley 4,487 60.5 -4.0 Labour Party (UK) H. Martin 2,451 33.0 +1.3 Ecology Party D. Corry 483 6.5 +6.5 2,036 27.5 -5.3 7,421 Conservative Party (UK) -2.6 Gipton and Whinmoor Labour Party (UK) R. Dixon 4,265 62.3 +12.4 Conservative Party (UK) W. Buckland 2,363 34.5 -11.2 National Front (UK) B. Spink 137 2.0 -2.4 Communist Party of Great Britain G. Thompson 82 1.2 +1.2 1,902 27.8 +23.6 6,847 Labour Party (UK) +11.8 Halton Conservative Party (UK) M. Dodgson 4,034 70.1 -1.2 Labour Party (UK) D. Brown 1,586 27.6 +1.5 National Front (UK) C. Dewar 134 2.3 -0.3 2,448 42.5 -2.8 5,754 Conservative Party (UK) -1.3 Harehills and Roundhay Conservative Party (UK) P. Crotty 4,139 54.6 -14.4 Labour Party (UK) M. Lyons 2,821 37.2 +10.5 Liberal Party (UK) H. Bevans 396 5.2 +5.2 Ecology Party A. Andrew 118 1.6 +1.6 National Front (UK) C. Dewar 105 1.4 -2.9 1,318 17.4 -24.9 7,579 Conservative Party (UK) -12.4 Headingley Conservative Party (UK) E. Clark 2,240 45.1 -11.3 Labour Party (UK) E. Whelan 1,645 33.1 +6.9 Liberal Party (UK) D. Rolfe 692 13.9 +0.7 Communist Party of Great Britain B. Cooper 210 4.2 -0.1 Ecology Party K. Rushworth 185 3.7 +3.7 595 12.0 -18.2 4,972 Conservative Party (UK) -9.1 Horsforth Liberal Party (UK) M. Crossfield 3,413 44.1 +11.8 Conservative Party (UK) B. Pickard 3,201 41.4 -9.0 Labour Party (UK) T. Watson 864 11.2 -2.6 Ecology Party D. Darnborough 262 3.4 +3.4 212 2.7 -15.3 7,740 Liberal Party (UK) +10.4 Hunslet East and West Labour Party (UK) G. Driver 3,035 49.9 +6.9 Independent (politician) D. Pedder 1,425 23.4 +23.4 Liberal Party (UK) J. Finnigan 795 13.1 -31.3 Conservative Party (UK) R. Tetley 670 11.0 +2.4 National Front (UK) N. Griffiths 462 2.7 -0.6 1,610 26.4 +24.9 6,087 Labour Party (UK) Independent (politician) -8.2 Kippax and Swillington Labour Party (UK) K. Smith 3,219 59.0 +5.4 Conservative Party (UK) B. King 2,234 41.0 -0.8 985 18.0 +6.2 5,453 Labour Party (UK) +3.1 Kirkstall Labour Party (UK) Elizabeth Nash 3,373 56.8 +6.0 Conservative Party (UK) T. Battersby 2,327 39.2 -5.1 Liberal Party (UK) Laurence Keates 239 4.0 +4.0 1,046 17.6 +11.1 5,939 Labour Party (UK) +5.5 Middleton Labour Party (UK) J. Taylor 3,156 77.4 +17.6 Conservative Party (UK) N. Landers 789 19.3 -6.0 Communist Party of Great Britain R. Ward 82 2.0 -0.4 National Front (UK) R. Buck 52 1.3 +1.3 2,367 58.0 +23.6 4,079 Labour Party (UK) +11.8 Moortown Conservative Party (UK) A. Redmond 2,926 62.9 -2.6 Labour Party (UK) I. Levy 1,567 33.7 +11.5 Ecology Party S. Waldenberg 160 3.4 -0.3 1,359 29.2 -14.1 4,653 Conservative Party (UK) -7.0 Morley North Conservative Party (UK) B. Barker 3,209 50.7 +0.1 Labour Party (UK) B. North 3,119 49.3 +21.3 90 1.4 -21.3 6,328 Conservative Party (UK) -10.6 Morley South Labour Party (UK) B. Haydn 3,310 62.3 +12.4 Conservative Party (UK) C. Rover 1,999 37.7 -12.4 1,311 24.7 +24.5 5,309 Labour Party (UK) +12.4 Osmondthorpe Labour Party (UK) D. Gabb 2,399 66.7 +11.7 Conservative Party (UK) D. Zucker 1,087 30.2 -5.1 National Front (UK) L. Fella 113 3.1 -2.1 1,312 36.5 +16.9 3,599 Labour Party (UK) +8.4 Otley and Wharfedale Conservative Party (UK) F. Atkinson 3,937 50.1 +5.6 Liberal Party (UK) J. Spencer 2,910 37.0 -7.1 Labour Party (UK) I. Swain 960 12.2 +1.4 Communist Party of Great Britain A. Oddy 54 0.7 +0.0 1,027 13.1 +12.8 7,861 Conservative Party (UK) +6.3 Pudsey North Conservative Party (UK) A. Carter 3,724 59.2 +13.7 Labour Party (UK) P. Burrill 1,756 27.9 +4.9 Liberal Party (UK) S. Hollingworth 812 12.9 -18.5 1,968 31.3 +17.2 6,292 Conservative Party (UK) +4.4 Pudsey South Conservative Party (UK) L. Fletcher 2,475 43.0 -2.3 Liberal Party (UK) G. Wilson 2,065 35.9 +5.3 Labour Party (UK) W. Thurlow 1,211 21.1 -3.0 410 7.1 -7.6 5,751 Conservative Party (UK) Liberal Party (UK) -3.8 Rothwell Labour Party (UK) R. Lund 4,939 62.4 +18.3 Conservative Party (UK) R. Harvey 2,781 35.1 +6.5 National Front (UK) J. Duckenfield 194 2.5 +2.5 2,158 27.3 +11.8 7,914 Labour Party (UK) Seacroft Labour Party (UK) I. Adams 3,303 70.4 +12.7 Conservative Party (UK) D. Townsley 1,256 26.8 -10.4 National Front (UK) C. Cannon 135 2.9 -0.4 2,047 43.6 +23.1 4,694 Labour Party (UK) +11.5 Stanningley Labour Party (UK) A. Miller 2,699 60.2 +8.2 Conservative Party (UK) I. Benton 1,392 31.1 -4.0 Liberal Party (UK) F. Upton 316 7.0 -5.9 National Front (UK) M. Gibson 76 1.7 +1.7 1,307 29.1 +12.2 4,483 Labour Party (UK) +6.1 Talbot Conservative Party (UK) I. Bellow 3,687 69.4 -2.4 Labour Party (UK) B. Walker 1,061 20.0 +2.7 Liberal Party (UK) M. Phillips 320 6.0 -4.9 Ecology Party S. Parkin 201 3.8 +3.8 National Front (UK) L. Spink 46 0.9 +0.9 2,626 49.4 -5.0 5,315 Conservative Party (UK) -4.0 Wetherby Conservative Party (UK) D. Hudson 5,419 71.5 -3.2 Conservative Party (UK) J. Grange 5,311 Labour Party (UK) J. Taylor 963 12.7 -1.3 Labour Party (UK) M. Moynihan 808 Liberal Party (UK) J. Scott 641 8.5 -2.8 Ecology Party M. Sellers 555 7.3 +7.3 4,456 58.8 -1.8 7,578 Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -0.9 Wortley Labour Party (UK) P. Fathers 2,385 44.5 +3.8 Conservative Party (UK) F. Stubley 2,340 43.7 -3.5 Liberal Party (UK) W. Moss 519 9.7 -2.4 National Front (UK) A. Smith 112 2.1 +2.1 45 0.8 -5.7 5,356 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) +3.6 References 1 expanded Leeds 1978 Category:1970s in Leeds