1972 Leeds City Council election

None November 2019 July 2026 The final Leeds municipal elections were held on 5 May 1972, with a third of the councillors up for re-election. The wide-reaching reforms set out in the Local Government Act 1972 had scheduled the council's abolition to coincide with its replacement by the enlarged successor Leeds metropolitan district on 1 April 1974. Prior to the election, a by-election had resulted in Labour gaining the seat in Castleton from the Liberals.Labour sweeps in with 20 majority in Leeds The Yorkshire Post 6 May 1972 Scan https://archive.today/20130131100930/http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u413/Hullenedge/WYorks72001.jpg here Labour repeated all of the gains of the previous year's gains (in the 1971 Leeds City Council election), with the exceptions of the Castleton and Osmondthorpe seats - both of which they already held; the latter being their solitary gain in the 1969 election. Much like Labour's performance in the 1969 election, the Conservatives halted their decline - at least in vote share (like Labour, their total vote actually fell a further 5,000, setting a new party low). Having won full representation in West Hunslet, the Liberals defended the seat and retained their total of four. Turnout fell to 34.4%, from 37.8% the year before. The reaction from the Labour leader, Albert King, was one of contentment: "This is a satisfactory evening for us, and the gains were more or less in line with what I expected". The Conservatives meanwhile were reported to be relieved, with their leader Frank Marshall commenting that the results were better than expected a couple of months ago, and pointing to a significantly reduced Labour vote in Burley from the year before as a reason for optimism for the future. The sixteen gains for Labour were enough to re-take control of the council from the Conservatives for its last years of existence. Election result Leeds local election result 1972 Labour Party (UK) 21 15 0 +15 70.0 52.6 63,893 -4.3 Conservative Party (UK) 8 0 15 -15 26.7 36.0 43,775 -0.4 Liberal Party (UK) 1 0 0 0 3.3 8.9 10,834 +2.9 Independent (politician) 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.6 1,902 +1.6 Communist Party of Great Britain 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.9 1,057 +0.2 The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections: PartyPrevious councilNew councilCllrAldCllrAld Labour 41 14 56 14 Conservatives 45 16 30 16 Liberals 4 0 4 0 Total 90 30 90 30 120 120 Working majority #FFBF00  0 darkgray #FFBF00 -2 darkgray #FFBF00 22 darkgray #FFBF00  -2 darkgray#FFBF00 -2 darkgray#FFBF00 20 darkgray Ward results Armley Labour Party (UK) J. Dixon 2,478 47.4 -8.8 Conservative Party (UK) C. Mathers 1,369 26.2 -4.8 Liberal Party (UK) R. Meadowcroft 1,325 25.3 +13.2 Communist Party of Great Britain P. Wilton 60 1.1 +0.4 1,109 21.2 -4.0 5,232 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -2.0 Beeston Labour Party (UK) A. Barnard 2,643 52.3 -4.3 Conservative Party (UK) A. Dunn 2,111 41.8 +2.9 Liberal Party (UK) L. Ellis 296 5.9 +1.4 532 10.5 -7.3 5,050 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -3.6 Bramley Labour Party (UK) E. Millett 2,834 65.8 -1.3 Conservative Party (UK) M. Robinson 1,476 34.2 +1.3 1,358 31.6 -2.6 4,310 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -1.3 Burley Labour Party (UK) A. Donohoe 1,791 58.4 -3.1 Conservative Party (UK) D. Ramsden 1,175 38.3 +1.5 Communist Party of Great Britain T. Flynn 102 3.3 +1.5 616 20.1 -4.6 3,068 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -2.3 Burmantofts Labour Party (UK) A. Blower 3,005 72.6 -1.3 Conservative Party (UK) C. Thomas 1,042 25.2 +0.7 Communist Party of Great Britain F. Stockdale 93 2.2 +0.6 1,963 47.4 -2.0 4,140 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -1.0 Castleton Labour Party (UK) K. Dockwray 2,124 53.1 +4.2 Liberal Party (UK) B. Nelson 1,569 39.2 -6.3 Conservative Party (UK) M. Mathews 262 6.6 +2.1 Communist Party of Great Britain K. Robinson 44 1.1 +0.0 555 13.9 +10.5 3,999 Labour Party (UK) +5.2 Chapel Allerton Conservative Party (UK) J. Hunt 2,392 74.7 +3.5 Labour Party (UK) L. Fineberg 638 19.9 +0.6 Liberal Party (UK) O. Braham 174 5.4 -4.2 1,754 54.8 +2.9 3,204 Conservative Party (UK) +1.4 City Labour Party (UK) Doreen Jenner 2,055 82.6 -3.2 Conservative Party (UK) W. Annan 338 13.6 -0.6 Liberal Party (UK) S. Waldenburg 96 3.9 +3.9 1,717 69.0 -2.6 2,489 Labour Party (UK) -1.3 Cookridge Conservative Party (UK) C. Jenkins 2,831 55.0 +5.3 Labour Party (UK) L. Morrison 1,706 33.1 -2.7 Liberal Party (UK) V. Finkle 610 11.9 -2.6 1,125 21.9 +8.0 5,147 Conservative Party (UK) +4.0 East Hunslet Labour Party (UK) G. Bowsley 2,267 65.8 -18.3 Liberal Party (UK) T. Clarkson 979 28.4 +22.0 Conservative Party (UK) B. Cresswell 199 5.8 -3.7 1,288 37.4 -37.2 3,445 Labour Party (UK) -20.1 Gipton Labour Party (UK) Arthur Vollans 2,781 64.1 -0.3 Conservative Party (UK) M. Suttenstall 1,271 29.3 -3.1 Liberal Party (UK) K. Pedder 188 4.3 +2.4 Communist Party of Great Britain J. Bellamy 97 2.2 +0.9 1,510 34.8 +2.8 4,337 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) +1.4 Halton Conservative Party (UK) Martin Dodgson 2,108 53.4 -12.4 Labour Party (UK) K. Jeffrey 1,244 31.5 -2.6 Liberal Party (UK) S. Roome 594 15.1 +15.1 864 21.9 -9.8 3,946 Conservative Party (UK) -4.9 Harehills Labour Party (UK) C. Green 1,922 51.7 +3.7 Conservative Party (UK) J. Moran 1,606 43.2 -4.2 Liberal Party (UK) R. Farrar 192 5.2 +0.5 316 8.5 +7.9 3,720 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) +3.9 Headingley Conservative Party (UK) E. Clark 2,219 51.5 -7.9 Labour Party (UK) T. Donohoe 1,695 39.3 -1.3 Liberal Party (UK) J. Coates 394 9.1 +9.1 524 12.2 -6.5 4,308 Conservative Party (UK) -3.3 Holbeck Labour Party (UK) Bernard Atha 2,253 78.7 -4.4 Liberal Party (UK) R. Whitelock 323 11.3 +5.9 Conservative Party (UK) L. Dobkin 287 10.0 -1.5 1,930 67.4 -4.1 2,863 Conservative Party (UK) -5.1 Kirkstall Labour Party (UK) Elizabeth Nash 3,474 58.3 -1.9 Conservative Party (UK) J. Horrocks 2,406 40.4 +1.9 Communist Party of Great Britain J. Sidebottom 77 1.3 +0.0 1,068 17.9 -3.8 5,957 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -1.9 Middleton Labour Party (UK) J. Kitchen 2,802 83.7 -0.2 Conservative Party (UK) P. Johnson 426 12.7 +3.9 Communist Party of Great Britain D. Priscott 121 3.6 +0.7 2,376 71.0 -4.1 3,349 Labour Party (UK) -2.0 Moortown Conservative Party (UK) A. Redmond 2,361 59.3 +7.1 Labour Party (UK) M. Cliff 1,272 31.9 -5.9 Liberal Party (UK) L. Waldenburg 350 8.8 -1.2 1,089 27.3 +13.0 3,983 Conservative Party (UK) +6.5 Osmondthorpe Labour Party (UK) W. Prichard 3,122 76.2 +0.9 Conservative Party (UK) Doreen Wood 921 22.5 -2.2 Communist Party of Great Britain D. Cook 54 1.3 +1.3 2,201 53.7 +3.1 4,097 Labour Party (UK) +1.5 Richmond Hill Labour Party (UK) Tom Cooke 2,587 73.7 -4.4 Conservative Party (UK) G. Dimmock 873 24.9 +4.6 Communist Party of Great Britain D. Fawcett 48 1.4 -0.2 1,714 48.9 -8.9 3,508 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -4.5 Roundhay Conservative Party (UK) A. Johnson 2,920 79.0 +0.7 Labour Party (UK) L. Milburn 588 15.9 -5.8 Liberal Party (UK) D. Freethby 189 5.1 +5.1 2,332 63.1 +6.5 3,697 Conservative Party (UK) +3.2 Scott Hall Labour Party (UK) A. Baum 1,837 61.1 -6.8 Conservative Party (UK) V. Darton 915 30.4 +0.1 Liberal Party (UK) D. Thorpe 200 6.6 +6.6 Communist Party of Great Britain M. Temple 56 1.9 +0.0 922 30.7 -6.9 3,008 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -3.4 Seacroft Labour Party (UK) F. Stringer 4,564 78.8 +0.2 Conservative Party (UK) D. Ball 1,152 19.9 -0.5 Communist Party of Great Britain A. Dale 75 1.3 +0.3 3,412 58.9 +0.7 5,791 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) +0.3 Stanningley Labour Party (UK) A. Miller 2,874 65.9 -3.1 Conservative Party (UK) I. Benton 1,429 32.8 +3.4 Communist Party of Great Britain R. Quarmby 55 1.3 -0.3 1,445 33.2 -6.5 4,358 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -3.2 Talbot Conservative Party (UK) Ronnie Feldman 2,478 65.9 -4.6 Labour Party (UK) L. Naylor 873 23.2 -0.4 Liberal Party (UK) M. Phillips 410 10.9 +5.0 1,605 42.7 -4.2 3,761 Conservative Party (UK) -2.1 Weetwood Conservative Party (UK) S. Rostron 2,905 55.2 -26.2 Independent (politician) E. Firth 1,902 36.1 +36.1 Labour Party (UK) S. Akbar 457 8.7 -9.9 1,003 19.1 -43.7 5,264 Conservative Party (UK) -31.1 West Hunslet Liberal Party (UK) Dennis Pedder 2,347 60.9 +8.8 Labour Party (UK) J. Wright 1,144 29.7 -5.6 Conservative Party (UK) J. Dawson 363 9.4 -3.2 1,203 31.2 +14.4 3,854 Liberal Party (UK) +7.2 Whinmoor Labour Party (UK) F. Davis 2,563 71.0 -4.8 Conservative Party (UK) P. White 983 27.2 +4.1 Communist Party of Great Britain H. Besser 62 1.7 +0.6 1,580 43.8 -8.9 3,608 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -4.4 Woodhouse Labour Party (UK) J. Roche 1,521 47.0 -10.8 Conservative Party (UK) P. Fingret 1,005 31.0 -7.9 Liberal Party (UK) M. Baker 598 18.5 +18.5 Communist Party of Great Britain L. Morris 113 3.5 +0.2 516 15.9 -2.9 3,237 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -1.4 Wortley Labour Party (UK) F. Selby 2,779 58.7 +0.2 Conservative Party (UK) F. Stubley 1,952 41.3 +7.0 827 17.5 -6.8 4,731 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) -3.4 References 1 expanded Category:1972 English local elections 1972 Category:1970s in Leeds