# 1998 Leeds City Council election

The 1998 Leeds City Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough Council in West Yorkshire, England. One third of the council, alongside a vacancy in Wortley (following Fabian Hamilton's election as Leeds North East MP) were up for election.
The Labour party stayed in overall control of the council. Overall turnout in the election was 24.66%.

## Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1998 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 25 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 73.5 | 49.3 | 64,368 | -6.9% |
| Conservative | 5 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 14.7 | 27.8 | 36,303 | +3.9% |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.8 | 19.7 | 25,723 | +2.4% |
| Green | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2,997 | +0.4% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 642 | +0.5% |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 433 | +0.2% |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 209 | +0.1% |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 82 | 80 |
| | Conservative | 8 | 9 |
| | Liberal Democrat | 9 | 9 |
| | Green | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 65 | 61 |

## Ward results

Aireborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Moira Dunn | 2,862 | 46.7 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | Graham Latty | 2,240 | 36.5 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Brown | 1,033 | 16.8 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 622 | 10.1 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,135 | 31.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.9 | |
Armley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alison Lowe | 1,830 | 62.6 | −5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Davies | 491 | 16.8 | +9.6 |
| | Conservative | Steven Welsh | 469 | 16.1 | +4.0 |
| | Independent | Keith Rushworth | 132 | 4.5 | +4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,339 | 45.8 | −10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,922 | 18.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.4 | |
Barwick & Kippax :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Parker | 3,103 | 61.7 | −8.5 |
| | Conservative | Jack Stott | 1,303 | 25.9 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Lindley | 624 | 12.4 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,800 | 35.8 | −13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,030 | 27.8 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.8 | |
Beeston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Angela Gabriel | 1,362 | 55.2 | −18.0 |
| | Conservative | William Birch | 490 | 19.9 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shaun Dolan | 475 | 19.3 | +10.6 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Kevin Pattison | 91 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| | Green | Janet Pritchard | 49 | 2.0 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 872 | 35.3 | −23.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,467 | 19.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -11.7 | |
Bramley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Angela Atkinson | 1,863 | 69.3 | −9.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Revett | 416 | 15.5 | +8.4 |
| | Conservative | Michael Best | 409 | 15.2 | +7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,447 | 53.8 | −16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,688 | 16.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.2 | |
Burmantofts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Hardy | 1,820 | 69.1 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Betteridge | 603 | 22.9 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Schofield | 211 | 8.0 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,217 | 46.2 | −7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,634 | 19.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.5 | |
Chapel Allerton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Taggart | 2,204 | 68.9 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Kendall | 563 | 17.6 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Lancaster | 432 | 13.5 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,641 | 51.3 | −7.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,199 | 20.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.6 | |
City & Holbeck :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christiana Myers | 1,788 | 66.3 | −13.0 |
| | Conservative | David Boynton | 339 | 12.6 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Pratt | 272 | 10.1 | −1.1 |
| | Socialist Alternative | David Jones | 197 | 7.3 | +7.3 |
| | Green | Tania Jackson | 100 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,449 | 53.7 | −14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,696 | 17.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.0 | |
Cookridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Carter | 2,848 | 55.1 | +6.4 |
| | Labour | John Garvan | 1,503 | 29.1 | −6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Bates | 822 | 15.9 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,345 | 26.0 | +12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,173 | 31.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.2 | |
Garforth & Swillington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Karen Groves | 3,105 | 63.3 | −8.5 |
| | Conservative | Alan Lamb | 1,109 | 22.6 | +6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Dowling | 691 | 14.1 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,996 | 40.7 | −14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,905 | 26.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.2 | |
Halton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lee Benson | 2,100 | 46.3 | −8.0 |
| | Conservative | William Hyde | 1,826 | 40.3 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Hollingsworth | 605 | 13.4 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 274 | 6.0 | −15.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,531 | 25.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.7 | |
Harehills :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Abdul Malik | 1,787 | 60.7 | −11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Taylor | 674 | 22.9 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative | Donald Townsley | 274 | 9.3 | −4.2 |
| | Independent Labour | Thomas Wray | 209 | 7.1 | +7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,113 | 37.8 | −20.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,944 | 20.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.2 | |
Headingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Doreen Illingworth | 1,223 | 48.7 | −14.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Darren Finlay | 599 | 23.8 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative | Paul Mowbray | 414 | 16.5 | +3.5 |
| | Green | Lesley Jeffries | 277 | 11.0 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 624 | 24.8 | −22.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,513 | 12.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -11.0 | |
Horsforth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Townsley | 2,539 | 46.2 | +17.4 |
| | Conservative | Lucy Clapham | 1,513 | 27.5 | −2.3 |
| | Labour | Brian Selby | 1,254 | 22.8 | −18.6 |
| | Green | Elizabeth Holmes | 105 | 1.9 | +1.9 |
| | Independent | George Williamson | 90 | 1.6 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,026 | 18.7 | +7.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,501 | 31.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +9.8 | |
Hunslet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Davies | 1,564 | 78.2 | −7.2 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Larvin | 188 | 9.4 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pauline Bardon | 170 | 8.5 | +1.4 |
| | Green | Susan Brierley | 79 | 3.9 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,376 | 68.8 | −9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,001 | 17.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.5 | |
Kirkstall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bernard Atha | 1,993 | 67.2 | −9.0 |
| | Conservative | David Higgott | 433 | 14.6 | +5.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Thompson | 322 | 10.9 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Mark Pedlar | 218 | 7.3 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,560 | 52.6 | −14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,966 | 18.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.2 | |
Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Linda Middleton | 1,940 | 74.2 | −7.3 |
| | Conservative | David Schofield | 359 | 13.7 | +6.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Norman | 315 | 12.1 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,581 | 60.5 | −9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,614 | 18.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.8 | |
Moortown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Winlow | 2,394 | 48.1 | −5.5 |
| | Labour | Sheila Saunders | 1,676 | 33.7 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Dibble | 906 | 18.2 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 718 | 14.4 | −8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,976 | 31.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -4.4 | |
Morley North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frances Jones | 2,327 | 53.8 | −4.6 |
| | Conservative | Robert Tesseyman | 1,298 | 30.0 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Quentin Brown | 411 | 9.5 | +0.5 |
| | Independent | Peter Walsh | 292 | 6.7 | +6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,029 | 23.8 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,328 | 23.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.9 | |
Morley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sherry Bradley | 2,368 | 60.7 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Kearns | 949 | 24.3 | +9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Brayshaw | 502 | 14.9 | −8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,419 | 36.4 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,819 | 18.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.5 | |
North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ronald Feldman | 2,122 | 38.1 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Abramson | 1,950 | 35.0 | −1.7 |
| | Labour | Andrew Bell | 1,494 | 26.8 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 172 | 3.1 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,566 | 32.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
Otley & Wharfedale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Philip Coyne | 2,251 | 34.7 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Christine Smith | 2,182 | 33.6 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Jennings | 2,058 | 31.7 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 69 | 1.1 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,491 | 34.6 | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +0.0 | |
Pudsey North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frank Robinson | 2,661 | 46.2 | −4.7 |
| | Labour | Janet Harper | 2,501 | 43.4 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Marsay-Smith | 600 | 10.4 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 160 | 2.8 | −9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,762 | 32.4 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -4.7 | |
Pudsey South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Lewis | 2,262 | 55.1 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | Sheila Jackson | 1,040 | 25.3 | +7.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Amor | 716 | 17.4 | −5.9 |
| | Green | Graham Illingworth | 90 | 2.2 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,222 | 29.7 | −2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,108 | 24.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.9 | |
Richmond Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eamonn McGee | 1,658 | 77.4 | −7.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Norman | 300 | 14.0 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Alan Rhodes | 184 | 8.6 | +3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,358 | 63.4 | −10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,142 | 16.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.2 | |
Rothwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alec Hudson | 2,015 | 59.1 | −5.6 |
| | Conservative | John Cowling | 712 | 20.9 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mitchell Galdas | 682 | 20.0 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,303 | 38.2 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,409 | 22.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.3 | |
Roundhay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Harrand | 2,299 | 43.6 | +7.7 |
| | Labour | Mohammed Iqbal | 1,940 | 36.8 | −8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Skinner | 1,031 | 19.6 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 359 | 6.8 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,270 | 31.5 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.8 | |
Seacroft :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arthur Vollans | 1,983 | 75.4 | −11.9 |
| | Conservative | Patricia Hyde | 272 | 10.3 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sadie Fisher | 194 | 7.4 | +1.1 |
| | Independent | Raymond Northgreaves | 128 | 4.9 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Michael Bolton | 54 | 2.1 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,711 | 65.0 | −15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,631 | 21.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.8 | |
University :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brian Dale | 1,327 | 63.0 | −10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shirley Broadbent | 289 | 13.7 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | Robert Winfield | 217 | 10.3 | +1.2 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Chris Hill | 145 | 6.9 | −0.7 |
| | Green | Paul Eade | 130 | 6.2 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,038 | 49.2 | −15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,108 | 12.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.5 | |
Weetwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stewart Golton | 2,200 | 40.1 | +1.7 |
| | Labour | Eileen Moxon | 1,954 | 35.7 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative | Ann Castle | 1,155 | 21.1 | +2.4 |
| | Green | David Webb | 171 | 3.1 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 246 | 4.5 | +2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,480 | 34.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +3.1 | |
Wetherby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Procter | 3,960 | 62.1 | +5.6 |
| | Labour | Reginald Steel | 1,807 | 28.4 | −3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah May | 605 | 9.5 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,153 | 33.8 | +9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,372 | 30.8 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.6 | |
Whinmoor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Martin Hemingway | 1,644 | 58.1 | −10.2 |
| | Conservative | Richard Williams | 854 | 30.2 | +9.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Roberts | 333 | 11.8 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 790 | 27.9 | −20.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,831 | 20.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.0 | |
Wortley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Bedford | 1,860 | 42.4 | −11.7 |
| | Green | David Blackburn | 1,724 | 39.3 | +11.0 |
| | Labour | Daphne Riley | 1,423 | | |
| | Green | Claire Nash | 1,106 | | |
| | Conservative | Glenn Broadbent | 504 | 11.5 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Ruby Patel | 324 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Daly | 295 | 6.7 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 301 | 3.1 | −22.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,383 | 24.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Green gain from Labour | Green gain from Labour | Swing | +11.3 | |

## By-elections between 1998 and 1999

Bramley by-election 6 August 1998 replacing Angus Ross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Revett | 1,965 | 63.9 | +48.4 |
| | Labour | Stephen Simpson | 876 | 28.5 | −40.8 |
| | Conservative | Steven Welsh | 142 | 4.6 | −10.6 |
| | Socialist Alternative | David Jones | 48 | 1.6 | +1.6 |
| | Green | Paul Eade | 44 | 1.4 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,089 | 35.4 | −18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,075 | 18.6 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +44.6 | |