# Leeds South East (UK Parliament constituency)

Leeds South East was a borough constituency in the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: The County Borough of Leeds wards of East and East Hunslet, and part of North East ward.
1950–1951: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Crossgates and Temple Newsam, East Hunslet, and Osmondthorpe.
1951–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Cross Gates, East Hunslet, Halton, and Osmondthorpe.
1955–1974: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Blenheim, City, East Hunslet, Richmond Hill, and Westfield.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Burley, Burmantofts, City, Richmond Hill, and Woodhouse.
Leeds city centre was in the constituency from 1955 until the seat disappeared in 1983 since when it has been in Leeds Central.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | James O'Grady | Labour |
| | 1924 | Henry Slesser | Labour |
| | 1929 | James Milner | Labour |
| | 1952 | Denis Healey | Labour |
| | 1955 | Alice Bacon | Labour |
| | 1970 | Stan Cohen | Labour |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James O'Grady | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James O'Grady | 13,676 | 58.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Mary Pollock Grant | 9,554 | 41.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,122 | 17.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,230 | 66.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,074 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1923: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James O'Grady | 12,210 | 63.2 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal | William Tattersall Whiteley, 2nd Baron Marchamley | 7,110 | 36.8 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,100 | 26.4 | +8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,320 | 54.1 | −12.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,701 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.3 | |
General election 1924: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Henry Slesser | 15,133 | 58.6 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal | William Tattersall Whiteley, 2nd Baron Marchamley | 10,704 | 41.4 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,429 | 17.2 | −9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,837 | 71.8 | +17.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,994 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −4.6 | |
General election 1929: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Henry Slesser | 22,403 | 75.2 | +16.6 |
| | Unionist | John C Spurr | 7,385 | 24.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,018 | 50.4 | +33.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,788 | 62.6 | −9.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,573 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
By-election, 1929: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Milner | 11,804 | 95.8 | +20.6 |
| | Communist | W.T.E. Brain | 512 | 4.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,292 | 91.6 | +41.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,316 | 25.9 | −36.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,573 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Milner | 17,845 | 52.56 |
| | Conservative | Philip R Le Mesurier | 16,109 | 47.44 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,736 | 5.12 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,954 | 69.70 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1935: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Milner | 19,552 | 65.73 |
| | Conservative | Philip R Le Mesurier | 10,192 | 34.27 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,360 | 31.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,744 | 62.55 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Labour: James Milner
* Conservative:

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Milner | 20,363 | 71.83 | |
| | Conservative | Sydney Beevers | 4,518 | 15.94 | |
| | Liberal | Clifford Henry Tyers | 3,466 | 12.23 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,845 | 55.89 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,347 | 71.63 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Milner | 23,994 | 57.83 |
| | Conservative | Charles Edward Kirwin | 15,262 | 36.78 |
| | Liberal | Albert Hope | 2,234 | 5.38 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,732 | 21.05 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,490 | 85.33 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Milner | 24,929 | 60.50 |
| | Conservative | Charles Edward Kirwin | 16,277 | 39.50 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,652 | 21.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,206 | 84.39 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
1952 Leeds South East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Healey | 17,194 | 63.24 | +2.74 |
| | Conservative | Charles Edward Kirwin | 9,995 | 36.76 | −2.74 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,199 | 26.48 | +5.48 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,189 | 55.7 | −28.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Alice Bacon | 25,714 | 66.18 |
| | Conservative | Wilson W.J. Dunn | 13,142 | 33.82 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,572 | 32.36 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,856 | 67.92 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Alice Bacon | 21,795 | 64.21 |
| | Conservative | J Brian Womersley | 12,146 | 35.79 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,649 | 28.42 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,941 | 70.04 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Alice Bacon | 16,672 | 67.67 |
| | Conservative | John E MacDonald | 7,964 | 32.33 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,708 | 35.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,636 | 73.92 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Alice Bacon | 14,663 | 71.86 |
| | Conservative | JG Todd | 5,743 | 28.14 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,920 | 43.72 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,406 | 61.47 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stan Cohen | 10,930 | 62.65 | |
| | Conservative | May Sexton | 5,182 | 29.70 | |
| | Liberal | Anthony Britten | 1,135 | 6.51 | New |
| | Communist | Bernard Scott | 198 | 1.13 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,748 | 32.95 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,445 | 58.39 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Stan Cohen | 17,827 | 53.08 |
| | Conservative | May Sexton | 8,373 | 24.93 |
| | Liberal | Maggie Clay | 6,981 | 20.79 |
| | Communist | William Henry Innes | 405 | 1.21 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,454 | 28.15 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,586 | 67.85 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election October 1974: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Stan Cohen | 17,160 | 61.18 |
| | Conservative | May Sexton | 6,144 | 21.90 |
| | Liberal | Maggie Clay | 4,429 | 15.79 |
| | Communist | William Henry Innes | 317 | 1.13 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,016 | 39.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,050 | 56.34 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1979: Leeds South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stan Cohen | 15,921 | 56.34 | |
| | Conservative | May Sexton | 6,549 | 23.18 | |
| | Liberal | Maggie Clay | 5,430 | 19.22 | |
| | Communist | JM Rodgers | 190 | 0.67 | |
| | National Front | P Flint | 168 | 0.59 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,372 | 33.16 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,258 | 65.00 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |