# 1976 Leeds City Council election

Elections to Leeds City Council were held on 6 May 1976, with one third of the council up for election. In the interim between the seats first election in 1973, in addition to Labour's 1974 Burley gain, there had been a further three by-elections - and consequent successful defences of - Beeston & Holbeck and Burmantofts & Richmond Hill (Labour) and Headingley (Conservative).
The Conservatives managed to largely repeat their previous year's results, gaining a total of seven and winning control of the council. They gained three from Labour, in the wards of Morley South and Wortley, as well as winning back the aforementioned seat in Burley. The remaining four gains were from the Liberals in Horsforth, both of the Pudsey seats and Otley.

## Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1976 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 18 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 56.2 | 48.1 | 97,312 | -1.7% |
| Labour | 12 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 37.5 | 33.9 | 68,673 | +2.4% |
| Liberal | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 6.2 | 15.4 | 31,155 | -2.1% |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 1,910 | +0.9% |
| Ratepayers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1,266 | +0.6% |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 873 | +0.0% |
| British National | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 487 | +0.2% |
| Ind. Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 307 | +0.1% |
| Ecology | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 168 | +0.1% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 163 | -0.6% |
This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Conservatives | 43 | 50 |
| | Labour | 41 | 38 |
| | Liberals | 12 | 8 |
| Total | Total | 96 | 96 | 96 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 0 | 4 |

## Ward results

Aireborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Hutchinson | 5,544 | 56.4 | −5.0 |
| | Labour | P. Jones | 2,635 | 26.8 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal | B. Cleasby | 1,655 | 16.8 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,909 | 29.6 | −9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,834 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.9 | |
Armley and Castleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | J. Wright | 3,012 | 40.5 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | Michael McGowan | 2,462 | 33.1 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | J. Hastings | 1,611 | 21.7 | −3.5 |
| | British National | J. Drury | 226 | 3.0 | +3.0 |
| | Communist | P. Witton | 72 | 1.0 | −0.5 |
| | National Front | Mabel Spink | 58 | 0.8 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 550 | 7.4 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,441 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.9 | |
Beeston and Holbeck :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K. Fenwick | 3,459 | 50.2 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative | E. Lucas | 2,710 | 39.3 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | C. Coultas | 728 | 10.6 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 749 | 10.9 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,897 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.0 | |
Bramley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. Atkinson | 2,338 | 51.4 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | A. Mathers | 1,609 | 35.3 | −11.9 |
| | Liberal | J. Spencer | 605 | 13.3 | +13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 729 | 16.0 | +10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,552 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.2 | |
Burley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D. Fletcher-Campbell | 1,798 | 51.6 | +0.6 |
| | Labour | C. Buttery | 1,384 | 39.7 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal | P. Sander | 171 | 4.9 | −2.7 |
| | Communist | B. Jackson | 87 | 2.5 | −0.2 |
| | National Front | Dorothy Waite | 46 | 1.3 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 414 | 11.9 | −3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,486 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -1.6 | |
Burmantofts and Richmond Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. Sedler | 2,733 | 39.3 | −8.7 |
| | Liberal | Margaret Clay | 2,385 | 34.3 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative | G. Dimmock | 1,329 | 19.1 | −3.3 |
| | British National | Eddy Morrison | 211 | 3.0 | +3.0 |
| | National Front | C. Welsh | 182 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| | Communist | M. Monkman | 110 | 1.6 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 348 | 5.0 | −15.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,950 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.5 | |
Chapel Allerton and Scott Hall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | S. Symonds | 4,334 | 63.1 | +0.9 |
| | Labour | A. Baum | 1,911 | 27.8 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal | J. Clay | 628 | 9.1 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,423 | 35.3 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,873 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.1 | |
City and Woodhouse :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. Jenner | 2,173 | 52.2 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | T. Battersby | 1,218 | 29.3 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal | D. Selby | 611 | 14.7 | −2.2 |
| | Communist | J. Rodgers | 162 | 3.9 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 955 | 22.9 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,164 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
Cookridge and Weetwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Carter | 7,367 | 72.7 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | I. Levy | 1,865 | 18.4 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal | D. Leser | 895 | 8.8 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,502 | 54.3 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,127 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.8 | |
Garforth #1 (Garforth North and Barwick) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Ives | 5,191 | 64.5 | −1.0 |
| | Labour | B. Selby | 2,556 | 31.7 | +5.6 |
| | Ind. Conservative | G. Kite | 307 | 3.8 | +3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,635 | 32.7 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,054 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.3 | |
Garforth #2 (Kippax and Swillington) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | F. Flatter | 3,200 | 53.6 | −26.9 |
| | Conservative | A. Taylor | 2,491 | 41.7 | +35.4 |
| | Liberal | N. Parnaby | 278 | 4.7 | +4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 709 | 11.9 | −55.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,969 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -31.1 | |
Gipton and Whinmoor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E. Coward | 3,576 | 49.9 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative | W. Buckland | 3,273 | 45.7 | +0.0 |
| | National Front | B. Spink | 318 | 4.4 | +4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 308 | 4.2 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,167 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.3 | |
Halton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | W. Hyde | 4,494 | 71.3 | −1.0 |
| | Labour | A. Maher | 1,640 | 26.0 | +5.3 |
| | National Front | C. Dewar | 165 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,854 | 45.3 | −6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,299 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.1 | |
Harehills and Roundhay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Challenor | 5,014 | 69.0 | +1.7 |
| | Labour | C. Say | 1,941 | 26.7 | +3.1 |
| | National Front | Catherine Dewar | 309 | 4.3 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,073 | 42.3 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,264 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
Headingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Pedley | 2,644 | 56.3 | +1.7 |
| | Labour | A. Shires | 1,228 | 26.2 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal | P. Holmes | 620 | 13.2 | −6.7 |
| | Communist | B. Cooper | 202 | 4.3 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,416 | 30.2 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,694 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
Horsforth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Foyston | 3,814 | 50.3 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal | J. Stevens | 2,448 | 32.3 | −4.8 |
| | Labour | H. Outhwaite | 1,045 | 13.8 | +3.4 |
| | National Front | J. Duckenfield | 274 | 3.6 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,366 | 18.0 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,581 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.2 | |
Hunslet East and West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ivan Lester | 2,904 | 44.4 | −3.7 |
| | Labour | John Gunnell | 2,807 | 42.9 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | R. Blackburn | 565 | 8.6 | −3.3 |
| | National Front | N. Griffiths | 214 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
| | British National | S. Brown | 50 | 0.8 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 97 | 1.5 | −6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,540 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -3.3 | |
Kirkstall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bernard Atha | 2,906 | 50.8 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | A. Castle | 2,535 | 44.3 | −2.8 |
| | Liberal | L. Keates | 282 | 4.9 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 371 | 6.5 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,723 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.1 | |
Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Kitchen | 2,443 | 59.8 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative | C. Hallas | 1,036 | 25.3 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal | L. Hirst | 510 | 12.5 | −3.5 |
| | Communist | Daisy Triscott | 99 | 2.4 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,407 | 34.4 | +3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,088 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.8 | |
Moortown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | K. Sibbald | 2,969 | 65.5 | −3.8 |
| | Labour | G. Dickinson | 1,006 | 22.2 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal | S. Walderberg | 388 | 8.6 | −2.9 |
| | Ecology | K. Rushworth | 168 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,963 | 43.3 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,531 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.4 | |
Morley #1 (Morley North) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | B. Senior | 3,372 | 50.6 | −16.7 |
| | Labour | K. Smith | 1,862 | 27.9 | −4.7 |
| | Ratepayers | G. Jarratt | 1,266 | 19.0 | +19.0 |
| | Independent | B. Morris | 163 | 2.4 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,510 | 22.7 | −11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,266 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -6.0 | |
Morley #2 (Morley South) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | B. Broadbent | 2,571 | 50.1 | +14.7 |
| | Labour | T. Hewitt | 2,562 | 49.9 | +7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9 | 0.2 | −6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,133 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.6 | |
Osmondthorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. Hamilton | 2,029 | 54.9 | +1.9 |
| | Conservative | S. Nelmes | 1,304 | 35.3 | −5.7 |
| | National Front | L. Fella | 194 | 5.3 | +5.3 |
| | Liberal | B. Stevenson | 167 | 4.5 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 725 | 19.6 | +7.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,694 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.8 | |
Otley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G. Francis | 3,765 | 44.4 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal | G. Kirkland | 3,736 | 44.1 | +6.3 |
| | Labour | D. Gagen | 916 | 10.8 | −4.6 |
| | Communist | P. Punchard | 55 | 0.6 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29 | 0.3 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,472 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | -4.3 | |
Pudsey North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Bashall | 3,170 | 45.5 | −5.2 |
| | Liberal | J. Finnigan | 2,190 | 31.4 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | D. Trafford | 1,606 | 23.1 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 980 | 14.1 | −10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,966 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | -5.1 | |
Pudsey South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | H. Fairhurst | 2,777 | 45.3 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal | R. Fairbank | 1,876 | 30.6 | +6.8 |
| | Labour | F. Wadwell | 1,474 | 24.1 | −6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 901 | 14.7 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,127 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | -3.7 | |
Rothwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Benson | 3,594 | 44.1 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | M. Dyer | 2,333 | 28.6 | −3.1 |
| | Liberal | P. Bower | 2,218 | 27.2 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,261 | 15.5 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,145 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
Seacroft :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | F. Stringer | 2,609 | 57.6 | +0.0 |
| | Conservative | R. Ivey | 1,681 | 37.1 | −2.5 |
| | National Front | K. Middleton | 150 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
| | Communist | A. Dale | 86 | 1.9 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 928 | 20.5 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,526 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
Stanningley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Mann | 2,315 | 52.0 | +9.5 |
| | Conservative | K. Knapton | 1,561 | 35.1 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal | A. Hillam | 575 | 12.9 | −9.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 754 | 16.9 | +9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,451 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.9 | |
Talbot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Sherwin | 3,763 | 71.7 | +0.9 |
| | Labour | D. Brown | 908 | 17.3 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | G. Macolferson | 575 | 11.0 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,855 | 54.4 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,246 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
Wetherby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | N. Brown | 6,936 | 74.7 | +2.8 |
| | Labour | L. Adams | 1,304 | 14.0 | +5.0 |
| | Liberal | D. Tunstall | 1,050 | 11.3 | −5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,632 | 60.6 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,290 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.1 | |
Wortley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | H. Connah | 2,533 | 47.2 | −6.0 |
| | Labour | W. Thurlow | 2,186 | 40.7 | +5.5 |
| | Liberal | J. Nelson | 648 | 12.1 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 347 | 6.5 | −11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,367 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -5.7 | |