# 1990 Leeds City Council election

The 1990 Leeds City Council elections were held on Thursday, 4 May 1990, with one third of the council and two casual vacancies in Beeston and North to be elected. There had been a number of by-elections in the interim, resulting in two Labour gains in Armley and Burmantofts from the Social and Liberal Democrats and holds elsewhere.
The election was held amidst deep unpopularity for the Conservative national government and their poll tax measure, resulting in the party's worst ever performance in the English locals. The effects it had in Leeds were no less severe, with the party obtaining a record low vote share, with their victories confined to just 4 of the 33 wards, restricted to their Northern heartlands – Cookridge, North, Roundhay and Wetherby – losing stalwarts Aireborough, Halton, Pudsey North and Weetwood to Labour for the first time.
Both the Conservative vote and the SLD vote were little changed from the previous election; the landslide was caused by a remarkable increase in Labour's vote – over 50% on recent elections – bringing with it a record turnout (with 1979 omitted). The SLD's slate was notably much reduced, fielding their lowest number of candidates since 1978, after their fall-back at their last outing. Similar to the last election, their sole loss was found in Armley to Labour, narrowly holding onto Otley & Wharfedale, but much more comfortably their Horsforth and Moortown seats. In total, Labour's five gains extended their majority by ten, comfortably surpassing party records in votes, vote share and council majority.
Elsewhere, the leader of the newly formed Liberal Party Michael Meadowcroft – alongside his fellow candidate in Harehills – won a respectable second place in Bramley. Meanwhile, their fellow SLD defectors, the SDP joined the Communists in producing just one candidate – with both collecting negligible support, suggesting possible demise (with the latter likely adversely impacted by recent international events).

## Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1990 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 27 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 77.1 | 56.1 | 141,610 | +9.9 |
| Conservative | 5 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 14.3 | 26.7 | 67,284 | -6.3 |
| SLD | 3 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 8.6 | 14.4 | 36,325 | -2.7 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 3,481 | +0.6 |
| Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2,623 | +1.0 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 626 | -1.6 |
| SDP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 256 | -0.8 |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 109 | +0.0 |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 67 | -0.2 |
This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 61 | 66 |
| | Conservative | 25 | 21 |
| | SLD | 12 | 11 |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 23 | 33 |

## Ward results

Aireborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Dunn | 4,672 | 45.3 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | M. Atkinson | 3,914 | 38.0 | −5.8 |
| | SLD | D. Gowland | 1,726 | 16.7 | −8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 758 | 7.4 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,312 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.9 | |
Armley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Lowe | 4,788 | 67.0 | +12.1 |
| | Conservative | R. Mundell | 1,256 | 17.6 | −1.6 |
| | SLD | D. Colton | 1,099 | 15.4 | −10.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,532 | 49.4 | +22.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,143 | | |
| | Labour gain from SLD | Labour gain from SLD | Swing | +11.2 | |
Barwick & Kippax :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Parker | 6,002 | 62.7 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | John Procter | 2,532 | 26.5 | −8.7 |
| | SLD | G. Roberts | 600 | 6.3 | +0.3 |
| | Green | D. Corry | 436 | 4.6 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,470 | 36.3 | +12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,570 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.3 | |
Beeston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jon Trickett | 4,180 | 72.3 | +4.5 |
| | Labour | D. Congreve | 3,690 | | |
| | Conservative | A. Rhodes | 1,009 | 17.5 | −7.5 |
| | Conservative | H. Woodhead | 929 | | |
| | Green | D. Blakemore | 590 | 10.2 | +10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,171 | 54.9 | +12.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,779 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.0 | |
Bramley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. Atkinson | 4,867 | 65.9 | −2.9 |
| | Liberal | Michael Meadowcroft | 1,831 | 24.8 | +24.8 |
| | Conservative | T. Cooper | 689 | 9.3 | −7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,036 | 41.1 | −10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,387 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.8 | |
Burmantofts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | S. Butterfield | 4,267 | 63.7 | +19.4 |
| | SLD | T. Ineson | 2,030 | 30.3 | −19.2 |
| | Conservative | C. Wilson | 399 | 6.0 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,237 | 33.4 | +28.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,696 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +19.3 | |
Chapel Allerton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | N. Taggart | 4,772 | 72.7 | +7.3 |
| | Conservative | P. Lawton | 1,215 | 18.5 | −5.4 |
| | SLD | J. Levy | 578 | 8.8 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,557 | 54.2 | +12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,565 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.4 | |
City & Holbeck :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. Myers | 4,843 | 79.1 | +2.1 |
| | SLD | A. Davies | 701 | 11.5 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative | D. Boynton | 576 | 9.4 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,142 | 67.7 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,120 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.8 | |
Cookridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Carter | 4,143 | 48.8 | −11.5 |
| | Labour | G. Morrison | 3,063 | 36.1 | +13.0 |
| | SLD | E. Brazier | 1,278 | 15.1 | +3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,080 | 12.7 | −24.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,484 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -12.2 | |
Garforth & Swillington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Groves | 6,239 | 67.1 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative | C. Jones | 2,133 | 23.0 | −13.2 |
| | SLD | R. Hutchinson | 921 | 9.9 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,106 | 44.2 | +22.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,293 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.4 | |
Halton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Sully | 3,840 | 44.9 | +11.1 |
| | Conservative | D. Schofield | 3,569 | 41.7 | −12.9 |
| | SLD | D. Hollingsworth | 1,149 | 13.4 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 271 | 3.2 | −17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,558 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.0 | |
Harehills :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | U. Ryatt | 3,906 | 64.8 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal | R. Senior | 792 | 13.1 | +13.1 |
| | Conservative | K. Weightman | 708 | 11.7 | −3.7 |
| | Independent | S. Prasad | 449 | 7.4 | +7.4 |
| | Independent | D. Talbot | 177 | 2.9 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,114 | 51.6 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,032 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.9 | |
Headingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Truswell | 3,965 | 55.1 | +13.3 |
| | SLD | C. Shaw | 1,250 | 17.4 | −12.7 |
| | Conservative | G. Castle | 1,058 | 14.7 | −0.7 |
| | Green | G. Rainford | 850 | 11.8 | +2.4 |
| | Communist | B. Cooper | 67 | 0.9 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,715 | 37.8 | +26.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,190 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +13.0 | |
Horsforth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SLD | M. Shaw | 3,756 | 42.4 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative | R. Richardson | 3,032 | 34.2 | −5.8 |
| | Labour | J. Erskine | 2,072 | 23.4 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 724 | 8.2 | +3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,860 | | |
| | SLD hold | SLD hold | Swing | +1.8 | |
Hunslet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Gunnell | 4,619 | 91.0 | +13.1 |
| | Conservative | D. Thomas | 458 | 9.0 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,161 | 82.0 | +14.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,077 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.3 | |
Kirkstall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bernard Atha | 5,507 | 81.8 | +15.3 |
| | Conservative | S. McBarron | 1,229 | 18.2 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,278 | 63.5 | +16.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,736 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.0 | |
Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | L. Middleton | 4,876 | 85.6 | +8.2 |
| | Conservative | A. Wright | 823 | 14.4 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,053 | 71.1 | +9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,699 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.8 | |
Moortown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SLD | W. Winlow | 3,737 | 44.9 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | C. Thompson | 2,430 | 29.2 | −4.9 |
| | Labour | J. Talbot | 2,164 | 26.0 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,307 | 15.7 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,331 | | |
| | SLD hold | SLD hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
Morley North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | F. Jones | 5,390 | 66.0 | +15.2 |
| | Conservative | J. Galek | 2,772 | 34.0 | −5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,618 | 32.1 | +20.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,162 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.4 | |
Morley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K. Burnley | 5,857 | 67.9 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative | L. Frost | 1,858 | 21.5 | −7.8 |
| | SLD | T. Leadley | 803 | 9.3 | +2.2 |
| | National Front | N. Howard | 109 | 1.3 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,999 | 46.4 | +12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,627 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.1 | |
North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Manning | 3,795 | 49.9 | −7.7 |
| | Conservative | P. Harrand | 3,621 | | |
| | Labour | B. Brady | 2,432 | 32.0 | +8.3 |
| | Labour | J. Lister | 2,206 | | |
| | SLD | R. Barr | 1,115 | 14.7 | +1.0 |
| | SLD | D. Dresser | 1,091 | | |
| | SDP | B. Finniestone | 256 | 3.4 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,363 | 17.9 | −16.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,598 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.0 | |
Otley & Wharfedale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SLD | C. Campbell | 3,681 | 35.9 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | G. Francis | 3,560 | 34.7 | −11.9 |
| | Labour | S. Egan | 3,009 | 29.4 | +15.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 121 | 1.2 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,250 | | |
| | SLD hold | SLD hold | Swing | +6.5 | |
Pudsey North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Ross | 4,304 | 45.3 | +15.9 |
| | Conservative | J. Bashall | 3,295 | 34.7 | −17.0 |
| | SLD | J. Heppell | 1,897 | 20.0 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,009 | 10.6 | −11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,496 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +16.4 | |
Pudsey South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. Lewis | 4,734 | 56.4 | +26.8 |
| | Conservative | R. Cam | 2,147 | 25.6 | +4.6 |
| | SLD | A. Fleet | 1,508 | 18.0 | +15.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,587 | 30.8 | +14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,389 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.1 | |
Richmond Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E. McGee | 5,141 | 80.1 | +1.0 |
| | SLD | K. Norman | 787 | 12.3 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative | W. Birch | 490 | 7.6 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,354 | 67.8 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,418 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.8 | |
Rothwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Hudson | 4,695 | 63.1 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | A. Heeson | 1,464 | 19.7 | −6.3 |
| | SLD | A. Barber | 1,276 | 17.2 | +9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,231 | 43.5 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,435 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
Roundhay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. White | 3,826 | 46.8 | −10.0 |
| | Labour | K. Prior | 2,844 | 34.8 | +10.2 |
| | SLD | J. Pullan | 862 | 10.5 | −3.6 |
| | Green | A. Tear | 643 | 7.9 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 982 | 12.0 | −20.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,175 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.1 | |
Seacroft :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Vollans | 4,729 | 82.4 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative | H. Gill | 591 | 10.3 | −3.3 |
| | SLD | S. Fisher | 421 | 7.3 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,138 | 72.1 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,741 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.2 | |
University :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Dale | 3,883 | 72.8 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | R. Winfield | 553 | 10.4 | −3.4 |
| | Green | A. Begg | 491 | 9.2 | +9.2 |
| | SLD | A. Appleyard | 405 | 7.6 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,330 | 62.5 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,332 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
Weetwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E. Moxon | 3,313 | 41.0 | +11.6 |
| | Conservative | J. Hamilton | 2,794 | 34.5 | −8.0 |
| | SLD | J. Ewens | 1,509 | 18.7 | −6.3 |
| | Green | C. Nash | 471 | 5.8 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 519 | 6.4 | −6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,087 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.8 | |
Wetherby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Evans | 5,899 | 60.3 | −6.7 |
| | Labour | J. Postill | 2,612 | 26.7 | +10.7 |
| | SLD | J. Macarthur | 1,266 | 12.9 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,287 | 33.6 | −17.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,777 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.7 | |
Whinmoor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Hemmingway | 4,439 | 65.4 | +8.1 |
| | Conservative | P. Rayner | 1,735 | 25.6 | −10.9 |
| | SLD | C. Ward | 615 | 9.1 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,704 | 39.8 | +19.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,789 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.5 | |
Wortley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Bedford | 5,586 | 67.5 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative | B. Nicol | 1,489 | 18.0 | −4.4 |
| | SLD | W. Moss | 1,198 | 14.5 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,097 | 49.5 | +12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,273 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.1 | |