# 1996 Leeds City Council election

The 1996 Leeds City Council elections were held on Thursday, 2 May 1996, with a third of the council up for election.
The Conservatives suffered another routing, although with a less impressive Labour vote and a slight recovery in their own vote, were able to hold on to three seats. Labour furthered their stranglehold on the council with an additional seven gains, with all but Burmantofts (Liberal Democrat) and Pudsey South (Independent) from the Tories. As a result of the gains, those two wards - along with the Tory losses of Aireborough, Halton, Morley North and Weetwood wards - were now represented entirely by Labour (a first for most). The other Labour gain was snatching the remaining Tory seat in the former Tory-Liberal battleground of Otley & Wharfedale.
The Lib Dems offset their loss to Labour in Burmantofts with gains from the Tories in Horsforth and the newly three-way marginal North ward. The results, however, were a disappointment to the Lib Dems - evidenced by their poor performance in Otley & Wharfedale, and a vote sunk to their 1992 level. Another parallel to the 1992 election was the slump in overall turnout to a record low.
Peter Kersting's decision to forgo defending his seat for Pudsey South seen the absence of Independents from the council for the first time since 1983. The Greens advanced further into a respectable second place in Wortley, in contrast to the stagnant fortunes of the Liberals and the weakened support for the sole Militant Labour candidate.

## Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1996 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 27 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 84.8 | 56.2 | 89,806 | -2.8 |
| Conservative | 3 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 9.1 | 23.9 | 38,229 | +4.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 6.1 | 17.3 | 27,662 | -1.1 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 3,026 | -0.4 |
| Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 677 | +0.0 |
| Militant Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 232 | -0.1 |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 98 | +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 | 75 | 82 |
| | Conservative | 15 | 8 |
| | Liberal Democrat | 8 | 9 |
| | Independent | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 51 | 65 |

## Ward results

Aireborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tony Addison | 3,405 | 46.1 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | Richard Hughes-Rowlands | 2,512 | 34.0 | −4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Brown | 1,476 | 20.0 | +8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 893 | 12.1 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,393 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -0.1 | |
Armley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James McKenna | 2,568 | 68.0 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Glenn Broadbent | 457 | 12.1 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | George Lawson | 334 | 8.8 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Davies | 274 | 7.3 | +0.8 |
| | Green | Quentin Cooper | 145 | 3.8 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,111 | 55.9 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,778 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.3 | |
Barwick & Kippax :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Keith Wakefield | 4,481 | 70.2 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Ward | 1,320 | 20.7 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Lindley | 580 | 9.1 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,161 | 49.5 | −2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,381 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.3 | |
Beeston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Congreve | 2,165 | 73.2 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | William Wild | 427 | 14.4 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Sadler | 257 | 8.7 | −0.8 |
| | Green | Tania Jackson | 110 | 3.7 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,738 | 58.7 | −6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,959 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.2 | |
Bramley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Cherril Cliff | 2,788 | 78.4 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Jagdeep Birdi | 285 | 8.0 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Amor | 252 | 7.1 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal | Elizabeth Bee | 232 | 6.5 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,503 | 70.4 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,557 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.3 | |
Burmantofts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ronald Grahame | 2,441 | 73.7 | +8.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sadie Fisher | 680 | 20.5 | −10.9 |
| | Conservative | Graham Castle | 190 | 5.7 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,761 | 53.2 | +19.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,311 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +9.8 | |
Chapel Allerton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Garth Frankland | 3,215 | 72.8 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Kendall | 630 | 14.3 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Findlay | 374 | 8.5 | −0.6 |
| | Green | Alexander Begg | 195 | 4.4 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,585 | 58.6 | −1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,414 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
City & Holbeck :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Nash | 2,435 | 79.3 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pauline Bardon | 342 | 11.1 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative | David Boynton | 292 | 9.5 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,093 | 68.2 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,069 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
Cookridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Loudon | 3,120 | 48.6 | +8.9 |
| | Labour | Naomi Cummings | 2,250 | 35.1 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Bates | 1,045 | 16.3 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 870 | 13.6 | +12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,415 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.3 | |
Garforth & Swillington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Murray | 4,326 | 71.8 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Jack Stott | 1,000 | 16.6 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Dowling | 699 | 11.6 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,326 | 55.2 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,025 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.4 | |
Halton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Randolph Haggerty | 2,946 | 54.3 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | David Schofield | 1,779 | 32.8 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Appleyard | 537 | 9.9 | +1.1 |
| | Green | David Harbud | 159 | 2.9 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,167 | 21.5 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,421 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -2.7 | |
Harehills :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohammed Khan | 2,259 | 72.4 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Norman | 439 | 14.1 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Walter Buckland | 421 | 13.5 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,820 | 58.4 | −14.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,119 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.5 | |
Headingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sarah Perrigo | 2,667 | 62.9 | −6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Thompson | 675 | 15.9 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | Michael Gledhill | 552 | 13.0 | +2.6 |
| | Green | Peggy Alexander | 348 | 8.2 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,992 | 47.0 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,242 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.0 | |
Horsforth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Harris | 2,530 | 41.4 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | Mary Addison | 1,823 | 29.8 | +5.5 |
| | Labour | Roland Cross | 1,759 | 28.8 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 707 | 11.6 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,112 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.5 | |
Hunslet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Driver | 2,295 | 85.4 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Larvin | 202 | 7.5 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Buckingham | 191 | 7.1 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,093 | 77.9 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,688 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.2 | |
Kirkstall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Minkin | 3,060 | 76.2 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Steven Welsh | 364 | 9.1 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Pattenden | 241 | 6.0 | +0.2 |
| | Green | Alison Mander | 240 | 6.0 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal | Noel Nowosielski | 111 | 2.8 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,696 | 67.1 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,016 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.2 | |
Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jack Dunn | 2,630 | 81.6 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shaun Dolan | 360 | 11.2 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Stephen McBarron | 235 | 7.3 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,270 | 70.4 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,225 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.4 | |
Moortown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Harris | 3,014 | 53.6 | +4.0 |
| | Labour | Malcolm Hardy | 1,705 | 30.3 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Dibble | 908 | 16.1 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,309 | 23.3 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,627 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +2.6 | |
Morley North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Dawson | 3,026 | 58.3 | −8.0 |
| | Conservative | Alan Barraclough | 1,696 | 32.7 | +12.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Quentin Brown | 465 | 9.0 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,330 | 25.6 | −20.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,187 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -10.3 | |
Morley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bryan North | 3,103 | 62.1 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Leadley | 1,163 | 23.3 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative | Jan Galek | 731 | 14.6 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,940 | 38.8 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,997 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Brown | 2,221 | 36.8 | +7.2 |
| | Conservative | Peter Harrand | 1,936 | 32.1 | −1.6 |
| | Labour | Brian Selby | 1,883 | 31.2 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 285 | 4.7 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,040 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.4 | |
Otley & Wharfedale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Eveleigh | 2,648 | 37.0 | +2.8 |
| | Conservative | Charles Norman Hindle | 2,574 | 35.9 | +10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dawn Merrick | 1,943 | 27.1 | −13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 74 | 1.0 | −5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,165 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -4.0 | |
Pudsey North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Carter | 3,566 | 50.8 | +16.8 |
| | Labour | Sandra Womack | 2,717 | 38.7 | −12.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rodney Cam | 731 | 10.4 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 849 | 12.1 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,014 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +14.7 | |
Pudsey South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eugene "Mick" Coulson | 2,748 | 55.7 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rodney Keighley | 1,154 | 23.4 | −6.9 |
| | Conservative | Sheila Jackson | 896 | 18.2 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Graham Illingworth | 138 | 2.8 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,594 | 32.3 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,936 | | |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | +3.0 | |
Richmond Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Lyons | 2,453 | 84.4 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Norman | 304 | 10.5 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | William Birch | 149 | 5.1 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,149 | 74.0 | −0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,906 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.0 | |
Rothwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lorna Cohen | 2,736 | 64.7 | −8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mitchell Galdas | 908 | 21.5 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Anne Heeson | 582 | 13.8 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,828 | 43.3 | −13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,226 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.6 | |
Roundhay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jean White | 2,712 | 44.8 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Burnell | 2,173 | 35.9 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Wilfred Pickard | 1,031 | 17.0 | −1.4 |
| | Green | Andrew Ketchin | 138 | 2.3 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 539 | 8.9 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,054 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
Seacroft :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Hyde | 3,050 | 87.3 | +1.9 |
| | Conservative | Roy Jones | 227 | 6.5 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Betteridge | 218 | 6.2 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,823 | 80.8 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,495 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
University :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Maggie Giles-Hill | 2,264 | 73.9 | +4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Freeman | 290 | 9.5 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Robert Winfield | 279 | 9.1 | +2.4 |
| | Militant Labour | Chris Hill | 232 | 7.6 | -2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,974 | 64.4 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,065 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
Weetwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Judith Blake | 2,569 | 40.2 | −2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Penny Joan Ewens | 2,455 | 38.4 | +0.7 |
| | Conservative | Ann Castle | 1,195 | 18.7 | +1.6 |
| | Green | Claire Nash | 171 | 2.7 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 114 | 1.8 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,390 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -1.6 | |
Wetherby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Clark | 4,451 | 56.6 | +10.2 |
| | Labour | Reginald Steel | 2,523 | 32.1 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Melnick | 892 | 11.3 | −10.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,928 | 24.5 | +9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,866 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.9 | |
Whinmoor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Suzanne Armitage | 2,568 | 68.3 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | Richard Williams | 767 | 20.4 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Roberts | 326 | 8.7 | −0.5 |
| | Independent Labour | Anthony Thorpe | 98 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,801 | 47.9 | −6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,759 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.3 | |
Wortley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Philip Towler | 2,640 | 54.1 | −7.5 |
| | Green | David Blackburn | 1,382 | 28.3 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Michael Best | 490 | 10.0 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Brayshaw | 366 | 7.5 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,258 | 25.8 | −13.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,878 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.0 | |

## By-elections between 1996 and 1998

Beeston by-election 14 November 1996 replacing Jon Trickett (resigned) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Angela Gabriel | 1,025 | 47.4 | −25.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 864 | 40.0 | +31.3 |
| | Conservative | | 187 | 8.7 | −5.7 |
| | Militant Labour | | 44 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| | Green | | 42 | 1.9 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 161 | 7.4 | −51.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,162 | 17.0 | −6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -28.5 | |
Headingley by-election 10 July 1997 replacing Paul Truswell (resigned) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Black | 919 | 51.0 | −11.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 647 | 35.9 | +20.0 |
| | Conservative | | 235 | 13.0 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 272 | 15.1 | −31.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,801 | 9.1 | −12.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -15.9 | |
Whinmoor by-election 21 August 1997 replacing Elaine Pickard :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Gruen | 1,569 | 54.1 | −14.2 |
| | Conservative | | 1,077 | 37.1 | +16.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 225 | 7.8 | −0.9 |
| | Independent | | 28 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 492 | 17.0 | −30.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,899 | 21.1 | −6.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -15.4 | |