# Leeds North (UK Parliament constituency)

Leeds North was a borough constituency in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Leeds wards of Headingley and North West, and parts of the wards of Brunswick, North, and North East.
1918–1950: Parts of the County Borough of Leeds wards of Brunswick, Headingley, North, and North West.
1950–1951: The County Borough of Leeds wards of North, Roundhay, and Woodhouse.
1951–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Allerton, Moortown, Roundhay, and Woodhouse.

## History

The constituency was created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and was first used in the general election of that year. Leeds had previously been represented by two MPs (1832–1868) and three MPs (1868–1885). From 1885 it was represented by five single-member constituencies: Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West. The constituencies of Morley, Otley and Pudsey were also created in 1885.
The constituency was abolished in 1955. After the 1955 general election Leeds was represented by Leeds East (created 1885, abolished 1918, recreated 1955), Leeds North East (created 1918), Leeds North West (created 1950), Leeds South, and Leeds South East (created 1918). There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley (created 1918) and Pudsey (created 1885, replaced by Pudsey and Otley 1918–1950).

## Members of Parliament

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | William Jackson | Conservative |
| | 1902 | Rowland Barran | Liberal |
| | 1918 | Alexander Farquharson | Coalition Liberal |
| | 1922 | Hugh Myddleton Butler | Unionist |
| | 1923 | Sir Gervase Beckett | Unionist |
| | 1929 | Osbert Peake | Unionist |
| 1955 | 1955 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Jackson | 4,494 | 51.5 | |
| | Liberal | Arthur Rucker | 4,237 | 48.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 257 | 3.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,731 | 86.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,128 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Jackson | 4,301 | 53.9 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Albert Osliff Rutson | 3,682 | 46.1 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 619 | 7.8 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,983 | 78.8 | −7.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,128 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1891 Leeds North by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Jackson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Jackson's appointment as Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
General election 1892: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Jackson | 5,790 | 54.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Leuty | 4,776 | 45.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,014 | 9.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,566 | 85.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,294 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Jackson | 5,992 | 57.2 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Herbert Stanhope Baines | 4,484 | 42.8 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,508 | 14.4 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,476 | 77.2 | −8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,563 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Jackson | 7,512 | 60.1 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal | James Cullen Hamilton | 4,995 | 39.9 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,517 | 20.2 | +5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,507 | 71.9 | −5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,387 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.9 | |
1902 Leeds North by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Rowland Barran | 7,539 | 52.6 | +12.7 |
| | Conservative | Arthur Tredgold Lawson | 6,781 | 47.4 | −12.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 758 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,320 | 75.0 | +3.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,094 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.7 | |
General election 1906: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Rowland Barran | 9,593 | 57.4 | +17.5 |
| | Conservative | John Birchall | 7,109 | 42.6 | −17.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,484 | 14.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,702 | 78.8 | +6.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,196 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.5 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Rowland Barran | 10,775 | 54.0 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | John Birchall | 9,164 | 46.0 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,611 | 8.0 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,939 | 86.8 | +8.0 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
General election December 1910: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Rowland Barran | 9,324 | 50.7 | −3.3 |
| | Conservative | John Birchall | 9,056 | 49.3 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 268 | 1.4 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,380 | 80.0 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -3.3 | |
General Election 1914–15
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal: Rowland Barran
* Unionist: John Birchall
General election 1918: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Alexander Farquharson | 13,863 | 74.7 | +24.0 |
| | Labour | George Hartley Thompson | 3,423 | 18.4 | New |
| | National | Harold Frazer Wyatt | 1,282 | 6.9 | −42.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,440 | 56.3 | +54.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,568 | 49.0 | −31.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,904 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Hugh Myddleton Butler | 13,771 | 51.4 | +44.5 |
| | Liberal | Edwin Oldroyd Dodgson | 7,230 | 26.9 | −47.8 |
| | Labour | David Stewart | 5,836 | 21.7 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,541 | 24.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,837 | 71.8 | +22.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,383 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1923: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Gervase Beckett | 14,066 | 54.0 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal | Edwin Oldroyd Dodgson | 6,624 | 25.4 | −1.5 |
| | Labour | David Stewart | 5,384 | 20.6 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,442 | 28.6 | +4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,074 | 67.1 | −4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 38,873 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +2.1 | |
General election 1924: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Gervase Beckett | 18,502 | 70.0 | +16.0 |
| | Labour | Sam Crowther Moore | 7,920 | 30.0 | +9.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,582 | 40.0 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,422 | 67.1 | 0.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,373 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
General election 1929: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Osbert Peake | 19,661 | 48.2 | −21.8 |
| | Labour | Thomas McCall | 11,180 | 27.4 | −2.6 |
| | Liberal | Edmund Harvey | 9,944 | 24.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,481 | 20.8 | −19.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,785 | 73.6 | +6.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,429 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −9.6 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Osbert Peake | 34,964 | 78.8 | +30.6 |
| | Labour | L John Edwards | 9,427 | 21.2 | −6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,537 | 57.6 | +36.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,391 | 74.0 | +0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Osbert Peake | 30,636 | 69.0 | −9.8 |
| | Labour | L John Edwards | 13,792 | 31.0 | +9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,844 | 38.0 | −19.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,428 | 66.8 | −7.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative 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;
* Conservative: Osbert Peake
* Labour: Ronald Hodgson
* Liberal: Howard B Tanner

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Osbert Peake | 22,848 | 42.0 | −27.0 |
| | Labour | Ronald Hodgson | 22,720 | 41.8 | +10.8 |
| | Liberal | John Hutchison MacCallum Scott | 8,824 | 16.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 128 | 0.2 | −37.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,392 | 72.0 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Osbert Peake | 27,766 | 58.8 | +16.8 |
| | Labour | Robert J Hurst | 15,018 | 31.8 | −10.0 |
| | Liberal | Winifred Underhill | 4,446 | 9.4 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,748 | 27.0 | +26.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,230 | 84.2 | +12.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Leeds North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Osbert Peake | 30,290 | 63.7 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | Philip Taylor | 17,249 | 36.3 | +4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,041 | 27.4 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,539 | 81.7 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |