# 1961 Sheffield City Council election

The 1961 Sheffield City Council election was held on 11 May 1961, with a third up for election plus a double vacancy in Owlerton. The results were largely a reversal of the previous election; a higher turnout - 35%, up significantly from the previous year's low of 25% - brought a much stronger Labour result with the seats they'd lost the preceding year held comfortably. All seats were contested and successfully defended this year, seeing no change in the make-up of the council.

## Election result

Sheffield Local Election Result 1961 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72.0 | 50.3 | 56,101 | +6.5 |
| Conservative and Liberal Unionist | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28.0 | 42.5 | 47,426 | -10.0 |
| Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 3,263 | +1.9 |
| Ratepayers Association | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 2,126 | -0.3 |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 2,043 | +1.4 |
| Municipal Reform | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 392 | +0.3 |
| Union Movement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 164 | +0.2 |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | Previous council | New council | New council |
| Party | Party | Cllr | Ald | Cllr | Ald |
| | Labour | 50 | 17 | 50 | 17 |
| | Conservative-Liberals | 24 | 8 | 24 | 8 |
| | Ratepayers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | Liberals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Municipal Reform | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Union Movement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 75 | 25 | 75 | 25 |
| Total | Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 25 | 9 | 25 | 9 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |

## Ward results

Attercliffe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Scott | 1,865 | 76.1 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | William Keen | 584 | 23.8 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,281 | 52.3 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,449 | 16.9 | +3.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.6 | |
Brightside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Redgate | 1,937 | 81.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Roger Cooke | 434 | 18.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,503 | 63.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,371 | 20.4 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Broomhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Jack Peile | 3,501 | 79.3 | −1.9 |
| | Labour | J. Birkhead | 912 | 20.7 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,589 | 58.7 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,413 | 29.0 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -1.9 | |
Burngreave :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alfred Wild | 1,915 | 65.3 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Dane Clissold | 1,018 | 34.7 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 897 | 30.6 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,933 | 26.7 | +6.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.9 | |
Cathedral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Sharpe | 2,084 | 79.3 | +6.8 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Ivan Harrington | 543 | 20.7 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,541 | 58.7 | +13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,627 | 27.2 | +7.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.8 | |
Crookesmoor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jack Watson | 2,306 | 57.8 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Gordon Wragg | 1,419 | 35.5 | −5.3 |
| | Communist | David Jeffrey | 265 | 6.6 | +6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 887 | 22.2 | +4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,990 | 35.7 | +9.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.0 | |
Darnall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Owen | 2,949 | 60.9 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Noel Taylor | 1,454 | 30.0 | −11.0 |
| | Communist | William Newton | 437 | 9.0 | +9.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,495 | 30.9 | +13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,840 | 25.3 | +5.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.5 | |
Ecclesall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Daniel O'Neill | 4,812 | 86.8 | −2.1 |
| | Labour | Peter Horton | 732 | 13.2 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,080 | 73.6 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,544 | 33.4 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -2.1 | |
Firth Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norman Bentley | 2,311 | 52.1 | +5.2 |
| | Ratepayers Association | G. Windle | 2,126 | 47.9 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 185 | 4.1 | −5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,437 | 33.9 | +8.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.2 | |
Hallam :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Reginald Ashmore | 4,357 | 73.0 | +5.7 |
| | Labour | R. Day | 1,612 | 27.0 | +9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,745 | 46.0 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,969 | 36.3 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -1.8 | |
Handsworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Albert Richardson | 3,769 | 58.0 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | S. Bell | 2,731 | 42.0 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,038 | 16.0 | +6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,500 | 33.8 | +12.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
Heeley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Sewell | 2,615 | 49.3 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | John Barraclough | 1,866 | 35.2 | −17.0 |
| | Liberal | Robert Jackson | 818 | 15.4 | +15.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 749 | 14.1 | +9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,299 | 44.1 | +10.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.3 | |
Hillsborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Kenneth Arnold | 3,640 | 58.9 | −6.2 |
| | Labour | William Meade | 2,153 | 41.1 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 932 | 17.8 | −12.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,238 | 38.4 | +5.1 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -6.2 | |
Manor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Austin Conroy | 3,640 | 77.4 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Raymond Hadfield | 762 | 16.2 | −3.6 |
| | Communist | John Hukin | 299 | 6.3 | +6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,878 | 61.2 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,701 | 29.2 | +10.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Florence Roebuck | 2,318 | 63.2 | +14.6 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Robert Lawther | 1,346 | 36.7 | −14.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 972 | 26.5 | +23.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,664 | 32.3 | +11.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +14.6 | |
Nether Edge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Lionel Farris | 2,598 | 59.1 | −15.4 |
| | Labour | Kenneth Brack | 1,103 | 25.1 | −0.3 |
| | Liberal | Dennis Boothroyd | 694 | 15.8 | +15.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,495 | 34.0 | −15.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,395 | 35.1 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -7.5 | |
Nether Shire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fred Staton | 2,422 | 66.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Ida Crowther | 980 | 27.0 | N/A |
| | Communist | Howard Hill | 221 | 6.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,442 | 39.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,623 | 26.6 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Norton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | William Blake | 5,620 | 57.4 | −11.0 |
| | Labour | Joseph Ashton | 3,332 | 34.0 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal | Ben Thorpe | 832 | 8.5 | +8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,288 | 23.4 | −13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,784 | 40.4 | +8.9 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -6.7 | |
Owlerton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mate | 2,413 | 57.1 | +4.0 |
| | Labour | John Yeardley | 2,146 | | |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Irvine Patnick | 1,421 | 33.6 | −13.3 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Frank Adams | 1,140 | | |
| | Municipal Reform | Harry Hoyle | 392 | 9.3 | +9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 992 | 23.5 | +17.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,226 | 35.2 | +10.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.6 | |
Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Knowles | 2,092 | 67.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Alistair Forsyth | 706 | 22.8 | N/A |
| | Communist | George Caborn | 296 | 9.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,386 | 44.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,094 | 28.2 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Sharrow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Vera Boyd | 2,354 | 52.1 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | L. Nicholson | 1,615 | 35.7 | −17.9 |
| | Liberal | George Swift | 330 | 7.3 | +7.3 |
| | Communist | John Chapman | 221 | 4.9 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 739 | 16.3 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,520 | 40.3 | +10.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.8 | |
Southey Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Winifred Golding | 3,235 | 73.4 | −13.6 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Gordon Herringshaw | 865 | 19.6 | +19.6 |
| | Communist | Terence Devey | 304 | 6.9 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,370 | 53.8 | −20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,404 | 25.3 | +12.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -16.6 | |
Tinsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norman Eldred | 2,203 | 74.1 | +10.0 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | W. Baxter | 771 | 25.9 | −10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,432 | 48.1 | +20.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,974 | 27.0 | +8.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.0 | |
Walkley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Cooper | 2,124 | 57.4 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Connie Dodson | 1,410 | 38.1 | −11.0 |
| | Union Movement | Francis Hamley | 164 | 4.4 | +4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 714 | 19.3 | +17.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,698 | 29.5 | +6.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.7 | |
Woodseats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | W. Pallett | 3,528 | 60.6 | −10.5 |
| | Labour | L. Ward | 1,705 | 29.3 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal | Colin Wood | 589 | 10.1 | +10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,823 | 31.3 | −10.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,822 | 38.3 | +7.2 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -5.4 | |

## By-elections between 1961 and 1962

Hallam By-election 29 June 1961 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Gordon Wragg | 2,063 | 66.0 | −7.0 |
| | Liberal | Robert Jackson | 1,064 | 34.0 | +34.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 999 | 32.0 | −14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,127 | 19.0 | −13.2 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -20.5 | |
Woodseats By-election 29 June 1961 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist | Robert Lawther | 2,088 | 59.6 | −1.0 |
| | Labour | L. Ward | 829 | 23.7 | −5.6 |
| | Liberal | Colin Wood | 515 | 14.7 | +4.6 |
| | Union Movement | John Wood | 70 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,259 | 35.9 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,502 | 23.0 | −15.3 |
| | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Conservative and Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +2.3 | |