# 1970 Leeds City Council election

The 1970 Leeds City Council elections were held on 8 May 1970, with one third of the seats up for election, as well as an extra vacancy in Beeston.
The election seen a nationally resurgent Labour gain 10 seats and achieve a 13% swing from the Conservatives, returning to a competitive status after the routings suffered the previous two elections. Labour gains were as follows: Bramley, Burmantofts, Gipton, Osmondthorpe, Richmond Hill, Scott Hall, Seacroft, Stanningley, Whinmoor and Wortley. There was also a narrow hold in Burley, with Labour close to eliminating the almost 40% Conservative majority managed there the year before. The Liberals further increased their representation with a gain from the Conservatives, repeating their success in West Hunslet following the previous year's upset.

## Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1970 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 15 | 0 | 11 | -11 | 48.4 | 47.0 | 58,281 | -11.7 |
| Labour | 14 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 45.2 | 42.1 | 52,168 | +14.2 |
| Liberal | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 6.4 | 9.8 | 12,134 | -1.5 |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 1,108 | -0.8 |
| Ind. Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 400 | -0.3 |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 91 | +0.1 |
The 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 |
| | Conservatives | 73 | 25 | 62 | 25 |
| | Labour | 13 | 5 | 23 | 5 |
| | Liberals | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 90 | 30 | 90 | 30 |
| Total | Total | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 56 | 20 | 34 | 20 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 76 | 76 | 54 | 54 |

## Ward results

Armley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | H. Stephenson | 1,862 | 36.3 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | W. Thurlow | 1,669 | 32.6 | +10.7 |
| | Liberal | P. Chadsworth | 1,380 | 26.9 | −2.2 |
| | Ind. Conservative | G. Atkinson | 168 | 3.3 | −2.2 |
| | Communist | P. Wilton | 46 | 0.9 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 193 | 3.8 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,125 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -6.4 | |
Beeston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | L. Platt | 2,247 | 50.8 | −10.3 |
| | Conservative | A. Dunn | 2,208 | | |
| | Labour | S. Whelan | 1,734 | 39.2 | +10.1 |
| | Labour | M. Chadwick | 1,685 | | |
| | Liberal | A. Webster | 443 | 10.0 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal | D. Dawson | 394 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 513 | 11.6 | −20.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,424 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.2 | |
Bramley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Atkinson | 2,334 | 50.1 | +23.4 |
| | Conservative | D. Armitage | 1,998 | 42.9 | −11.3 |
| | Liberal | J. Coates | 325 | 7.0 | −12.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 336 | 7.2 | −20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,657 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.3 | |
Burley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | M. Davies | 1,868 | 49.6 | −16.6 |
| | Labour | J. Sully | 1,813 | 48.2 | +22.9 |
| | Communist | T. Flynn | 84 | 2.2 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 55 | 1.5 | −39.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,765 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -19.7 | |
Burmantofts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K. Cohen | 2,834 | 55.9 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | J. Brightbart | 1,697 | 33.5 | −16.3 |
| | Liberal | E. Britton | 496 | 9.8 | +9.8 |
| | Communist | F. Stockdale | 40 | 0.8 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,137 | 22.4 | +19.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,067 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.6 | |
Castleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Michael Meadowcroft | 2,127 | 53.7 | −0.9 |
| | Labour | K. Dockway | 1,449 | 36.6 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | E. Lewis | 343 | 8.7 | −7.7 |
| | Communist | G. Corscadden | 39 | 1.0 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 678 | 17.1 | −9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,958 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -4.9 | |
Chapel Allerton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Long | 2,854 | 82.3 | −0.7 |
| | Labour | G. Bloom | 401 | 11.6 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal | Deryck Ernest Senior | 211 | 6.1 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,453 | 70.8 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,466 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.9 | |
City :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ernest Morris | 1,748 | 65.7 | +12.3 |
| | Conservative | J. Sexton | 764 | 28.7 | −14.2 |
| | Liberal | Graham Rowlands | 75 | 2.8 | +2.8 |
| | Communist | T. Johnston | 72 | 2.7 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 984 | 37.0 | +26.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,659 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +13.2 | |
Cookridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | S. Lyons | 2,605 | 59.5 | −14.9 |
| | Labour | W. Lodge | 966 | 22.1 | +7.0 |
| | Liberal | E. Finkle | 806 | 18.4 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,639 | 37.4 | −21.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,377 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.9 | |
East Hunslet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Pepper | 1,907 | 66.6 | +8.9 |
| | Liberal | J. Barie | 581 | 20.3 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative | I. Holmes | 374 | 13.1 | −9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,326 | 46.3 | +11.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,862 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.0 | |
Gipton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Moynihan | 2,125 | 51.0 | +14.0 |
| | Conservative | W. Buckland | 1,876 | 45.1 | −16.1 |
| | Liberal | K. Pedder | 110 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| | Communist | J. Bellamy | 53 | 1.3 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 249 | 6.0 | −18.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,164 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +15.0 | |
Halton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Vaughan | 3,846 | 76.4 | −9.4 |
| | Labour | W. Spence | 1,129 | 22.4 | +11.6 |
| | Communist | G. McGowan | 56 | 1.1 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,717 | 54.0 | −21.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,031 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.5 | |
Harehills :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. White | 1,550 | 64.9 | −11.9 |
| | Labour | G. Wood | 712 | 29.8 | +18.1 |
| | Liberal | D. Preethy | 127 | 5.3 | −6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 838 | 35.1 | −29.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,389 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -15.0 | |
Headingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D. Barron | 2,904 | 71.4 | −8.3 |
| | Labour | T. Cooke | 1,164 | 28.6 | +17.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,740 | 42.8 | −25.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,068 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -12.8 | |
Holbeck :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. Matthews | 1,868 | 60.0 | +12.7 |
| | Liberal | R. Whitelock | 852 | 27.4 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | J. Spragg | 392 | 12.6 | −10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,016 | 32.6 | 15.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,112 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.7 | |
Kirkstall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Robertson | 2,825 | 50.2 | −7.7 |
| | Labour | J. Underwood | 2,440 | 43.4 | +10.7 |
| | Liberal | R. Worrall | 256 | 4.6 | −3.1 |
| | Communist | J. Sidebottom | 102 | 1.8 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 385 | 6.8 | −18.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,623 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -9.2 | |
Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | S. Binns | 2,507 | 63.2 | +9.2 |
| | Liberal | S. Robinson | 803 | 20.3 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | G. Hartley | 558 | 14.1 | −2.3 |
| | Communist | D. Priscott | 96 | 2.4 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,704 | 43.0 | +12.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,964 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.9 | |
Moortown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. Vaughan | 2,668 | 68.6 | −5.4 |
| | Labour | A. Donohoe | 903 | 23.2 | +12.0 |
| | Liberal | S. Rowland | 316 | 8.1 | −6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,765 | 45.4 | −13.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,887 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.7 | |
Osmondthorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Gabb | 2,810 | 61.6 | +11.8 |
| | Conservative | Doreen Wood | 1,694 | 37.1 | −8.6 |
| | Communist | T. Kelly | 57 | 1.2 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,116 | 24.5 | +20.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,561 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.2 | |
Richmond Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Mathers | 2,293 | 57.4 | +19.4 |
| | Conservative | D. Eastham | 1,547 | 38.7 | −15.9 |
| | Liberal | A. Wren | 70 | 1.8 | −2.5 |
| | Communist | P. Fawcett | 57 | 1.4 | −1.8 |
| | National Front | B. Thurlow | 31 | 0.8 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 746 | 18.7 | +2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,998 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.6 | |
Roundhay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Challenor | 3,166 | 85.3 | −6.0 |
| | Labour | Denise Atkinson | 544 | 14.7 | +6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,622 | 70.7 | −11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,710 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -6.0 | |
Scott Hall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. Ellis | 1,432 | 48.8 | +24.3 |
| | Conservative | L. Horton | 1,377 | 46.9 | −28.6 |
| | Communist | A. Dale | 127 | 4.3 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 55 | 1.9 | −49.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,936 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +26.4 | |
Seacroft :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K. Woolmer | 4,023 | 69.2 | +22.7 |
| | Conservative | M. Freegood | 1,737 | 29.9 | −19.6 |
| | Communist | H. Besser | 51 | 0.9 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,286 | 39.3 | +36.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,811 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +21.1 | |
Stanningley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin Gould | 2,657 | 54.3 | +10.4 |
| | Conservative | A. Vickers | 1,800 | 36.8 | −15.0 |
| | Liberal | V. Lockwood | 390 | 8.0 | +8.0 |
| | Communist | P. Sidebottom | 43 | 0.9 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 857 | 17.5 | +9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,890 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.7 | |
Talbot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Crousden | 3,172 | 81.5 | −6.0 |
| | Labour | R. Sedler | 721 | 18.5 | +6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,451 | 63.0 | −11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,893 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -6.0 | |
Weetwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | B. Peart | 3,737 | 77.9 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal | B. Reynolds | 537 | 11.2 | −1.3 |
| | Labour | A. Baum | 465 | 9.7 | +3.5 |
| | National Front | R. Green | 60 | 1.3 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,200 | 66.7 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,799 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.1 | |
West Hunslet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | W. Taylor | 1,710 | 41.4 | −13.4 |
| | Labour | E. Hodkinson | 1,267 | 30.7 | +12.5 |
| | Conservative | J. Crosby | 1,152 | 27.9 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115 | 10.7 | −17.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,129 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | -12.9 | |
Whinmoor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Coward | 2,123 | 59.3 | +10.7 |
| | Conservative | V. McNair | 1,382 | 38.6 | −10.9 |
| | Communist | J. Scawthorne | 74 | 2.1 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 741 | 20.7 | +19.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,579 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.8 | |
Woodhouse :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Sexton | 1,735 | 52.4 | −10.8 |
| | Labour | C. Buttery | 1,468 | 44.3 | +13.2 |
| | Communist | L. Morris | 111 | 3.3 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 267 | 8.1 | −23.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,314 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -12.0 | |
Wortley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Sargeant | 2,662 | 46.4 | +18.7 |
| | Conservative | R. Beal | 2,551 | 44.5 | −15.8 |
| | Liberal | Walter Holdsworth | 519 | 9.1 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 111 | 1.9 | −30.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,732 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.2 | |