Leeds City Council election, 1946
The Leeds municipal elections were held on Saturday 2 November 1946,[1] with one third of the council and vacancies in Burmantofts and Farnley & Wortley to be elected. A handful of wards - Armley & Wortley, Burmantofts, Holbeck North, Hunslet Carr & Middleton and Osmondthorpe - went uncontested.[2]
Rebounding from the heavy defeat the year before, the Conservatives managed a 13% swing[3] to win the popular vote - although that feat went poorly rewarded, as Labour won a comfortable majority of the seats contested and made a net gain to add to their national victory.[1][2] Elsewhere the Liberal vote was less than half of that the previous year, and the Communists contested this year with three candidates. Turnout seen a slight drop from the prior election to 41.9%.[3]
Election result
| Leeds Local Election Result 1946 |
| Party |
Seats |
Gains |
Losses |
Net gain/loss |
Seats % |
Votes % |
Votes |
+/− |
| |
Labour |
19 |
? |
? |
+1 |
67.8 |
44.9 |
53,865 |
-12.9% |
| |
Conservative |
9 |
? |
? |
-1 |
32.1 |
51.4 |
61,668 |
+14.3% |
| |
Liberal |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
2.9 |
3,434 |
-2.1% |
| |
Communist |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0.7 |
903 |
+0.7% |
The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:[3]
| Party |
Previous council |
New council |
| Cllr |
Ald |
Cllr |
Ald |
|
Labour |
58 |
15 |
59 |
15 |
|
Conservatives |
20 |
11 |
19 |
11 |
| Total |
78 |
26 |
78 |
26 |
| 104 |
104 |
| Working majority |
38 |
4 |
40 |
4 |
| 42 |
44 |
Ward results
Central[2]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Labour |
A. Lowcock |
1,621 |
62.4 |
-6.7 |
|
Conservative |
P. Stead |
977 |
37.6 |
+6.7 |
| Majority |
644 |
24.8 |
-13.3 |
| Turnout |
2,598 |
|
|
Holbeck South[2]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Labour |
F. Burnley |
2,110 |
72.8 |
+3.5 |
|
Liberal |
W. Holdsworth |
789 |
27.2 |
+14.1 |
| Majority |
1,321 |
45.6 |
-6.0 |
| Turnout |
2,899 |
|
|
Mill Hill & South[2]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Conservative |
D. Cowling |
1,267 |
51.5 |
+8.4 |
|
Labour |
H. Hyams |
1,194 |
48.5 |
-8.4 |
| Majority |
73 |
3.0 |
-10.9 |
| Turnout |
2,461 |
|
|
North[2]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Conservative |
D. Kaberry |
7,003 |
77.7 |
+20.1 |
|
Labour |
N. Davey |
2,015 |
22.3 |
-6.4 |
| Majority |
4,988 |
55.3 |
+26.5 |
| Turnout |
9,018 |
|
|
Pottermewton[2]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Conservative |
J. Mulley |
3,124 |
55.0 |
+11.5 |
|
Labour |
B. Weinrib |
1,961 |
34.5 |
-22.1 |
|
Communist |
B. Ramelson |
598 |
10.5 |
+10.5 |
| Majority |
1,163 |
20.5 |
+7.3 |
| Turnout |
5,683 |
|
|
Upper Armley[2]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Labour |
W. Braham |
2,931 |
48.2 |
-10.8 |
|
Conservative |
E. Glover |
2,749 |
45.2 |
+4.2 |
|
Liberal |
G. Petch |
399 |
6.6 |
+6.6 |
| Majority |
182 |
3.0 |
-15.0 |
| Turnout |
6,079 |
|
|
West Hunslet[2]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Labour |
T. Ellison |
2,668 |
66.0 |
-5.1 |
|
Conservative |
P. Woodward |
1,243 |
30.7 |
+12.4 |
|
Communist |
J. Roche |
134 |
3.3 |
+3.3 |
| Majority |
1,425 |
35.2 |
-17.5 |
| Turnout |
4,045 |
|
|
Westfield[2]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Labour |
J. Rafferty |
1,392 |
61.5 |
-12.6 |
|
Conservative |
G. Harrison |
871 |
38.5 |
+12.6 |
| Majority |
521 |
23.0 |
-25.3 |
| Turnout |
2,263 |
|
|
References