Elections to Leeds City Council were held on 4 May 1978, with one third of the council up for election, as well as an extra vacancy in Wetherby. Prior to the election, the Hunslet East and West incumbent, Dennis Peddar, had defected from the Liberals to Independent, and fought this election as such.
The election seen a returning swing to Labour, although gains and losses were spread fairly equitably, with Labour narrowly gaining from the Conservatives in Wortley and comfortably from the Independent in Hunslet East and West, but losing Burmantofts and Richmond Hill to the Liberals. The Conservative gain from the Liberals in Pudsey South left the two parties' totals unchanged. This resulted in the Conservatives retaining control of the council, with an unaltered majority of four.[1]
Election result
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45.4 | 43.8 | 86,707 | -4.3% | |
Labour | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 45.4 | 40.5 | 80,070 | +6.6% | |
Liberal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.1 | 12.2 | 24,057 | -3.2% | |
Ecology | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 2,422 | +1.1% | |
National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2,185 | +0.2% | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1,425 | +0.6% | |
Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 913 | +0.1% |
This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
Party | Previous council | New council | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservatives | 50 | 50 | |||
Labour | 38 | 39 | |||
Liberals | 7 | 7 | |||
Independent | 1 | 0 | |||
Total | 96 | 96 | |||
Working majority | 4 | 4 |
Ward results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | W. Hudson | 5,202 | 56.6 | +0.2 | |
Labour | M. Dunn | 2,429 | 26.4 | −0.4 | |
Liberal | J. Brown | 1,556 | 16.9 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 2,773 | 30.2 | +0.6 | ||
Turnout | 9,187 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | M. Meadowcroft | 3,007 | 45.0 | +4.5 | |
Labour | C. Buttery | 2,122 | 31.8 | −1.3 | |
Conservative | C. Mathers | 1,339 | 20.0 | −1.6 | |
National Front | M. Spink | 87 | 1.3 | +0.5 | |
Ecology | J. Garrett | 74 | 1.1 | +1.1 | |
Communist | J. Hodgson | 54 | 0.8 | −0.2 | |
Majority | 885 | 13.2 | +5.8 | ||
Turnout | 6,683 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +2.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | A. Beevers | 4,409 | 61.7 | +11.6 | |
Conservative | E. Lucas | 2,574 | 36.0 | −3.3 | |
National Front | E. Thomas | 161 | 2.3 | +2.3 | |
Majority | 1,835 | 25.7 | +14.8 | ||
Turnout | 7,144 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +7.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | E. Atkinson | 2,764 | 53.9 | +2.6 | |
Conservative | W. Broadbent | 1,339 | 26.1 | −9.2 | |
Liberal | D. Selby | 910 | 17.8 | +4.5 | |
National Front | S. Smith | 60 | 1.2 | +1.2 | |
Communist | J. Light | 52 | 1.0 | +1.0 | |
Majority | 1,425 | 27.8 | +11.8 | ||
Turnout | 5,125 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +5.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | L. Cohen | 1,811 | 54.2 | +14.5 | |
Conservative | A. Sexton | 1,307 | 39.1 | −12.5 | |
Ecology | K. Baxter | 133 | 4.0 | +4.0 | |
Communist | B. Jackson | 57 | 1.7 | −0.8 | |
National Front | C. Whitehead | 36 | 1.1 | −0.2 | |
Majority | 504 | 15.1 | +3.2 | ||
Turnout | 3,344 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +13.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | M. Clay | 3,901 | 50.5 | +16.1 | |
Labour | Michael McGowan | 2,729 | 35.3 | −4.0 | |
Conservative | R. Simpson | 897 | 11.6 | −7.5 | |
National Front | S. Rigby | 119 | 1.5 | −1.1 | |
Communist | M. Monkman | 84 | 1.1 | −0.5 | |
Majority | 1,172 | 15.2 | +10.2 | ||
Turnout | 7,730 | ||||
Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +10.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | P. Sparling | 4,039 | 51.6 | −11.5 | |
Labour | J. Kerwin-Davey | 2,984 | 38.1 | +10.3 | |
Liberal | D. Thorpe | 495 | 6.3 | −2.8 | |
National Front | P. Jackson | 148 | 1.9 | +1.9 | |
Communist | L. Willoughby | 108 | 1.4 | +1.4 | |
Ecology | T. Bernstein | 54 | 0.7 | +0.7 | |
Majority | 1,055 | 13.5 | −21.8 | ||
Turnout | 7,828 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -10.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | W. Merritt | 2,644 | 64.3 | +12.1 | |
Conservative | C. Hudson | 1,093 | 26.6 | −2.7 | |
Liberal | A. Ali | 177 | 4.3 | −10.4 | |
Communist | J. Rodgers | 130 | 3.2 | −0.7 | |
National Front | A. Rhodes | 69 | 1.7 | +1.7 | |
Majority | 1,551 | 37.7 | +14.8 | ||
Turnout | 4,113 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +7.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ralph David Hall | 6,201 | 64.5 | −8.3 | |
Labour | John Illingworth | 2,091 | 21.7 | +3.3 | |
Liberal | David Gazey | 1,132 | 11.8 | +2.9 | |
Ecology | P. Lewenz | 197 | 2.0 | +2.0 | |
Majority | 4,110 | 42.7 | −11.6 | ||
Turnout | 9,621 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -5.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | B. Rowley | 4,487 | 60.5 | −4.0 | |
Labour | H. Martin | 2,451 | 33.0 | +1.3 | |
Ecology | D. Corry | 483 | 6.5 | +6.5 | |
Majority | 2,036 | 27.5 | −5.3 | ||
Turnout | 7,421 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | R. Dixon | 4,265 | 62.3 | +12.4 | |
Conservative | W. Buckland | 2,363 | 34.5 | −11.2 | |
National Front | B. Spink | 137 | 2.0 | −2.4 | |
Communist | G. Thompson | 82 | 1.2 | +1.2 | |
Majority | 1,902 | 27.8 | +23.6 | ||
Turnout | 6,847 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +11.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | M. Dodgson | 4,034 | 70.1 | −1.2 | |
Labour | D. Brown | 1,586 | 27.6 | +1.5 | |
National Front | C. Dewar | 134 | 2.3 | −0.3 | |
Majority | 2,448 | 42.5 | −2.8 | ||
Turnout | 5,754 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -1.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | P. Crotty | 4,139 | 54.6 | −14.4 | |
Labour | M. Lyons | 2,821 | 37.2 | +10.5 | |
Liberal | H. Bevans | 396 | 5.2 | +5.2 | |
Ecology | A. Andrew | 118 | 1.6 | +1.6 | |
National Front | C. Dewar | 105 | 1.4 | −2.9 | |
Majority | 1,318 | 17.4 | −24.9 | ||
Turnout | 7,579 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -12.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | E. Clark | 2,240 | 45.1 | −11.3 | |
Labour | E. Whelan | 1,645 | 33.1 | +6.9 | |
Liberal | D. Rolfe | 692 | 13.9 | +0.7 | |
Communist | B. Cooper | 210 | 4.2 | −0.1 | |
Ecology | K. Rushworth | 185 | 3.7 | +3.7 | |
Majority | 595 | 12.0 | −18.2 | ||
Turnout | 4,972 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -9.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | M. Crossfield | 3,413 | 44.1 | +11.8 | |
Conservative | B. Pickard | 3,201 | 41.4 | −9.0 | |
Labour | T. Watson | 864 | 11.2 | −2.6 | |
Ecology | D. Darnborough | 262 | 3.4 | +3.4 | |
Majority | 212 | 2.7 | −15.3 | ||
Turnout | 7,740 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +10.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | G. Driver | 3,035 | 49.9 | +6.9 | |
Independent | D. Pedder | 1,425 | 23.4 | +23.4 | |
Liberal | J. Finnigan | 795 | 13.1 | −31.3 | |
Conservative | R. Tetley | 670 | 11.0 | +2.4 | |
National Front | N. Griffiths | 462 | 2.7 | −0.6 | |
Majority | 1,610 | 26.4 | +24.9 | ||
Turnout | 6,087 | ||||
Labour gain from Independent | Swing | -8.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | K. Smith | 3,219 | 59.0 | +5.4 | |
Conservative | B. King | 2,234 | 41.0 | −0.8 | |
Majority | 985 | 18.0 | +6.2 | ||
Turnout | 5,453 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +3.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Elizabeth Nash | 3,373 | 56.8 | +6.0 | |
Conservative | T. Battersby | 2,327 | 39.2 | −5.1 | |
Liberal | Laurence Keates | 239 | 4.0 | +4.0 | |
Majority | 1,046 | 17.6 | +11.1 | ||
Turnout | 5,939 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +5.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | J. Taylor | 3,156 | 77.4 | +17.6 | |
Conservative | N. Landers | 789 | 19.3 | −6.0 | |
Communist | R. Ward | 82 | 2.0 | −0.4 | |
National Front | R. Buck | 52 | 1.3 | +1.3 | |
Majority | 2,367 | 58.0 | +23.6 | ||
Turnout | 4,079 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +11.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | A. Redmond | 2,926 | 62.9 | −2.6 | |
Labour | I. Levy | 1,567 | 33.7 | +11.5 | |
Ecology | S. Waldenberg | 160 | 3.4 | −0.3 | |
Majority | 1,359 | 29.2 | −14.1 | ||
Turnout | 4,653 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -7.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | B. Barker | 3,209 | 50.7 | +0.1 | |
Labour | B. North | 3,119 | 49.3 | +21.3 | |
Majority | 90 | 1.4 | −21.3 | ||
Turnout | 6,328 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -10.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | B. Haydn | 3,310 | 62.3 | +12.4 | |
Conservative | C. Rover | 1,999 | 37.7 | −12.4 | |
Majority | 1,311 | 24.7 | +24.5 | ||
Turnout | 5,309 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +12.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | D. Gabb | 2,399 | 66.7 | +11.7 | |
Conservative | D. Zucker | 1,087 | 30.2 | −5.1 | |
National Front | L. Fella | 113 | 3.1 | −2.1 | |
Majority | 1,312 | 36.5 | +16.9 | ||
Turnout | 3,599 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +8.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | F. Atkinson | 3,937 | 50.1 | +5.6 | |
Liberal | J. Spencer | 2,910 | 37.0 | −7.1 | |
Labour | I. Swain | 960 | 12.2 | +1.4 | |
Communist | A. Oddy | 54 | 0.7 | +0.0 | |
Majority | 1,027 | 13.1 | +12.8 | ||
Turnout | 7,861 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | A. Carter | 3,724 | 59.2 | +13.7 | |
Labour | P. Burrill | 1,756 | 27.9 | +4.9 | |
Liberal | S. Hollingworth | 812 | 12.9 | −18.5 | |
Majority | 1,968 | 31.3 | +17.2 | ||
Turnout | 6,292 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | L. Fletcher | 2,475 | 43.0 | −2.3 | |
Liberal | G. Wilson | 2,065 | 35.9 | +5.3 | |
Labour | W. Thurlow | 1,211 | 21.1 | −3.0 | |
Majority | 410 | 7.1 | −7.6 | ||
Turnout | 5,751 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | -3.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | R. Lund | 4,939 | 62.4 | +18.3 | |
Conservative | R. Harvey | 2,781 | 35.1 | +6.5 | |
National Front | J. Duckenfield | 194 | 2.5 | +2.5 | |
Majority | 2,158 | 27.3 | +11.8 | ||
Turnout | 7,914 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | I. Adams | 3,303 | 70.4 | +12.7 | |
Conservative | D. Townsley | 1,256 | 26.8 | −10.4 | |
National Front | C. Cannon | 135 | 2.9 | −0.4 | |
Majority | 2,047 | 43.6 | +23.1 | ||
Turnout | 4,694 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +11.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | A. Miller | 2,699 | 60.2 | +8.2 | |
Conservative | I. Benton | 1,392 | 31.1 | −4.0 | |
Liberal | F. Upton | 316 | 7.0 | −5.9 | |
National Front | M. Gibson | 76 | 1.7 | +1.7 | |
Majority | 1,307 | 29.1 | +12.2 | ||
Turnout | 4,483 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +6.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | I. Bellow | 3,687 | 69.4 | −2.4 | |
Labour | B. Walker | 1,061 | 20.0 | +2.7 | |
Liberal | M. Phillips | 320 | 6.0 | −4.9 | |
Ecology | S. Parkin | 201 | 3.8 | +3.8 | |
National Front | L. Spink | 46 | 0.9 | +0.9 | |
Majority | 2,626 | 49.4 | −5.0 | ||
Turnout | 5,315 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | D. Hudson | 5,419 | 71.5 | −3.2 | |
Conservative | J. Grange | 5,311 | |||
Labour | J. Taylor | 963 | 12.7 | −1.3 | |
Labour | M. Moynihan | 808 | |||
Liberal | J. Scott | 641 | 8.5 | −2.8 | |
Ecology | M. Sellers | 555 | 7.3 | +7.3 | |
Majority | 4,456 | 58.8 | −1.8 | ||
Turnout | 7,578 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | P. Fathers | 2,385 | 44.5 | +3.8 | |
Conservative | F. Stubley | 2,340 | 43.7 | −3.5 | |
Liberal | W. Moss | 519 | 9.7 | −2.4 | |
National Front | A. Smith | 112 | 2.1 | +2.1 | |
Majority | 45 | 0.8 | −5.7 | ||
Turnout | 5,356 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.6 |