1982 UK local government election
Map of the results for the 1982 Leeds council election. Elections to Leeds City Council were held on Thursday, 6 May 1982, with one-third of the council to be elected. As well as that, there was a vacancy to fill after the defection of Whinmoor incumbent Edward Hewitt to the newly formed Alliance between the Liberal Party and the Labour-breakaway Social Democratic Party in February, following his colleague and Headingley councillor, Ernest Millet, who had also defected to the SDP two months prior.[1]
The first election featuring the Alliance seen their support increase by a third upon the previous election , mostly at the expense of the Labour vote, but also helped by the comparative absence of minor parties this election. The Alliance surge resulted in Leeds first three-way race for the popular vote, with the Conservatives pipping Labour by less than 3,000 votes.[1]
The large swings from Labour to Alliance produced gains in Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, as well as allowing Conservative gains in Barwick & Kippax, Garforth & Swillington, Morley North and Pudsey South. There was also an Alliance gain from the Conservatives in the already marginal Horsforth, but with the Ecologist absence playing a bigger role there. Despite the inferior vote and near-halving of their majority by six losses, Labour still won a plurality of the seats fought, and gained back the Headingley and Whinmoor seats they'd lost through defections.[1]
Election result Leeds Local Election Result 1982 Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/− Labour 16 2 6 -4 47.1 34.4 69,222 -9.3% Conservative 13 4 1 +3 38.2 35.8 72,113 +1.4% Alliance 5 3 2 +1 14.7 29.4 59,161 +11.4% Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 475 -0.4% Ecology 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 284 -2.6%
This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
Party Previous council New council Labour 60 56 Conservatives 29 32 Alliance 10 11 Total 99 99 Working majority 21 13
Ward results Aireborough[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative T. Hawkins 3,530 42.1 +1.6 Alliance (Liberal) G. McCabe 3,062 36.6 +6.5 Labour P. Booth 1,783 21.3 −5.0 Majority 468 5.6 −4.9 Turnout 8,375 Conservative hold Swing -2.4
Armley[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Alliance (Liberal) M. Roberts 2,531 46.5 −5.1 Labour A. Gunter 1,600 29.4 −2.0 Conservative H. Hinchliffe 1,260 23.1 +7.2 Communist J. Light 53 1.0 −0.1 Majority 931 17.1 −3.1 Turnout 5,444 Alliance hold Swing -1.5
Barwick & Kippax [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative B. Rowley 2,797 42.7 +5.9 Labour K. Smith 2,581 39.4 −11.6 Alliance (SDP) D. Howard 1,175 17.9 +11.8 Majority 216 3.3 −10.9 Turnout 6,553 Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.7
Beeston [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour Michael McGowan 2,297 46.3 −4.0 Conservative W. Birch 1,585 32.0 +4.3 Alliance (SDP) L. Shaffner 1,074 21.7 +2.1 Majority 712 14.3 −8.3 Turnout 4,956 Labour hold Swing -4.1
Bramley [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour A. Atkinson 2,545 45.5 −19.2 Alliance (Liberal) A. Ballentyne 2,017 36.1 +22.7 Conservative F. Stubley 1,028 18.4 −3.5 Majority 528 9.4 −33.5 Turnout 5,590 Labour hold Swing -20.9
Burmantofts [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Alliance (Liberal) M. Clay 3,235 53.1 +14.3 Labour R. Sedler 2,135 35.1 −12.3 Conservative V. Dodgson 666 10.9 +0.3 Communist M. Monkman 54 0.9 −2.3 Majority 1,100 18.1 +9.5 Turnout 6,090 Alliance gain from Labour Swing +13.3
Chapel Allerton[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour N. Taggart 3,307 55.5 +4.2 Conservative M. Sexton 1,609 27.0 −6.9 Alliance (Liberal) C. Smith 1,041 17.5 +8.8 Majority 1,698 28.5 +11.1 Turnout 5,957 Labour hold Swing +5.5
City & Holbeck [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour C. Myers 3,022 61.7 −6.1 Alliance (Liberal) S. Gillen 1,101 22.5 +2.5 Conservative D. Tomlinson 778 15.9 +3.6 Majority 1,921 39.2 −8.6 Turnout 4,901 Labour hold Swing -4.3
Cookridge [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. Carter 3,869 55.9 −2.8 Alliance (SDP) J. Johnson 2,152 31.1 +16.3 Labour U. Wadsworth 897 13.0 −8.9 Majority 1,717 24.8 −12.1 Turnout 6,918 Conservative hold Swing -9.5
Garforth & Swillington[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative D. Schofield 2,895 40.5 +2.2 Labour E. Smith 2,473 34.6 −16.7 Alliance (SDP) P. Wilson 1,777 24.9 +17.7 Majority 422 5.9 −7.1 Turnout 7,145 Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.4
Halton][1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative D. Wood 3,578 55.9 −3.4 Alliance (SDP) J. Ratcliffe 1,675 26.2 +19.3 Labour P. McGreevy 1,151 18.0 −15.9 Majority 1,903 29.7 +4.4 Turnout 6,404 Conservative hold Swing -11.3
Harehills [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour T. Briggs 3,083 60.2 −3.3 Conservative F. Brownbridge 1,306 25.5 −2.4 Alliance (Liberal) T. Bland 736 14.4 +5.7 Majority 1,777 34.7 −0.9 Turnout 5,125 Labour hold Swing -0.4
Horsforth[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Alliance (Liberal) J. Cummins 3,469 45.6 +2.0 Conservative V. Stevens 3,335 43.8 +3.8 Labour J. Monksfield 803 10.6 −0.5 Majority 134 1.8 −1.8 Turnout 7,607 Alliance gain from Conservative Swing -0.9
Hunslet [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour Trevor Park 2,823 73.6 −10.8 Alliance (SDP) G. Fox 657 17.1 +8.3 Conservative J. Sibbald 354 9.2 +2.5 Majority 2,166 56.5 −19.1 Turnout 3,834 Labour hold Swing -9.5
Kirkstall[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour Bernard Atha 3,266 55.8 −7.1 Conservative A. Walkington 1,738 29.7 +3.1 Alliance (Liberal) J. Ackrill 769 13.1 +6.7 Communist B. Jackson 83 1.4 −0.8 Majority 1,528 26.1 −10.2 Turnout 5,856 Labour hold Swing -5.1
Middleton [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour I. Walters 2,287 64.0 −9.5 Alliance (Liberal) D. Hart 662 18.5 +8.4 Conservative A. Larvin 623 17.4 +4.2 Majority 1,625 45.5 −14.8 Turnout 3,572 Labour hold Swing -8.9
Moortown[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative S. Symmonds 3,198 49.4 −3.5 Alliance (SDP) M. Harris 2,333 36.1 +22.5 Labour D. Barker 938 14.5 −13.0 Majority 865 13.4 −12.0 Turnout 6,469 Conservative hold Swing -13.0
Morley North[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative R. Verity 2,748 41.2 +3.6 Labour N. Hirst 2,334 35.0 −13.5 Alliance (SDP) H. Smith 1,594 23.9 +15.0 Majority 414 6.2 −4.7 Turnout 6,676 Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.5
Morley South[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour K. Burnley 3,176 51.2 −14.9 Alliance (SDP) E. Hewitt 1,521 24.5 +24.5 Conservative J. Sturgeon 1,508 24.3 −3.6 Majority 1,655 26.7 −11.5 Turnout 6,205 Labour hold Swing -19.7
North[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative K. Sibbald 3,430 57.5 −0.1 Alliance (SDP) J. Midgley 1,833 30.7 +21.5 Labour B. Payne 706 11.8 −14.4 Majority 1,597 26.8 −4.5 Turnout 5,969 Conservative hold Swing -10.8
Otley & Wharfedale [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Alliance (Liberal) C. Campbell 4,271 47.4 +0.0 Conservative E. Davies 3,650 40.5 +2.8 Labour P. Ward 800 8.9 −1.0 Ecology A. Laurence 284 3.2 −1.8 Majority 621 6.9 −2.8 Turnout 9,005 Alliance hold Swing -1.4
Pudsey North[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. Bashall 3,386 44.6 −0.6 Labour N. Rhodes 2,140 28.2 −9.4 Alliance (SDP) J. Fothergill 2,070 27.3 +9.9 Majority 1,246 16.4 +8.8 Turnout 7,596 Conservative hold Swing +4.4
Pudsey South[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. Mortimer 2,182 34.6 −5.2 Labour D. Brown 2,141 33.9 −4.0 Alliance (Liberal) R. Keighley 1,991 31.5 +9.2 Majority 41 0.7 −1.2 Turnout 6,314 Conservative gain from Labour Swing -0.6
Richmond Hill [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Alliance (Liberal) S. Sadler 3,401 55.3 +33.6 Labour W. Prichard 2,222 36.1 −29.8 Conservative G. Bullock 529 8.6 −3.8 Majority 1,179 19.2 −25.1 Turnout 6,152 Alliance gain from Labour Swing +31.7
Rothwell [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour A. Hudson 2,811 48.4 −9.8 Conservative D. Boynton 1,485 25.6 −0.6 Alliance (SDP) P. Burton 1,453 25.0 +15.9 Communist R. Horsbrough 56 1.0 −1.5 Majority 1,326 22.8 −9.3 Turnout 5,805 Labour hold Swing -4.6
Roundhay [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. White 4,407 60.0 −1.7 Alliance (Liberal) L. Thackray 1,949 26.6 +12.4 Labour E. McGee 984 13.4 −6.1 Majority 2,458 33.5 −8.7 Turnout 7,340 Conservative hold Swing -7.0
Seacroft [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour A. Vollans 2,848 62.8 −15.7 Conservative J. Higham 855 18.9 +3.7 Alliance (SDP) T. Ayres 831 18.3 +14.1 Majority 1,993 44.0 −19.3 Turnout 4,534 Labour hold Swing -9.7
University[1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour D. Jenner 2,698 62.9 +0.7 Alliance (Liberal) N. Flood 814 19.0 +5.8 Conservative H. Woodhead 693 16.1 −0.9 Communist J. Rodgers 87 2.0 −1.8 Majority 1,884 43.9 −1.3 Turnout 4,292 Labour hold Swing -2.5
Weetwood [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. Hamilton 3,102 46.2 +0.0 Alliance (SDP) S. Browning 1,937 28.9 +11.9 Labour M. Verity 1,671 24.9 −5.1 Majority 1,165 17.4 +1.1 Turnout 6,710 Conservative hold Swing -5.9
Wetherby [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. Gray 4,474 68.9 +2.3 Alliance (Liberal) T. Burgess 1,424 21.9 +12.0 Labour P. Adams 591 9.1 −3.8 Majority 3,050 47.0 −6.8 Turnout 6,489 Conservative hold Swing -4.8
Whinmoor [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour G. Platt 1,866 40.2 −14.3 Labour R. Blower 1,843 Conservative M. Beardsall 1,600 34.5 −1.2 Conservative W. Buckland 1,527 Alliance (SDP) P. Davies 1,173 25.3 +15.5 Alliance (SDP) M. Lance 1,072 Majority 243 5.7 −13.1 Turnout 4,639 Labour hold Swing Labour gain from Alliance Swing -6.5
Wortley [1] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour M. Bedford 2,468 37.0 −8.1 Alliance (Liberal) A. Gilchrist 2,142 32.1 +5.2 Conservative H. Connah 2,062 30.9 +2.9 Majority 326 4.9 −12.2 Turnout 6,672 Labour hold Swing -6.6
References ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj "District results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post . 7 May 1982.