Map of the results for the 1996 Leeds council election. (Horsforth Requires recolouring)

The Leeds City Council elections were held on Thursday, 2 May 1996, with a third of the council up for election.

The Conservatives suffered another routing, although with a less impressive Labour vote and a slight recovery in their own vote, were able to hold on to three seats. Labour furthered their stranglehold on the council with an additional seven gains, with all but Burmantofts (Liberal Democrat) and Pudsey South (Independent) from the Tories. As a result of the gains, those two wards - along with the Tory losses of Aireborough, Halton, Morley North and Weetwood wards - were now represented entirely by Labour (a first for most). The other Labour gain was snatching the remaining Tory seat in the former Tory-Liberal battleground of Otley & Wharfedale.

The Lib Dems offset their loss to Labour in Burmantofts with gains from the Tories in Horsforth and the newly three-way marginal North ward. The results, however, were a disappointment to the Lib Dems - evidenced by their poor performance in Otley & Wharfedale, and a vote sunk to their 1992 level. Another parallel to the 1992 election was the slump in overall turnout to a record low.

Peter Kersting's decision to forgo defending his seat for Pudsey South seen the absence of Independents from the council for the first time since 1983. The Greens advanced further into a respectable second place in Wortley, in contrast to the stagnant fortunes of the Liberals and the weakened support for the sole Militant Labour candidate.[1]

Election result

Leeds Local Election Result 1996
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 27 7 0 +7 84.8 56.2 89,806 -2.8
  Conservative 3 0 8 -8 9.1 23.9 38,229 +4.5
  Liberal Democrats 3 2 1 +1 6.1 17.3 27,662 -1.1
  Green 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.9 3,026 -0.4
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.4 677 +0.0
Militant Labour 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 232 -0.1
  Independent Labour 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 98 +0.1

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Labour 75 82
Conservative 15 8
Liberal Democrat 8 9
Independent 1 0
Total 99 99
Working majority  51   65 

Ward results

Aireborough[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tony Addison 3,405 46.1 -4.4
Conservative Richard Hughes-Rowlands 2,512 34.0 -4.1
Liberal Democrats Janet Brown 1,476 20.0 +8.5
Majority 893 12.1 -0.3
Turnout 7,393
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -0.1
Armley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James McKenna 2,568 68.0 -2.3
Conservative Glenn Broadbent 457 12.1 +2.3
Liberal George Lawson 334 8.8 -0.9
Liberal Democrats Andrew Davies 274 7.3 +0.8
Green Quentin Cooper 145 3.8 +0.1
Majority 2,111 55.9 -4.6
Turnout 3,778
Labour hold Swing -2.3
Barwick & Kippax[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Keith Wakefield 4,481 70.2 -1.0
Conservative Christopher Ward 1,320 20.7 +1.7
Liberal Democrats David Lindley 580 9.1 -0.7
Majority 3,161 49.5 -2.7
Turnout 6,381
Labour hold Swing -1.3
Beeston[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Congreve 2,165 73.2 -3.9
Conservative William Wild 427 14.4 +2.5
Liberal Democrats Stephen Sadler 257 8.7 -0.8
Green Tania Jackson 110 3.7 +2.3
Majority 1,738 58.7 -6.4
Turnout 2,959
Labour hold Swing -3.2
Bramley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Cherril Cliff 2,788 78.4 -0.7
Conservative Jagdeep Birdi 285 8.0 -0.1
Liberal Democrats Nigel Amor 252 7.1 -0.2
Liberal Elizabeth Bee 232 6.5 +1.0
Majority 2,503 70.4 -0.7
Turnout 3,557
Labour hold Swing -0.3
Burmantofts[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Grahame 2,441 73.7 +8.8
Liberal Democrats Sadie Fisher 680 20.5 -10.9
Conservative Graham Castle 190 5.7 +2.0
Majority 1,761 53.2 +19.7
Turnout 3,311
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +9.8
Chapel Allerton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Garth Frankland 3,215 72.8 -0.8
Conservative Valerie Kendall 630 14.3 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Ian Findlay 374 8.5 -0.6
Green Alexander Begg 195 4.4 +1.3
Majority 2,585 58.6 -1.9
Turnout 4,414
Labour hold Swing -1.0
City & Holbeck[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elizabeth Nash 2,435 79.3 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Pauline Bardon 342 11.1 +0.9
Conservative David Boynton 292 9.5 +2.4
Majority 2,093 68.2 +1.4
Turnout 3,069
Labour hold Swing +0.7
Cookridge[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Loudon 3,120 48.6 +8.9
Labour Naomi Cummings 2,250 35.1 -5.7
Liberal Democrats Janet Bates 1,045 16.3 -3.2
Majority 870 13.6 +12.5
Turnout 6,415
Conservative hold Swing +7.3
Garforth & Swillington[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Murray 4,326 71.8 -1.1
Conservative Jack Stott 1,000 16.6 +3.7
Liberal Democrats Ian Dowling 699 11.6 -2.6
Majority 3,326 55.2 -3.5
Turnout 6,025
Labour hold Swing -2.4
Halton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Randolph Haggerty 2,946 54.3 -3.5
Conservative David Schofield 1,779 32.8 +1.9
Liberal Democrats Andrew Appleyard 537 9.9 +1.1
Green David Harbud 159 2.9 +0.4
Majority 1,167 21.5 -5.4
Turnout 5,421
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -2.7
Harehills[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mohammed Khan 2,259 72.4 -8.6
Liberal Democrats Ann Norman 439 14.1 +6.5
Conservative Walter Buckland 421 13.5 +5.8
Majority 1,820 58.4 -14.9
Turnout 3,119
Labour hold Swing -7.5
Headingley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sarah Perrigo 2,667 62.9 -6.0
Liberal Democrats Barbara Thompson 675 15.9 +2.0
Conservative Michael Gledhill 552 13.0 +2.6
Green Peggy Alexander 348 8.2 +1.3
Majority 1,992 47.0 -7.9
Turnout 4,242
Labour hold Swing -4.0
Horsforth[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Roger Harris 2,530 41.4 -2.2
Conservative Mary Addison 1,823 29.8 +5.5
Labour Roland Cross 1,759 28.8 -2.1
Majority 707 11.6 -1.1
Turnout 6,112
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +2.5
Hunslet[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey Driver 2,295 85.4 -0.3
Conservative Anthony Larvin 202 7.5 +2.1
Liberal Democrats Simon Buckingham 191 7.1 +1.1
Majority 2,093 77.9 -1.8
Turnout 2,688
Labour hold Swing -1.2
Kirkstall[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elizabeth Minkin 3,060 76.2 -1.1
Conservative Steven Welsh 364 9.1 +3.4
Liberal Democrats Mark Pattenden 241 6.0 +0.2
Green Alison Mander 240 6.0 -3.5
Liberal Noel Nowosielski 111 2.8 +1.0
Majority 2,696 67.1 -0.7
Turnout 4,016
Labour hold Swing -2.2
Middleton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Dunn 2,630 81.6 -1.7
Liberal Democrats Shaun Dolan 360 11.2 +5.2
Conservative Stephen McBarron 235 7.3 -0.7
Majority 2,270 70.4 -4.9
Turnout 3,225
Labour hold Swing -3.4
Moortown[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mark Harris 3,014 53.6 +4.0
Labour Malcolm Hardy 1,705 30.3 -1.3
Conservative Elizabeth Dibble 908 16.1 -0.6
Majority 1,309 23.3 +5.4
Turnout 5,627
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +2.6
Morley North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Dawson 3,026 58.3 -8.0
Conservative Alan Barraclough 1,696 32.7 +12.7
Liberal Democrats Quentin Brown 465 9.0 +0.0
Majority 1,330 25.6 -20.7
Turnout 5,187
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -10.3
Morley South[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bryan North 3,103 62.1 -1.3
Liberal Democrats Thomas Leadley 1,163 23.3 +0.1
Conservative Jan Galek 731 14.6 +1.2
Majority 1,940 38.8 -1.4
Turnout 4,997
Labour hold Swing -0.7
North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Brown 2,221 36.8 +7.2
Conservative Peter Harrand 1,936 32.1 -1.6
Labour Brian Selby 1,883 31.2 -4.0
Majority 285 4.7 +3.1
Turnout 6,040
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +4.4
Otley & Wharfedale[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Eveleigh 2,648 37.0 +2.8
Conservative Charles Norman Hindle 2,574 35.9 +10.9
Liberal Democrats Dawn Merrick 1,943 27.1 -13.7
Majority 74 1.0 -5.7
Turnout 7,165
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -4.0
Pudsey North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Carter 3,566 50.8 +16.8
Labour Sandra Womack 2,717 38.7 -12.6
Liberal Democrats Rodney Cam 731 10.4 -4.2
Majority 849 12.1 -5.1
Turnout 7,014
Conservative hold Swing +14.7
Pudsey South[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eugene "Mick" Coulson 2,748 55.7 -0.8
Liberal Democrats Rodney Keighley 1,154 23.4 -6.9
Conservative Sheila Jackson 896 18.2 +4.9
Green Graham Illingworth 138 2.8 +2.8
Majority 1,594 32.3 +6.1
Turnout 4,936
Labour gain from Independent Swing +3.0
Richmond Hill[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Lyons 2,453 84.4 -0.2
Liberal Democrats Keith Norman 304 10.5 -0.1
Conservative William Birch 149 5.1 +0.3
Majority 2,149 74.0 -0.1
Turnout 2,906
Labour hold Swing -0.0
Rothwell[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lorna Cohen 2,736 64.7 -8.1
Liberal Democrats Mitchell Galdas 908 21.5 +5.2
Conservative Anne Heeson 582 13.8 +2.9
Majority 1,828 43.3 -13.2
Turnout 4,226
Labour hold Swing -6.6
Roundhay[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jean White 2,712 44.8 +1.0
Conservative Margaret Burnell 2,173 35.9 +2.1
Liberal Democrats Wilfred Pickard 1,031 17.0 -1.4
Green Andrew Ketchin 138 2.3 -1.7
Majority 539 8.9 -1.2
Turnout 6,054
Labour hold Swing -0.5
Seacroft[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Graham Hyde 3,050 87.3 +1.9
Conservative Roy Jones 227 6.5 -0.4
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Betteridge 218 6.2 -1.5
Majority 2,823 80.8 +3.2
Turnout 3,495
Labour hold Swing +1.1
University[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Maggie Giles-Hill 2,264 73.9 +4.1
Liberal Democrats David Freeman 290 9.5 +1.7
Conservative Robert Winfield 279 9.1 +2.4
Militant Labour Chris Hill 232 7.6 -2.6
Majority 1,974 64.4 +0.9
Turnout 3,065
Labour hold Swing +1.2
Weetwood[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Judith Blake 2,569 40.2 -2.6
Liberal Democrats Penny Joan Ewens 2,455 38.4 +0.7
Conservative Ann Castle 1,195 18.7 +1.6
Green Claire Nash 171 2.7 +0.4
Majority 114 1.8 -3.3
Turnout 6,390
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -1.6
Wetherby[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Clark 4,451 56.6 +10.2
Labour Reginald Steel 2,523 32.1 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Melnick 892 11.3 -10.6
Majority 1,928 24.5 +9.9
Turnout 7,866
Conservative hold Swing +4.9
Whinmoor[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Suzanne Armitage 2,568 68.3 -2.7
Conservative Richard Williams 767 20.4 +4.0
Liberal Democrats Graham Roberts 326 8.7 -0.5
Independent Labour Anthony Thorpe 98 2.6 +2.6
Majority 1,801 47.9 -6.7
Turnout 3,759
Labour hold Swing -3.3
Wortley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Philip Towler 2,640 54.1 -7.5
Green David Blackburn 1,382 28.3 +6.5
Conservative Michael Best 490 10.0 +1.7
Liberal Democrats David Brayshaw 366 7.5 -0.7
Majority 1,258 25.8 -13.9
Turnout 4,878
Labour hold Swing -7.0

By-elections between 1996 and 1998

Beeston by-election 14 November 1996
replacing Jon Trickett (resigned)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Angela Gabriel 1,025 47.4 -25.8
Liberal Democrats 864 40.0 +31.3
Conservative 187 8.7 -5.7
Militant Labour 44 2.0 +2.0
Green 42 1.9 -1.8
Majority 161 7.4 -51.3
Turnout 2,162 17.0 -6.2
Labour hold Swing -28.5
Headingley by-election 10 July 1997
replacing Paul Truswell (resigned)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Black 919 51.0 -11.9
Liberal Democrats 647 35.9 +20.0
Conservative 235 13.0 +0.0
Majority 272 15.1 -31.9
Turnout 1,801 9.1 -12.4
Labour hold Swing -15.9
Whinmoor by-election 21 August 1997
replacing Elaine Pickard[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Gruen 1,569 54.1 -14.2
Conservative 1,077 37.1 +16.7
Liberal Democrats 225 7.8 -0.9
Independent 28 1.0 +1.0
Majority 492 17.0 -30.9
Turnout 2,899 21.1 -6.3
Labour hold Swing -15.4

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 "District results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 3 May 1996.
  2. 1 2 3 "Local Authority Byelection Results". gwydir.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
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