1987 Leeds City Council election

The Leeds City Council elections were held on Thursday, 7 May 1987, with one third of the council and a vacancy in Wetherby to be elected. Prior to the election, the Alliance had gained the Aireborough seat from the Conservatives in a by-election.

Map of the results for the 1987 Leeds council election.

An upsurge in turnout brought with it a greater Conservative and Alliance vote, with a 3.5% swing from Labour to Conservative narrowing things back towards a three-way race. Despite the Conservatives managing to reverse much of their recent decline, they were still unable to win back Aireborough, or halt Alliance gains in Moortown and Horsforth, although running them close in the latter. They fared better in contests with Labour, defending their remaining seat in Morley North and getting within 192 votes of regaining Pudsey South. Labour also seen a strong challenge in Headingley from the Alliance, with their majority slashed to 320 votes. With the two gains achieved on the night by the Alliance from Tory, Labour's majority remained unchanged.[1]

Election result

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Leeds Local Election Result 1987
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 19 0 0 0 55.9 38.1 90,933 -3.8%
  Conservative 9 0 2 -2 26.5 33.1 78,990 +3.3%
  Alliance 6 2 0 +2 17.6 28.3 67,459 +0.7%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.3 833 -0.1%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 224 -0.0%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 191 +0.0%

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

Party Previous council New council
Labour 58 58
Conservative 27 25
Alliance 12 14
Independent 2 2
Total 99 99
Working majority  17   17 

Ward results

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Aireborough[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) J. Brown 3,937 43.7 +10.4
Conservative S. Bainbridge 3,324 36.9 −1.3
Labour M. Dunn 1,752 19.4 −9.1
Majority 613 6.8 +1.9
Turnout 9,013
Alliance hold Swing +5.8
Armley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) D. Selby 3,092 45.7 +4.0
Labour B. Cliff 2,446 36.2 −5.1
Conservative H. Hinchliffe 1,221 18.1 +2.0
Majority 646 9.6 +9.2
Turnout 6.759
Alliance hold Swing +4.5
Barwick & Kippax[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Monks 4,508 51.8 −0.3
Conservative B. Caro 2,902 33.4 +0.2
Alliance (SDP) N. Snowdon 1,285 14.8 +0.1
Majority 1,606 18.5 −0.5
Turnout 8,695
Labour hold Swing -0.2
Beeston[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Hodgson 2,712 55.1 −5.9
Conservative H. Woodhead 1,361 27.6 +4.3
Alliance (SDP) K. Galvin 850 17.3 +1.6
Majority 1,351 27.4 −10.2
Turnout 4,923
Labour hold Swing -5.1
Bramley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Miller 3,578 55.6 −1.7
Alliance (Liberal) M. Tones 1,665 25.9 −0.5
Conservative R. Kent 1,194 18.5 +2.2
Majority 1,913 29.7 −1.2
Turnout 6,437
Labour hold Swing -0.6
Burmantofts[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) S. Sadler 3,284 48.6 −1.5
Labour B. Ewart 2,990 44.2 +0.4
Conservative J. Higham 489 7.2 +1.6
Majority 294 4.3 −1.9
Turnout 6,763
Alliance hold Swing -0.9
Chapel Allerton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C. Clarke 4,018 58.4 −4.5
Conservative C. Jones 1,760 25.6 +4.0
Alliance (Liberal) T. Garbett 1,105 16.1 +0.5
Majority 2,258 32.8 −8.5
Turnout 6,883
Labour hold Swing -4.2
City & Holbeck[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Morris 3,289 65.1 −4.5
Alliance (Liberal) D. Hollingsworth 949 18.8 +1.2
Conservative M. Lindsey 812 16.1 +3.3
Majority 2,340 46.3 −5.8
Turnout 5,050
Labour hold Swing -2.8
Cookridge[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A. Wheatley 4,495 52.7 +5.0
Alliance (Liberal) M. Cooksey 2,733 32.1 −2.5
Labour M. St. David-Smith 1,297 15.2 −2.5
Majority 1,762 20.7 +7.6
Turnout 8,525
Conservative hold Swing -3.7
Garforth & Swillington[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Ratchford 4,065 44.3 −0.7
Conservative M. Stelling 3,367 36.7 +2.7
Alliance (SDP) E. Ayres 1,749 19.1 −2.0
Majority 698 7.6 −3.4
Turnout 9,181
Labour hold Swing -1.7
Halton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Hyde 4,378 55.1 +11.0
Labour M. Burton 1,845 23.2 −8.7
Alliance (SDP) T. Ayres 1,726 21.7 −2.3
Majority 2,533 31.9 +19.7
Turnout 7,949
Conservative hold Swing +9.8
Harehills[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Simmons 3,425 50.2 −1.0
Alliance (Liberal) C. Holden 2,621 38.4 +3.2
Conservative K. Weightman 775 11.4 −1.0
Majority 804 11.8 −4.2
Turnout 6,821
Labour hold Swing -2.1
Headingley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Thomas 3,102 40.9 −6.5
Alliance (Liberal) A. Shaw 2,782 36.7 +8.5
Conservative G. Mercer 1,227 16.2 −2.0
Green G. Rainford 407 5.4 +0.1
Communist I. Dixon 64 0.8 −0.1
Majority 320 4.2 −15.1
Turnout 7,582
Labour hold Swing -7.5
Horsforth[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) B. Rich 3,708 44.1 −2.0
Conservative H. Lavery 3,465 41.3 +2.5
Labour I. Hugill 1,227 14.6 −0.5
Majority 243 2.9 −4.5
Turnout 8,400
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing -2.2
Hunslet[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Battle 3,469 79.7 +3.4
Alliance (Liberal) R. Senior 446 10.2 −1.2
Conservative A. Silver 440 10.1 −0.3
Majority 3,023 69.4 +4.6
Turnout 4,355
Labour hold Swing +2.3
Kirkstall[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Illingworth 3,392 52.9 −4.1
Alliance (Liberal) N. Batterham 1,728 26.9 +1.6
Conservative C. Mollitt 1,296 20.2 +2.5
Majority 1,664 25.9 −5.7
Turnout 6,416
Labour hold Swing -2.8
Middleton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Taylor 3,145 67.1 −5.3
Conservative A. Larvin 776 16.6 +1.9
Alliance (SDP) J. Readman 572 12.2 +0.1
Independent R. Burness 191 4.1 +4.1
Majority 2,369 50.6 −7.2
Turnout 4,684
Labour hold Swing -3.6
Moortown[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (SDP) M. Crompton 4,003 46.4 −4.5
Conservative V. Kendall 3,154 36.6 +3.9
Labour A. Hollas 1,463 17.0 +0.7
Majority 849 9.8 −8.4
Turnout 8,620
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing -4.2
Morley North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Binks 3,547 45.4 +8.0
Labour F. Jones 3,074 39.4 −4.8
Alliance (SDP) P. Haywood 1,184 15.2 −3.2
Majority 473 6.1 −0.6
Turnout 7,805
Conservative hold Swing +6.4
Morley South[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Mitchell 3,377 49.8 −7.2
Conservative A. Clayton 2,310 34.1 +7.2
Alliance (SDP) H. Smith 1,092 16.1 +0.0
Majority 1,067 15.7 −14.4
Turnout 6,779
Labour hold Swing -7.2
North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Feldman 4,221 51.1 +3.9
Alliance (SDP) K. Lee 3,136 38.0 +1.0
Labour R. Glassford 899 10.9 −4.8
Majority 1,085 13.1 +2.8
Turnout 8,256
Conservative hold Swing +1.4
Otley & Wharfedale[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance (Liberal) G. Kirkland 4,632 44.1 +1.4
Conservative G. Francis 4,250 40.5 +2.4
Labour S. Egan 1,369 13.0 −3.1
Green A. Stevens 246 2.3 −0.7
Majority 382 3.6 −1.1
Turnout 10,497
Alliance hold Swing -0.5
Pudsey North[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative I. Favell 4,017 43.9 +5.0
Alliance (Liberal) C. Garner 2,871 31.4 +2.1
Labour J. McKenna 2,253 24.6 −7.1
Majority 1,146 12.5 +5.3
Turnout 9,141
Conservative hold Swing +1.4
Pudsey South[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Hickinson 2,886 39.1 −4.1
Conservative J. Mortimer 2,694 36.5 +5.1
Alliance (SDP) P. Garbutt 1,809 24.5 −1.1
Majority 192 2.6 −9.2
Turnout 7,389
Labour hold Swing -4.6
Richmond Hill[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. Winn 3,779 65.8 −3.3
Alliance (Liberal) K. Norman 1,224 21.3 −0.3
Conservative D. Boynton 742 12.9 +4.7
Majority 2,555 44.5 −3.0
Turnout 5,745
Labour hold Swing -1.5
Rothwell[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Walker 3,647 58.2 −6.8
Conservative A. Heeson 1,778 28.4 +8.0
Alliance (SDP) S. Cohen 837 13.4 −1.2
Majority 1,869 29.8 −14.8
Turnout 6,262
Labour hold Swing -7.4
Roundhay[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative P. Gruen 4,401 54.4 +1.8
Alliance (Liberal) S. Holland 2,172 26.8 −3.0
Labour K. Prior 1,520 18.8 +1.2
Majority 2,229 27.5 +4.8
Turnout 8,093
Conservative hold Swing +2.4
Seacroft[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Gabb 3,183 65.0 −6.8
Alliance (SDP) D. Parr 911 18.6 +6.3
Conservative H. Townsley 800 16.3 −1.4
Majority 2,272 46.4 −10.5
Turnout 4,894
Labour hold Swing -6.5
University[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Sloan 3,165 63.7 −7.0
Alliance (SDP) J. Clifton 858 17.3 +2.0
Conservative A. Savage 784 15.8 +4.4
Communist R. Honey 160 3.2 +0.6
Majority 2,307 46.4 −9.0
Turnout 4,967
Labour hold Swing -4.5
Weetwood[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Gill 3,684 41.9 +4.1
Alliance (Liberal) J. Ewens 2,554 29.0 +4.5
Labour J. Langan 2,378 27.0 −8.3
Green C. Nash 180 2.0 −0.3
Majority 1,130 12.8 +10.3
Turnout 8,796
Conservative hold Swing -0.2
Wetherby[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Hudson 5,472 61.7 −0.4
Conservative J. Evans 5,337
Alliance (Liberal) T. Burgess 2,296 25.9 +1.2
Alliance (SDP) J. Macarthur 1,753
Labour J. Taylor 1,096 12.4 −0.8
Labour J. Postill 1,006
Majority 3,041 35.8 −1.6
Turnout 8,864
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing -0.8
Whinmoor[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Blower 3,399 51.3 −2.5
Conservative M. Silversides 2,226 33.6 +1.2
Alliance (Liberal) R. Hutchinson 998 15.1 +1.3
Majority 1,173 17.7 −3.7
Turnout 6,623
Labour hold Swing -1.8
Wortley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Fabian Hamilton 3,185 42.7 −3.5
Alliance (Liberal) L. Thackray 2,650 35.5 +2.0
Conservative L. Hargreaves 1,628 21.8 +2.7
Majority 535 7.2 −5.4
Turnout 7,463
Labour hold Swing -2.7

References

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  1. ^ 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 "District results: Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 8 May 1987.