Leeds South (UK Parliament constituency)

Leeds South was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election. It was then largely replaced by the new Morley and Leeds South constituency.

Leeds South
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
County1885–1974: West Riding of Yorkshire
1974–1983: West Yorkshire
1885–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromLeeds
Replaced byLeeds Central and Morley & Leeds South[1]

It was the seat of the former Leader of the Labour Party, the late Hugh Gaitskell, and the former Home Secretary Merlyn Rees.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be re-established for the next general election, formed primarily from the (to be abolished) constituency of Leeds Central, but excluding the city centre.[2]

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Leeds wards of East Hunslet, South, and West Hunslet, and part of Bramley ward.

1918–1950: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Holbeck and West Hunslet, and part of New Wortley ward.

1950–1951: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Beeston, Holbeck South, Hunslet Carr and Middleton, and West Hunslet.

1951–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Beeston, Holbeck, Hunslet Carr, and Middleton.[3]

1955–1974: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Beeston, Holbeck, Hunslet Carr, and Middleton.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Beeston, East Hunslet, Holbeck, Middleton, and West Hunslet.

History

The constituency was created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and was first used in the general election of that year. Leeds had previously been represented by two MPs (1832–1868) and three MPs (1868–1885). From 1885 it was represented by five single-member constituencies: Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West. The constituencies of Morley, Otley and Pudsey were also created in 1885.

The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election. It was then largely replaced by the new Morley and Leeds South constituency. After the 1983 general election Leeds was represented by the constituencies of Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North East, Leeds North West, Leeds West and Morley and Leeds South. There were also constituencies of Elmet (created 1983) and Pudsey.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1885Sir Lyon PlayfairLiberal
1892John Lawson WaltonLiberal
1908William MiddlebrookLiberal
1922Henry CharletonLabour
1931Noel WhitesideConservative
1935Henry CharletonLabour
1945Hugh GaitskellLabour
1963Merlyn ReesLabour
1983 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s
Lyon Playfair
General election 1885: Leeds South [4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair 5,208 64.5
Conservative Stuart Cunningham Macaskie 2,869 35.5
Majority 2,339 29.0
Turnout 8,077 73.9
Registered electors 10,931
Liberal win (new seat)

Playfair was appointed Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 12 Feb 1886: Leeds South [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1886: Leeds South [4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair 4,665 61.5 −3.0
Conservative Thomas Hirst Bracken[6] 2,924 38.5 +3.0
Majority 1,741 23.0 −6.0
Turnout 7,589 69.4 −4.5
Registered electors 10,931
Liberal hold Swing −3.0

Elections in the 1890s
Walton
General election 1892: Leeds South [4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair 4,829 59.4 -2.1
Conservative Reginald Neville 3,294 40.6 +2.1
Majority 1,535 18.8 −4.2
Turnout 8,123 71.9 +2.5
Registered electors 11,290
Liberal hold Swing −2.1
By-election, 22 Sep 1892[4][5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Walton 4,414 56.0 −3.4
Conservative Reginald Neville 3,466 44.0 +3.4
Majority 948 12.0 −6.8
Turnout 7,880 69.8 −2.1
Registered electors 11,290
Liberal hold Swing −3.4
  • Caused by Playfair's elevation to the peerage.
General election 1895: Leeds South [4][5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Walton 4,608 47.6 −11.8
Conservative Reginald Neville 4,447 46.0 +5.4
Ind. Labour Party Alfred Shaw 622 6.4 New
Majority 161 1.6 −17.2
Turnout 9,677 81.2 +9.3
Registered electors 11,921
Liberal hold Swing −8.6

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Leeds South [4][5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Walton 4,952 51.2 +3.6
Conservative Reginald Neville 4,718 48.8 +2.8
Majority 234 2.4 +0.8
Turnout 9,670 71.9 −9.3
Registered electors 13,442
Liberal hold Swing +0.4
Walton
General election 1906: Leeds South [4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Walton 6,200 50.2 −1.0
Labour Repr. Cmte. Albert E. Fox 4,030 32.6 New
Conservative Henry Cameron-Ramsay-Fairfax-Lucy 2,126 17.2 −31.6
Majority 2,170 17.6 +15.2
Turnout 12,356 81.7 +9.8
Registered electors 15,119
Liberal hold Swing +15.3
Middlebrook
1908 Leeds South by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Middlebrook 5,274 41.7 −8.5
Conservative Reginald Neville 4,915 38.9 +21.7
Labour Albert E. Fox 2,451 19.4 −13.2
Majority 359 2.8 −14.8
Turnout 12,640 82.5 +0.8
Registered electors 15,321
Liberal hold Swing +2.4

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Leeds South [4][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Middlebrook 8,969 67.3 +17.1
Conservative William Nicholson 4,366 32.7 +15.5
Majority 4,603 34.6 +31.8
Turnout 13,335 84.8 +3.1
Liberal hold Swing +15.9
General election December 1910: Leeds South [4][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Middlebrook 6,064 48.2 -19.1
Conservative William Nicholson 3,804 30.3 -2.4
Labour John Badlay 2,706 21.5 New
Majority 2,260 17.9 -16.7
Turnout 12,574 80.0 -4.8
Liberal hold Swing

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Middlebrook
General election 14 December 1918:Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal William Middlebrook 10,609 60.6 +12.4
Labour Frank Fountain 5,510 31.5 +10.0
Independent James A Brook* 1,377 7.9 New
Majority 5,099 29.1 +11.2
Turnout 17,496 48.8 −31.2
Registered electors 35,843
Liberal hold Swing +1.2
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

* Brook was supported by the three local branches of National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers, National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers and Comrades of the Great War.

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Leeds South [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Charleton 13,210 53.7 +22.2
Liberal William Middlebrook 11,380 46.3 −14.3
Majority 1,830 7.4 N/A
Turnout 24,590 69.8 +21.0
Registered electors 35,252
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +18.3
General election 1923: Leeds South [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Charleton 11,705 44.2 −9.5
Unionist Reginald Neville 7,679 29.0 New
Liberal Granville Gibson 7,083 26.8 −19.5
Majority 4,026 15.2 +7.8
Turnout 26,467 74.1 +4.3
Registered electors 35,719
Labour hold Swing +5.0
General election 1924: Leeds South [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Charleton 12,799 46.3 +2.1
Unionist B.T. Graham Ford 11,008 39.9 +10.9
Liberal Frank Geary 3,801 13.8 −13.0
Majority 1,791 6.4 −8.8
Turnout 27,608 76.5 +2.4
Registered electors 36,085
Labour hold Swing −4.4
General election 1929: Leeds South [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Charleton 18,043 52.5 +6.2
Unionist B.T. Graham Ford 9,433 27.5 −12.4
Liberal Ernest Kilburn Scott 6,884 20.0 +6.2
Majority 8,610 25.0 +18.6
Turnout 34,360 76.2 −0.3
Registered electors 45,084
Labour hold Swing +9.3

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Noel Whiteside 14,881 42.12
Labour Henry Charleton 14,156 40.07
Liberal Frederick L. Boult 6,291 17.81
Majority 725 2.05 N/A
Turnout 35,328 77.56
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Charleton 15,223 46.03
Conservative Noel Whiteside 14,207 42.96
Social Credit Wilfred Townend 3,642 11.01 New
Majority 1,016 3.07 N/A
Turnout 33,072 73.68
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

General Election 1939–40:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Election in the 1940s
General election 1945: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Gaitskell 17,899 61.03
Conservative Arthur Maxwell Ramsden 7,497 25.56
Liberal William Barford 3,933 13.41 New
Majority 10,402 35.47
Turnout 29,329 75.95
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Gaitskell 29,795 61.11
Conservative B.H. Wood 14,436 29.61
Liberal Edgar Meeks 4,525 9.28
Majority 15,359 31.50
Turnout 48,756 84.61
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Gaitskell 30,712 65.06
Conservative Winifred D. Brown 16,493 34.94
Majority 14,219 30.12
Turnout 47,205 82.19
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Gaitskell 25,833 65.15
Conservative Winifred D. Brown 13,817 34.85
Majority 12,016 30.30
Turnout 39,650 72.85
Labour hold Swing
Hugh Gaitskell
General election 1959: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Gaitskell 24,442 58.6 -6.5
Conservative John Francis William Addey 12,956 31.0 -3.8
Liberal John Brian Meeks 4,340 10.4 New
Majority 11,486 27.6 -2.7
Turnout 41,738 79.0 +6.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
1963 Leeds South by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 18,785 62.9 +4.3
Conservative John Udal 5,996 20.09 -10.95
Liberal Brian Walsh 4,399 14.74 +4.34
Communist Bert Ramelson 670 2.24 New
Majority 12,789 42.84 +15.32
Turnout 29,850
Labour hold Swing
General election 1964: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 22,339 63.12
Conservative Percival Arthur Woodward 12,123 34.26
Communist Bert Ramelson 928 2.62 N/A
Majority 10,997 28.86
Turnout 35,390 72.00
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 23,171 68.76
Conservative Percival Arthur Woodward 9,813 29.12
Communist Bert Ramelson 714 2.12
Majority 13,358 39.64
Turnout 33,698 68.11
Labour hold Swing

Election in the 1970s
General election 1970: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 19,536 59.82
Conservative Gavin K. Macpherson 9,311 28.51
Liberal Stephen Cooksey 3,810 11.67 New
Majority 10,225 31.31
Turnout 32,657 65.95
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 21,365 55.24
Liberal Denis Pedder 9,505 24.57
Conservative Peter David Harmer 7,810 20.19
Majority 11,860 30.67
Turnout 38,680 73.95
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 21,653 64.44
Conservative Thomas Neil Metcalfe Stow 6,388 19.01
Liberal John Adams 5,563 16.55
Majority 15,265 45.43
Turnout 33,604 63.76
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Leeds South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 22,388 65.02
Conservative R. Ratcliffe 8,058 23.40
Liberal F. Hurst 3,568 10.36
National Front B. Spink 416 1.21 New
Majority 14,330 41.62
Turnout 35,430 68.70
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "'Leeds South', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  2. "Yorkshire and the Humber | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  3. "The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Order 1951. SI 1951/320". Statutory Instruments 1951. Vol. II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1952. pp. 410–412.
  4. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  5. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  6. "Biography of Candidates: Yorkshire". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 3 July 1886. p. 9. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  8. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  9. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  10. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 31 March 1939
  11. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 6 June 1939
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