Leeds Central (UK Parliament constituency)

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Leeds Central
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
120px
Boundary of Leeds Central in West Yorkshire.
Outline map
Location of West Yorkshire within England.
County West Yorkshire
Electorate 80,912 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Leeds
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of parliament Hilary Benn (Labour)
Number of members One
1885–1955
Created from Leeds
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency Yorkshire and the Humber

Leeds Central is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1999 by Hilary Benn of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Boundaries

1885-1918: The Municipal Borough of Leeds wards of Mill Hill and West, and parts of Brunswick and Central wards.

1918-1950: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Central, Mill Hill, South, and West, and parts of Brunswick, Headingley, and North West wards.

1950-1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Armley and New Wortley, Blenheim, Central, Holbeck North, Mill Hill, and South and Westfield.

1983-1997: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston, City and Holbeck, Richmond Hill, and University.

1997-2010: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston, City and Holbeck, Hunslet, Richmond Hill, and University.

2010-present: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, City and Hunslet, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, and Middleton Park.

Constituency profile

The business and retail centre of Leeds is at the heart of the constituency. Despite this relatively affluent hub, the seat suffers from sporadic deprivation, typified by certain densely packed rows of terraced houses, home to many Labour-inclined and often low-income voters. Unemployment in the seat is relatively high compared to the national average.[2] Leeds' two universities produce a significant student electorate.[2][3]

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 *the large Leeds seat 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 in 1955. After the 1955 general election Leeds was represented by Leeds East (created 1885, abolished 1918, recreated 1955), Leeds North East (created 1918), Leeds North West (created 1950), Leeds South (created 1885), and Leeds South East (created 1918). There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley (created 1918) and Pudsey (created 1885, replaced by Pudsey and Otley 1918-1950).

The constituency was re-created for the 1983 general election. After that election, Leeds was represented by Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North East, Leeds North West, Leeds South East and Leeds West. There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley, and Pudsey.

In its 1999 by-election, the constituency experienced the lowest voter turnout post-war of 19.6%.[4][5][3]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1885–1955

Election Member[6] Party
1885 Gerald William Balfour Conservative
1906 Robert Armitage Liberal
1922 Arthur Wellesley Willey Conservative
1923 by-election Sir Charles Henry Wilson Conservative
1929 Richard Denman Labour
1931 National Labour
1945 George Porter Labour
1955 constituency abolished

MPs since 1983

Election Member[6] Party
1983 Derek Fatchett Labour
1999 by-election Hilary Benn Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Leeds Central[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 24,758 55.0 +5.7
Conservative Nicola Wilson 7,791 17.3 -2.9
UKIP Luke Senior 7,082 15.7 +15.7
Green Michael Hayton 3,558 7.9 +7.9
Liberal Democrat Emma Spriggs 1,529 3.4 -17.4
TUSC Liz Kitching 330 0.7 +0.7
Majority 16,967 37.7
Turnout 45,048 55.1
Labour hold Swing
General Election 2010: Leeds Central[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 18,434 49.3 −10.2
Liberal Democrat Michael Taylor 7,789 20.8 −0.7
Conservative Alan Lamb 7,541 20.2 +7.5
BNP Kevin Meeson 3,066 8.2 +4.1
Independent Dave Procter 409 1.1 N/A
Independent We Beat The Scum One-Nil 155 0.4 N/A
Majority 10,645 28.5 −9.5
Turnout 37,394 57.8 +13.5
Labour hold Swing −4.8

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 17,526 60.0 -6.9
Liberal Democrat Ruth Coleman 5,660 19.4 +6.2
Conservative Brian Cattell 3,865 13.2 -1.1
BNP Mark Collett 1,201 4.1 N/A
UKIP Peter Sewards 494 1.7 -1.1
Independent Mick Dear 189 0.6 N/A
Independent Oluwole Taiwo 126 0.4 N/A
Alliance for Change Julian Fitzgerald 125 0.4 N/A
Majority 11,866 40.7
Turnout 29,186 46.4 +4.7
Labour hold Swing
General Election 2001: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 18,277 66.9 -2.7
Conservative Victoria Richmond 3,896 14.3 +0.5
Liberal Democrat Stewart Arnold 3,607 13.2 +2.0
UKIP David Burgess 775 2.8 N/A
Socialist Alliance Stephen Johnston 751 2.8 N/A
Majority 14,381 52.6
Turnout 27,306 41.7 -12.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

Leeds Central by-election, 1999
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 6,361 48.2 -21.4
Liberal Democrat Peter Wild 4,068 30.8 +19.6
Conservative Edward Wild 1,618 12.3 -1.4
Green David Blackburn 478 3.6 N/A
UKIP Raymond Northgreaves 353 2.7 N/A
Leeds Left Alliance Chris Hill 258 2.0 N/A
Independent Julian Fitzgerald 51 0.4 N/A
Majority 2,293
Turnout 19.6
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1997: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 25,766 69.6
Conservative Edward Wild 5,077 13.7
Liberal Democrat David Freeman 4,164 11.3
Referendum Philip Myers 1,042 2.8 N/A
Socialist Labour Michael Rix 656 1.8 N/A
Socialist Alternative Chris Hill 304 0.8 N/A
Independent Julian Fitzgerald 51 0.4 N/A
Majority 20,689
Turnout 54.7
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Leeds Central[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 23,673 62.2 +6.6
Conservative Mrs TC Holdroyd 8,653 22.7 −2.8
Liberal Democrat David Pratt 5,713 15.0 −2.9
Majority 15,020 39.5 +9.4
Turnout 38,039 61.3 −3.5
Labour hold Swing +4.7

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 21,270 55.62
Conservative D. Schofield 9,765 25.53
Social Democratic Miss K.E. Lee 6,853 17.92
Communist W. Innis 355 0.93
Majority 11,505 30.08
Turnout 59,019 64.80
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Leeds Central[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 18,706 47.93
Liberal P. Wrigley 10,484 26.86
Conservative M.A. Ashley-Brown 9,181 23.55
BNP G. Cummins 331 0.85
Communist J.M. Rogers 314 0.8
Majority 8,222 21.07
Turnout 39,030 61.66
Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1951: Leeds Central[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Porter 23,967 62.35
Conservative W. Barford 14,475 37.65
Majority 9,492 24.69
Turnout 77.10
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: Leeds Central[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Porter 24,030 60.75
Conservative W. Barford 13,351 33.75
Liberal Victor L R Delepine 2,176 5.50
Majority 10,679 27.00
Turnout 78.26
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Leeds Central[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Porter 13,370 57.14
Conservative Charles Spencer Denman 8,011 34.24
Liberal Basil Mayer Sandelson 2,017 8.62
Majority 5,359 22.90
Turnout 63.43
Labour gain from National Labour Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Labour Richard Denman 17,747 56.43
Labour FW Lindley 13,701 43.57
Majority 4,046 12.87
Turnout 61.44
National Labour hold Swing
General Election 1931: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Labour Richard Denman 26,496 71.36
Labour M Turner-Samuels 10,633 28.64
Majority 15,863 42.72
Turnout 66.20
National Labour gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Douglas Denman 17,322 44.6
Unionist Sir Charles Henry Wilson 15,958 41.0
Liberal Myer Jack Landa 5,607 14.4 n/a
Majority 1,364 3.6
Turnout 38,887
Labour gain from Unionist Swing
General Election 1924: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour
Conservative
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1923: Leeds Central [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir Charles Henry Wilson 14,853 56.2 +6.2
Labour Henry Herman Slesser 11,574 43.8 +16.0
Majority 3,279 12.4 -9.8
Turnout 60.1 -6.1
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1922  : Leeds Central[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Arthur Wellesley Willey 14,137 50.0 n/a
Labour Henry Herman Slesser 7,844 27.8 n/a
Liberal Robert Armitage 6,260 22.2 -48.4
Majority 6,293 22.2
Turnout 66.1 +28.7
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1910s

Robert Armitage
General Election 1918 Leeds Central[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal 11,474 70.6
Independent Capt. Ernest Terry 2,634 16.2
Co-operative Party Joseph Smith 2,146 13.2
Majority 8,840 54.4
Turnout 37.4
Liberal hold Swing
  • denotes candidate who was endorsed by the Coalition Government.

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;

General Election December 1910 : Leeds Central[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Armitage 3,519 52.6 -2.6
Conservative John Gordon 3,169 47.4 +2.6
Majority 350 5.2 -5.2
Turnout 79.9 -8.0
Liberal hold Swing -2.6
General Election January 1910 : Leeds Central[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Armitage 3,987 54.2
Conservative John Gordon 3,366 45.8
Majority 621 8.4
Turnout 87.9
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1900s

File:Robert Armitage.jpg
R. Armitage
General Election 1906 : Leeds Central[21] Electorate 8,893
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Armitage 4,188 57.3 +15.0
Conservative Rt Hon. Gerald William Balfour 3,119 42.7 -15.0
Majority 1,069 14.6 30.0
Turnout 82.2 +9.0
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +15.0

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ↑ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2001 Census
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Guardian constituency profile
  4. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/M16.pdf
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 1)[self-published source][better source needed]
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge83/i12.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge51/i12.htm
  14. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge50/i12.htm
  15. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge45/i12.htm
  16. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
  17. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  18. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  19. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  20. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  21. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
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