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Leeds South (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 53°47′N 1°31′W / 53.78°N 1.52°W / 53.78; -1.52
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leeds South
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Leeds South in Yorkshire and the Humber
County
Current constituency
Created2024
Member of ParliamentHilary Benn (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created from
1885–1983
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyBorough constituency
Created fromLeeds
Replaced byLeeds Central and Morley & Leeds South[1]

Leeds South is a parliamentary constituency[n 1] in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, which returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency existed from 1885 to 1983 and was recreated in 2024 following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.[2]

In the 2024 general election, the seat was won by Hilary Benn of the Labour Party, who serves as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the government of Keir Starmer.[3][4] Benn had represented Leeds Central, the main predecessor of Leeds South, since 1999.

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

Boundaries

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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.[5]

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.

1983: Constituency was abolished.

2024: Constituency was re-established after 41 years.

2024–present: The City of Leeds wards of: Beeston & Holbeck; Burmantofts & Richmond Hill; Hunslet & Riverside; Middleton Park; Temple Newsam (polling districts TNA, TND, TNE, TNH, TNI, TNJ, TNK and TNL).[6]

2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies described the re-established constituency as following: The part ward of Temple Newsam will be transferred from Leeds East, with remaining areas currently part of the Leeds Central constituency (to be abolished).

History

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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.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election, formed primarily from the (to be abolished) constituency of Leeds Central, but excluding the city centre, and including a small part of Leeds East and a very small part of Morley and Outwood.[7][8] The notional 2019 result for the new seat was Labour.[9]

Members of Parliament

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MPs 1885–1983

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Leeds prior to 1885

Election Member Party
1885 Sir Lyon Playfair Liberal
1892 John Lawson Walton Liberal
1908 William Middlebrook Liberal
1922 Henry Charleton Labour
1931 Noel Whiteside Conservative
1935 Henry Charleton Labour
1945 Hugh Gaitskell Labour
1963 Merlyn Rees Labour
1983 Constituency abolished

MPs since 2024

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Leeds Central prior to 2024

Election Member Party
2024 Hilary Benn Labour

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Leeds South [10] [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 17,117 54.0 −4.4
Green Ed Carlisle 5,838 18.4 +14.6
Conservative Karen Cooksley 4,172 13.2 −13.1
SDP Daniel Whetstone 1,874 5.9 +5.3
Liberal Democrats George Sykes 1,340 4.2 −0.2
Workers Party Muhammad Azeem 719 2.3 N/A
CPA Janet Bickerdike 341 1.1 N/A
Independent Niko Omilana 277 0.9 N/A
Majority 11,279 35.6 +3.5
Turnout 31,678 41.7 −16.2
Registered electors 75,953
Labour hold Swing −9.5

Elections in the 2010s

[edit]
2019 notional result[12]
Party Vote %
Labour 25,263 58.4
Conservative 11,377 26.3
Brexit Party 2,771 6.4
Liberal Democrats 1,922 4.4
Green 1,635 3.8
Others 281 0.6
Turnout 43,249 57.9
Electorate 74,726

Election results 1885–1983

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Elections in the 1880s

[edit]
Lyon Playfair
General election 1885: Leeds South [13][14]
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 [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1886: Leeds South [13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair 4,665 61.5 −3.0
Conservative Thomas Hirst Bracken[15] 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

[edit]
Walton
General election 1892: Leeds South [13][14]
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[13][14][16]
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 [13][14][16]
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

[edit]
General election 1900: Leeds South [13][14][16]
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 [13][14]
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

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General election January 1910: Leeds South [13][17]
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 +17.0
Turnout 13,335 84.8 +3.1
Liberal hold Swing +15.9
General election December 1910: Leeds South [13][17]
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 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

[edit]
General election 1922: Leeds South [18]
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 [18]
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 [18]
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 [18]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]
1963 Leeds South by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 18,785 62.93 +4.37
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

Elections in the 1970s

[edit]
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

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)

References

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  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. ^ "Leeds South – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Hilary Benn: Who is the new Northern Ireland secretary?". BBC News. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 9 Yorkshire and the Humber region.
  7. ^ "Yorkshire and the Humber | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  8. ^ "UK Parliament election results: Leeds South (31 May 2024 - ) - overlaps". UK Parliament election results. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  9. ^ "UK Parliament election results: Notional election for the constituency of Leeds South on 12 December 2019". UK Parliament election results. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Leeds South results". BBC News. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Leeds South". Leeds City Council. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  14. ^ a b c d e f g The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  15. ^ "Biography of Candidates: Yorkshire". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 3 July 1886. p. 9. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  17. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  18. ^ a b c d British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
  19. ^ a b Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 31 March 1939
  20. ^ Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 6 June 1939
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the chancellor of the Exchequer
1950–1951 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Constituency represented by the leader of the opposition
1955–1963 		Succeeded by

53°47′N 1°31′W / 53.78°N 1.52°W / 53.78; -1.52

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