It’s no change in South Leeds as Labour held all three wards in our area with Angela Gabriel, Elizabeth Nash and Paul Truswell all being re-elected to Leeds City Council.
The results followed the same pattern as the rest of the city where there has been no change to make up of the council. Labour still hold 63 of the 99 seats on the council.
Turnout was predictably low, much lower than last year when the council elections were held on the same day as the general election, but similar to 2011 which was a simar point in the electoral cycle. Middleton Park ward had the second lowest turnout in the city followed by City & Hunslet (3rd) and Beeston & Holbeck (7th).
City & Hunslet and Middleton Park wards had been tipped as the most likely to produce an upset in Leeds. In City & Hunslet Ed Carlisle (Green) raised his percentage of the vote from 23% to 28%, but Elizabeth Nash (Labour) still polled over a thousand more votes. In Middleton Park Craig Sweaton (UKIP) lost share of the vote compared with last year.
Here are the detailed results, ward by ward:
Beeston & Holbeck ward
Electorate : 14815 Turnout : 28.28 %
| Surname | Forename | Votes | Elected | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dent | Adam David John | 232 | Green Party | |
| Gabriel | Angela | 2547 | ELECTED | Labour Party |
| Gagen | Kathryn Elizabeth | 84 | Liberal Democrats | |
| Pattison | Kevin Michael | 26 | Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | |
| Senior | Luke Barry | 833 | UK Independence Party (UKIP) | |
| Winfield | Robert James William | 429 | The Conservative Party Candidate |
City & Hunslet ward
Electorate : 19688 Turnout : 25.89 %
| Surname | Forename | Votes | Elected | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aziz | Jahangir | 252 | Liberal Democrats | |
| Carlisle | Ed | 1397 | Green Party | |
| Finch | Mary Rosamund | 54 | Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | |
| Green | Amy | 443 | The Conservative Party Candidate | |
| Nash | Elizabeth Anne | 2483 | ELECTED | Labour Party |
| Weatherill | Brian | 425 | UK Independence Party (UKIP) |
Middleton Park ward
Electorate : 18640 Turnout : 25.25 %
| Surname | Forename | Votes | Elected | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon | Wayne Alan | 605 | Independent | |
| Findlay | Hugh William | 300 | The Conservative Party Candidate | |
| Fisher | Sadie | 99 | Liberal Democrats | |
| Love | Fiona Sarah Heather | 104 | Green Party | |
| Sweaton | Craig James | 1278 | UK Independence Party (UKIP) | |
| Truswell | Paul Anthony | 2285 | ELECTED | Labour Party |
No surprise here Jeremy. I feel bad for Ed Carlisle in City & Hunslet as he really works hard for the local community and gives up his free time doing so with no financial reward. Unfortunately, what the Green Party fails to realise, is that these wards are truly working class with the exception of a minority of university educated residents who established themselves south of the river because housing was cheap. Blue collar people see Labour as a solution to their wards’ problems, not ‘idealists’ who are preoccupied with litter picking and building community spirit. It really is a shame. The mere fact that only 1/4 of the electorate turned out at the ballot box says it all: people really aren’t interested in politics and their local politicians: in south Leeds there are more burning issues to deal with such as putting food on the table, paying bills and raising kids…….