Leeds Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Leeds Central was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The constituency first existed from 1885 until it was abolished in 1955. It was recreated in 1983.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished again. Subject to boundary changes involving the loss of most Leeds city centre to the newly created constituency of Leeds Central and Headingley, the seat will be reformed as Leeds South, to be first contested in the 2024 general election.

Boundaries

Template:Maplink 1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Leeds wards of Mill Hill and West, and parts of the wards of Brunswick and Central.

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

1950–1951: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Armley and New Wortley, Blenheim, Central, Holbeck North, Mill Hill, and South and Westfield.

1951–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Blenheim, City, Wellington, and Westfield.

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

1997–2010: As above plus Hunslet.

2010–2024: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, City and Hunslet, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, and Middleton Park.

Following the Leeds City Council ward boundary changes prior to the 2018 election, the majority of the City and Hunslet ward became the new Hunslet and Riverside ward, whilst Leeds city centre was included in the new Little London and Woodhouse ward. Hyde Park became part of a new Headingley and Hyde Park ward, shared with the Leeds North West constituency.

Constituency profile

The business and retail centre of Leeds was at the constituency's heart. A relatively affluent hub having a large minority of its housing forming by luxury, well-served apartments or streets of grand middle-class Victorian houses, the seat has sporadic deprivation, typified by certain densely packed rows of terraced houses, home to many Labour-inclined and often low-income voters. Two large, well-ranked universities in the city centre, the professional services sector and a 21st-century increase in technology businesses has brought prosperity to the younger generations of the city. The older generations of the city have lived through the closure of many mass consumer product manufacturing and materials processing businesses in Leeds throughout the mid-20th century. Leeds' two universities produce a significant student electorate. Middleton in the south of the seat has a golf course, a miniature railway and an upcoming urban mountain bike trail centre within the boundaries.

Households as at March 2011

Status	Number
Not Deprived in Any Dimension	16,201
Deprived in 1 Dimension	21,519
Deprived in 2 Dimensions	13,586
Deprived in 3 Dimensions	5,205
Deprived in 4 Dimensions	697

History

First creation

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).

Second creation

Revival

The constituency was re-created for the 1983 general election.

Results of the winning party

The seat has been won by the Labour Party's candidate since 1983. Benn, elected in 1999 on the demise of Fatchett, has achieved an absolute majority (plurality of votes) in three of five elections for Leeds Central. The 2015 result made the seat the 40-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.

Opposition parties

Conservative runner-up, Wilson, in 2015 failed to reflect the positive national swing and fell to 17.3% of the votes cast. A candidature of UKIP, not present in 2010, saw a total share of the vote, hence positive swing, of 15.7% and thus third position.Template:Refn. Green Party running, not present in 2010, resulted in a 7.9% polling and fourth-place, its candidate retained his deposit. The fifth-placed Liberal Democrat forfeited her deposit.Template:Refn.

Turnout

In general elections, turnout ranged from 87.9% in 1910 to 41.7% in 2001. In its 1999 by-election the constituency experienced the lowest voter turnout post-war of 19.6%.

Members of Parliament

File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP crop 3.jpg

Hilary Benn, Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999

MPs 1885–1955

Leeds prior to 1885

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1885	Gerald Balfour	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1906	Robert Armitage	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1922	Arthur Willey	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1923 by-election	Sir Charles Wilson	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1929	Richard Denman	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1931		National Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1945	George Porter	Labour
	1955	Constituency abolished

MPs 1983–2024

Leeds South and Leeds South East prior to 1983

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1983	Derek Fatchett	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1999 by-election	Hilary Benn	Labour
	2024	Constituency abolished

Election results 1983–2024

Elections in the 1980s

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1983: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Peter Wrigley	10,484	26.9
		Michael Ashley-Brown	9,181	23.6
		G. Cummins	331	0.9
		J.M. Rogers	314	0.8
Majority			8,222	21.0
Turnout			39,030	61.7
	win (new seat)

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1987: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David Schofield	9,765	25.5
		Karen Lee	6,853	17.9
		William Innis	355	0.9
Majority			11,505	30.1
Turnout			59,019	64.8
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1992: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		TC Holdroyd	8,653	22.7
		David Pratt	5,713	15.0
Majority			15,020	39.5
Turnout			38,039	61.3
	hold		Swing	+4.7

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1997: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Edward Wild	5,077	13.7
		David Freeman	4,164	11.3
		Philip Myers	1,042	2.8
		Mick Rix	656	1.8
		Chris Hill	304	0.8
Majority			20,689	55.9
Turnout			37,009	54.7
	hold		Swing	+8.2

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

1999 Leeds Central by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Peter Wild	4,068	30.8
		Edward Wild	1,618	12.3
		David Blackburn	478	3.6
		Raymond Northgreaves	353	2.7
		Chris Hill	258	2.0
		Julian Fitzgerald	51	0.4
Majority			2,293	17.4
Turnout			13,187	19.6
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 2000s

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 2001: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Victoria Richmond	3,896	14.3
		Stewart Arnold	3,607	13.2
		David Burgess	775	2.8
		Stephen Johnston	751	2.8
Majority			14,381	52.6
Turnout			27,306	41.7
	hold		Swing

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 2005: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ruth Coleman	5,660	19.4
		Brian Cattell	3,865	13.2
		Mark Collett	1,201	4.1
		Peter Sewards	494	1.7
		Mick Dear	189	0.6
		Oluwole Taiwo	126	0.4
	Alliance for Change	Julian Fitzgerald	125	0.4
Majority			11,866	40.6
Turnout			29,186	46.4
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 2010s

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 2010: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Michael Taylor	7,789	20.8
		Alan Lamb	7,541	20.2
		Kevin Meeson	3,066	8.2
		Dave Procter	409	1.1
		We Beat The Scum One-Nil	155	0.4
Majority			10,645	28.5
Turnout			37,394	57.8
	hold		Swing	−4.8

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 2015: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Nicola Wilson	7,791	17.3
		Luke Senior	7,082	15.7
		Michael Hayton	3,558	7.9
		Emma Spriggs	1,529	3.4
		Liz Kitching	330	0.7
Majority			16,967	37.7
Turnout			45,048	55.1
	hold		Swing

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 2017: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Gareth Davies	9,755	20.5
		Bill Palfreman	2,056	4.3
		Ed Carlisle	1,189	2.5
		Andy Nash	1,063	2.2
		Alex Coetzee	157	0.3
Majority			23,698	49.7
Turnout			47,673	53.2
	hold		Swing	+6.0

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 2019: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Peter Fortune	11,143	22.6
		Paul Thomas	2,999	6.1
		Jack Holland	2,343	4.8
		Ed Carlisle	2,105	4.3
		William Clouston	281	0.6
Majority			19,270	39.1
Turnout			49,284	54.2
	hold		Swing	-5.3

Election results 1885–1955

Elections in the 1880s

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General election 1885: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Barran	4,275	48.2
Majority			314	3.6
Turnout			8,864	79.6
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	win (new seat)

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1886: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Kitson	4,212	49.9
Majority			13	0.2
Turnout			8,437	75.8
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	hold		Swing	−1.7

Elections in the 1890s

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General election 1892: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Lawson Walton	4,335	49.4
Majority			113	1.2
Turnout			8,783	86.0
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	hold		Swing	+0.5

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1895: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Leifchild Jones	3,977	46.2
Majority			654	7.6
Turnout			8,608	83.1
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	hold		Swing	+3.2

Elections in the 1900s

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General election 1900: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Samuel Montagu	3,042	42.3
Majority			1,102	15.4
Turnout			7,186	73.2
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	hold		Swing	+3.9

File:Robert Armitage.jpg

Robert Armitage in 1906

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1906: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Gerald Balfour	3,119	42.7
Majority			1,069	14.6
Turnout			7,307	82.2
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+15.0

Elections in the 1910s

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General election January 1910: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Gordon	3,366	45.8
Majority			621	8.4
Turnout			7,353	87.9
	hold		Swing	-3.1

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election December 1910: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Gordon	3,169	47.4
Majority			350	5.2
Turnout			6,688	79.9
	hold		Swing	-2.6

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;

• Liberal: Robert Armitage

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box end 1918 * Terry 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.

File:1922 Robert Armitage.jpg

Robert Armitage in 1922

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1918: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		* Ernest Terry	2,634	16.2
		Joseph Smith	2,146	13.2
Majority			8,840	54.4
Turnout			16,254	37.4
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	hold		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1922: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henry Slesser	7,844	27.8
		Robert Armitage	6,260	22.2
Majority			6,293	22.2
Turnout			28,241	66.1
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

1923 Leeds Central by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henry Slesser	11,359	41.4
		Gilbert Stone	3,026	11.0
Majority			1,726	6.2
Turnout			27,470	64.3
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	hold		Swing	−8.0

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1923: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henry Slesser	11,574	43.8
Majority			3,279	12.4
Turnout			26,427	60.1
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	hold		Swing	−4.9

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1924: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		E. J. C. Neep	10,975	40.4
Majority			5,207	19.2
Turnout			27,157	61.0
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	hold		Swing	+3.4

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1929: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Wilson	15,958	41.0
		Myer Jack Landa	5,607	14.4
Majority			1,364	3.6
Turnout			38,887	68.9
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+11.4

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Denman	26,496	71.36
		Moss Turner-Samuels	10,633	28.64
Majority			15,863	42.72
Turnout			37,129	66.20
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election 1935: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Denman	17,747	56.43
		Fred Lindley	13,701	43.57
Majority			4,046	12.86
Turnout			31,448	61.44
	hold		Swing	−14.9

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Porter	13,370	57.14
		Charles Denman	8,011	34.24
		Basil Mayer Sandelson	2,017	8.62
Majority			5,359	22.90
Turnout			23,398	63.43
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Porter	24,030	60.75
		William Barford	13,351	33.75
		Victor Delepine	2,176	5.50
Majority			10,679	27.00
Turnout			39,557	78.26
	hold		Swing	+2.1

General election 1951: Leeds Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Porter	23,967	62.35
		William Barford	14,475	37.65
Majority			9,492	24.70
Turnout			38,442	77.10
	hold		Swing	−1.2

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in West Yorkshire
• 1999 Leeds Central by-election

External links

• Leeds Central UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Leeds Central UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK