Leeds Constituencies - North

The constituency was created in 1885 and abolished in 1955.

By the time Leeds North was created the area was predominantly a middle-class residential suburb to the north of Leeds which in all its history never returned a Labour MP. Professional people had begun moving north to avoid the pollution of central Leeds in the nineteenth century but working-class back-to-backs catered for a growing population in Woodhouse. Roundhay developed from the 1860s with large numbers of villas and mansions being built. Robert Blackburn also opened his aviation aircraft works here. Headngley equally catered for middle-class professionals and in addition the University of Leeds was located here, hence parts of the area were occupied by students.

 

North
North in 1885


BOUNDARIES

1885–1918: Headingley Ward, and North West Ward, and parts of Brunswick Ward,
North Ward, and North East Ward.


1918–1950: Parts of Brunswick Ward, Headingley Ward, North Ward, and North West Ward.


1950–1955: North Ward, Roundhay Ward, and Woodhouse Ward.


TURNOUT

For elections after 1929 when universal suffrage had been granted

  Electorate Total votes cast Turnout
1929 55,727 40,785 73.6%
1931 59,948 44,391 74.05%
1935 66,551 44,428 66.76%
1945 75,491 54,392 72.05%
1950 56,075 47,230 84.23%
1951 58,219 47,539 81.66%

 

HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES RECORDED BY A WINNING CANDIDATE
1931 O. Peake (Conservative) 34,964

LOWEST NUMBER OF VOTES RECORDED BY A WINNING CANDIDATE
1886 W. L. Jackson (Conservative) 4,301

HIGHEST MAJORITY RECORDED BY A WINNING CANDIDATE
1931 O. Peake (Conservative) 25,537

LOWEST MAJORITY RECORDED BY A WINNING CANDIDATE
1945 O. Peake (Conservative) 128

 

RESULTS

 

1885 - 25th November

North
W. L. Jackson (Conservative) 4,494
A. W. Rucker (Liberal) 4,237


1886 - 2nd July

North
W. L. Jackson (Conservative) 4,301
A. Rutson (Gladstonian Liberal) 3,682

 

1892 - 7th July

North
W. L. Jackson (Conservative) 5,790
T. R. Leuty ( Gladstonian Liberal) 4,776

 

1895 - 17th July

North
W. L. Jackson (Conservative) 5,992
H. S. Baines (Liberal) 4,484

 

1900 - 4th October

North
W. L. Jackson (Conservative) 7,512 *
J. C. Hamilton (Liberal) 4,995
[ * Raised to the peerage July 1902. ]

 

1902 - 29th July - by-election

North
R. H. Barran (Liberal) 7,539
Sir A. Lawson (Conservative) 6,781

 

1906 - 15th January

North
R. H. Barran (Liberal) 9,593
J. D. Birchall (Conservative) 7,109

 

1910 - 17th January

North
R. H. Barran (Liberal) 10,775
J. D. Birchall (Conservative) 9,164

 

1910 - 5th December

North
R. H. Barran (Liberal) 9,324
J. D. Birchall (Conservative) 9,056

 

 
Representation of the People Act 1918 – All men over21 and women over 30 enfranchised Redistribution of the Seats Act 1918

1918 - 14th December

North
Major A. C. Farquharson (Coalition Liberal) 13,863
G. H. Thompson (Labour) 3,423
H. F. Wyatt (National) 1,282

 

1922 - 15th November

North
H. M. Butler (Conservative) 13,771
E. O Dodgson (Liberal) 7,230
Revd D. Stewart (Labour) 5,836


1923 - 6th December

North
Sir G. Beckett (Conservative) 14,066
E. O Dodgson (Liberal) 6,624
Revd D. Stewart (Labour) 5,384

 

1924 - 29th October

North
Sir G. Beckett (Conservative) 18,502
S. C. Moore (Labour) 7,920

 

Representation of the People Act 1928 – All women over 21 enfranchised

1929 - 30th May

North
Capt. O. Peake (Conservative) 19,661
T. MacCall (Labour) 11,180
T. E. Harvey (Liberal) 9,944

 

1931 - 27th October

North
O. Peake (Conservative) 34,964 *
L. J. Edwards (Labour) 9,427


1935 - 14th November

North
O. Peake (Conservative) 30,636 *
L. J. Edwards (Labour) 13,792

1940 [No general election from 1939–1945. Coalition in power during the war.]


1945 - 5th July (main polling day), plus 12th, 19th July. Main result declared 26th July


North
O. Peake (Conservative) 22,848
R. Hodgson (Labour) 22,720
J. A. MacCallum Scott (Liberal) 8,824

 

 

Boundary Reorganisation

 

1950 - 23th February

North
O. Peake (Conservative) 27,766
R. J. Hurst (Labour) 15,018
W. Underhill (Liberal) 4,446

 

1951 - 25th October

North
O. Peake (Conservative) 30,290
P. Taylor (Labour) 17,249