Labour holds onto power in Leeds - but smaller parties make big gains

Labour has kept its majority in Leeds - but smaller parties have made gains in Leeds City Council's elections.

Across the city, voters came out in their thousands to choose new councillors. Turnout was up by three per cent on last year, with 34.24 per cent of eligible voters making their voices heard for a total of 196,302 votes cast.

The ruling Labour Party successfully won seats from the Conservative Party, taking Guiseley and Rawdon, Calverley and Farsley and Ardsley and Robin Hood. They even won a fourth seat from the Green Party, taking from Farnley and Wortley.

Read More: Leeds local election results 2024 live as they come in

However, they came out of the count with their total seat-count unchanged, making a total of 61 seats out of a possible 99. It came as the smaller parties made inroads on the council, with the Green Party taking three seats from Labour, and the Social Democratic Party taking full control of the Middleton Park ward.

The Green Party managed to take seats in Armley, Gipton and Harehills and Headingley and Hyde Park. Both the Greens and the SDP were the only two parties to increase their presence on Leeds City Council as a result.

Only one party actually lost seats in the overall count and that was the Conservative Party, dropping down to 15 seats from 18 before the election. The Liberal Democrats, as well as the Morley Borough Independents and Garforth and Swillington Independents, successfully defended their seats, but made no further gains.

Despite the lack of an increase in their total seat share, Labour will be happy to see their control over the council maintained at its already high level, but may be concerned about the ability of the Greens to win in seats which they previously controlled.

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The result from the Conservative Party proves they can still successfully defend seats, such as Adel and Wharfedale, from Labour and other opponents, but they will be concerned about their chances in an upcoming general election where national polling may have an even bigger impact.

As for the Green Party, they will be happy with their results despite the loss of Councillor David Blackburn, as it proves they can win seats in solid Labour areas. The SDP will take positives from their successful local campaigns in Middleton Park, but they will need to find ways to win in other seats if they hope to grow their votes.

Finally, the Liberal Democrats have proved, in the one seat they were defending this year, Otley and Yeadon, that they are still popular in parts of Leeds, although they will hope to be more competitive in other areas in future.

Overall its a mixed bag for most parties, but Labour have once again come out on top in Leeds, even if their rivals in the Green Party have proven their ability to take seats from them. Labour will continue to run the council, as it has since 2011.

Council makeup

• Labour - 61 (+/-0)

• Conservative Party - 15 (-3)

• Liberal Democrats - 6 (+/-0)

• Morley Borough Independents - 6 (+/- 0)

• Green Party - 5 (+2)

• Garforth and Swillington Independents - 3 (+/-0)

• Social Democratic Party - 3 (+1)