One third of Leeds City Council in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England is elected each year, followed by no election in one year out of every four years. A total of 99 councillors have been elected from 33 electoral wards across Leeds since 1980.[1]
From 1889 until 1974 Leeds was a county borough, independent from any county council. Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a metropolitan borough, with West Yorkshire County Council providing county-level services. The first election to the reconstituted city council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. West Yorkshire County Council was abolished in 1986 and Leeds became a unitary authority. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[2] [3]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| (Labour minority) | 1973–1976 | |
| 1976–1979 | ||
| (Conservative minority) | 1979–1980 | |
| 1980–2004 | ||
| (Lib Dem-Conservative-Green Party coalition) | 2004–2010 | |
| (Labour minority) | 2010–2011 | |
| 2011–present | ||
The first leader of the reformed council in 1974, Albert King, had been the last leader of the old county borough of Leeds. The leaders of the council since 1974 have been:[4]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert King | 1974 | 1975 | ||
| 1975 | 1979 | |||
| Peter Sparling | 1979 | 1980 | ||
| 1980 | 1989 | |||
| 1989 | 1996 | |||
| Brian Walker | 1996 | 2003 | ||
| May 2003 | 28 June 2004 | |||
| Mark Harris | 28 June 2004 | 30 November 2004 | ||
| Andrew Carter | 1 December 2004 | 23 May 2005 | ||
| Mark Harris | 24 May 2005 | 30 November 2005 | ||
| Andrew Carter | 1 December 2005 | 22 May 2006 | ||
| Mark Harris | 23 May 2006 | 30 November 2006 | ||
| Andrew Carter | 1 December 2006 | 21 May 2007 | ||
| Mark Harris | 24 May 2007 | 30 November 2007 | ||
| Andrew Carter | 1 December 2007 | 22 May 2008 | ||
| Richard Brett | 22 May 2008 | 30 November 2008 | ||
| Andrew Carter | 1 December 2008 | 21 May 2009 | ||
| Richard Brett | 21 May 2009 | 30 November 2009 | ||
| Andrew Carter | 1 December 2009 | 27 May 2010 | ||
| Keith Wakefield | 27 May 2010 | 21 May 2015 | ||
| 21 May 2015 | 24 February 2021 | |||
| James Lewis | 24 February 2021 | incumbent | ||
Summary of the council composition after council elections, click on the year for full details of each election. Boundary changes took place for the 1980 election which increased the number of seats by 3, leading to the whole council being elected in that year. Further boundary changes made in 2004 again required the full council to be elected.[5]
| Year | Labour | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Independent | Greens | Morley Borough Independents | SDP | BNP | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 44 | 38 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1975 | 41 | 43 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1976 | 38 | 50 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1978 | 39 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1979 | 44 | 45 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1980 | 62 | 29 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1982 | 56 | 32 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1983 | 54 | 33 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1984 | 53 | 33 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1986 | 58 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1987 | 58 | 25 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1988 | 59 | 25 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1990 | 66 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1991 | 68 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1992 | 67 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1994 | 67 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1995 | 75 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1996 | 83 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1998 | 80 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1999 | 71 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2000 | 61 | 16 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2002 | 57 | 18 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2003 | 52 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2004 | 40 | 24 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2006 | 40 | 24 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 2007 | 43 | 22 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 2008 | 43 | 22 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 2010 | 48 | 22 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2011 | 55 | 21 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2012 | 63 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2014 | 63 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2015 | 63 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2016 | 63 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2018 | 61 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2019 | 57 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2021 | 54 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 58 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 61 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2024 | 61 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||
Following the death, removal or resignation of an incumbent councillor between council elections, by-elections occur to elect a successor to fill the vacant council seat. The most recent by-election took place on 12 December 2019 after the death of incumbent Wetherby ward councillor, Gerald Wilkinson, in October 2019.[6] [7]
| Ward by-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headingley by-election | 28 February 1974 | ||||
| Burley by-election | 21 November 1974 | ||||
| Burley by-election | 8 January 1975 | ||||
| Beeston by-election | 27 September 1984 | ||||
| Aireborough by-election | 18 August 1986 | ||||
| Armley by-election | 8 December 1988 | ||||
| Burmantofts by-election | 15 June 1989 | ||||
| Morley North by-election | |||||
| City & Holbeck by-election | 30 November 1989 | ||||
| Wetherby by-election | 23 July 1992 | ||||
| Richmond Hill by-election | 26 October 1995 | ||||
| Beeston by-election | 14 November 1996 | ||||
| Headingley by-election | 10 July 1997 | ||||
| Whinmoor by-election | 21 August 1997 | ||||
| Bramley by-election | 6 August 1998 | ||||
| Harehills by-election | 13 April 2000 | ||||
| Morley North by-election | 7 June 2001 | ||||
| University by-election | |||||
| Moortown by-election | 19 July 2001 | ||||
| Headingley by-election | 28 July 2005 | ||||
| Farnley & Wortley by-election | 18 September 2008 | ||||
| Temple Newsam by-election | 2 April 2009 | ||||
| Hyde Park & Woodhouse by-election | 18 February 2010 | ||||
| Guiseley & Rawdon by-election | 14 October 2010 | ||||
| Cross Gates & Whinmoor by-election | 2 May 2013 | ||||
| Wetherby by-election | 12 December 2019 | ||||