Leeds Central
Apr 25, 2020 8:59:42 GMT
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Post by BossMan on Apr 25, 2020 8:59:42 GMT
LEEDS CENTRAL
The Leeds Central constituency has existed twice. It was originally created in 1885 from the old Leeds constituency and was represented by Conservative and Liberal MPs until 1929, when it elected Labour’s Richard Denman. He represented the seat under the National Labour banner between 1931 until his defeat by Labour’s George Porter at the 1945 landslide.
In 1955, Leeds Central was abolished by boundary changes but was revived in 1983, when it was won by Labour’s Derek Fatchett. He held the seat until his sudden death in 1999 at the age of 53 from a heart attack. The new Labour candidate in the subsequent by-election was Hilary Benn, the fourth generation of the prominent Benn family to have served in Parliament. The Lib Dems advanced by 20% in that by-election, but Benn still won comfortably in this now very strongly Labour seat. Perhaps more notable was the shockingly low turnout, a postwar record low 19.6% - Benn was elected with fewer numerical votes on that occasion so as to rival the MPs for Western Isles and Orkney and Shetland. Low turnout has continued to be a feature of elections in Leeds Central, where it tends to be less than 55% at the general elections that have followed.
The central and inner parts of the city of Leeds have suffered from a degree of depopulation in recent decades, meaning it has expanded in size when boundaries have been periodically reviewed. In 1997, it took in Hunslet from the former Leeds South and Morley constituency. Central was already the safest seat for Labour in Leeds, and Hunslet is one of the most working class areas of the city, so it made no electoral difference.
Leeds Central covers the commercial area of the former woollen metropolis, part of the relatively small black and Asian communities of the city, as well as the large two universities – giving the seat a significant student electorate. Most of the old back to back housing for which Leeds was once famous has given way to modern redevelopment, much of it high rise. Britain’s first ever residential tower block was built here, in Richmond Hill.
In 2018, there were some ward boundary changes here. Gone was the City and Hunslet ward, and a new Hunslet and Riverside ward was created. Labour do have competition there now – from the Green Party. Also abolished was the Hyde Park and Woodhouse ward, and a new Headingley and Hyde Park ward, which is shared with the Leeds North West constituency was created. Likewise it has voted Labour – with a two to one margin over the second placed Greens in May 2019.
Other wards Labour have been able to count on since their 2004 creation are Beeston and Holbeck, and Middleton Park – where second place is surprisingly taken by the SDP.
It’s hard to imagine now, but the Liberal Democrats used to consistently win one ward – Burmantofts and Richmond Hill – but their association with the Coalition government in 2010 seems to have put paid to that, and by 2012 all their councillors had been defeated by Labour.
Hilary Benn continues to represent Leeds Central over 20 years after his first election. In 2019, his majority over the Conservatives was a huge 19,270 on a turnout of 54%. By the next election he will be in his seventies, but he should be able to continue as long as he wishes. His niece Emily Benn has also been a Labour parliamentary candidate. Perhaps we haven’t seen the last of this famous political family.
The Leeds Central constituency has existed twice. It was originally created in 1885 from the old Leeds constituency and was represented by Conservative and Liberal MPs until 1929, when it elected Labour’s Richard Denman. He represented the seat under the National Labour banner between 1931 until his defeat by Labour’s George Porter at the 1945 landslide.
In 1955, Leeds Central was abolished by boundary changes but was revived in 1983, when it was won by Labour’s Derek Fatchett. He held the seat until his sudden death in 1999 at the age of 53 from a heart attack. The new Labour candidate in the subsequent by-election was Hilary Benn, the fourth generation of the prominent Benn family to have served in Parliament. The Lib Dems advanced by 20% in that by-election, but Benn still won comfortably in this now very strongly Labour seat. Perhaps more notable was the shockingly low turnout, a postwar record low 19.6% - Benn was elected with fewer numerical votes on that occasion so as to rival the MPs for Western Isles and Orkney and Shetland. Low turnout has continued to be a feature of elections in Leeds Central, where it tends to be less than 55% at the general elections that have followed.
The central and inner parts of the city of Leeds have suffered from a degree of depopulation in recent decades, meaning it has expanded in size when boundaries have been periodically reviewed. In 1997, it took in Hunslet from the former Leeds South and Morley constituency. Central was already the safest seat for Labour in Leeds, and Hunslet is one of the most working class areas of the city, so it made no electoral difference.
Leeds Central covers the commercial area of the former woollen metropolis, part of the relatively small black and Asian communities of the city, as well as the large two universities – giving the seat a significant student electorate. Most of the old back to back housing for which Leeds was once famous has given way to modern redevelopment, much of it high rise. Britain’s first ever residential tower block was built here, in Richmond Hill.
In 2018, there were some ward boundary changes here. Gone was the City and Hunslet ward, and a new Hunslet and Riverside ward was created. Labour do have competition there now – from the Green Party. Also abolished was the Hyde Park and Woodhouse ward, and a new Headingley and Hyde Park ward, which is shared with the Leeds North West constituency was created. Likewise it has voted Labour – with a two to one margin over the second placed Greens in May 2019.
Other wards Labour have been able to count on since their 2004 creation are Beeston and Holbeck, and Middleton Park – where second place is surprisingly taken by the SDP.
It’s hard to imagine now, but the Liberal Democrats used to consistently win one ward – Burmantofts and Richmond Hill – but their association with the Coalition government in 2010 seems to have put paid to that, and by 2012 all their councillors had been defeated by Labour.
Hilary Benn continues to represent Leeds Central over 20 years after his first election. In 2019, his majority over the Conservatives was a huge 19,270 on a turnout of 54%. By the next election he will be in his seventies, but he should be able to continue as long as he wishes. His niece Emily Benn has also been a Labour parliamentary candidate. Perhaps we haven’t seen the last of this famous political family.
