The Thoresby Society

 

1950 - 23th February

Central
G. Porter (Labour) 24,030
W. Barford (Conservative) 13,351
V. L. R. Delpine (Liberal) 2,176

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

North East
A. M. Bacon (Labour) 21,599
J. C. Bidgood (Conservative) 14,780
W. D. V. Jones (Liberal) 2,612
B. Ramelson (Communist) 612

North West
D. Kaberry (Conservative) 24,161
V. Mishcon (Labour) 14,562
J. O. Hogley (Liberal) 3,078

South
H. T. N. Gaitskell (Labour) 29,795
B. H. Wood (Conservative) 14,436
E. Meeks (Liberal) 4,525

South East
J. Milner (Labour) 23,994
C. E. Kirwin (Conservative) 15,262
A. Hope (Liberal) 2,234

West
T. C. Pannell (Labour) 21,339
B. Mather (Conservative) 16,824
C. Rhodes (Liberal) 3,209

Labour was returned to power but saw its overall majority reduced to just 5 and that despite polling more votes than they had in 1945 and 773,772 more than the Conservatives and their supporters. Atlee’s party won 315 seats to the Conservatives 282. The campaign essentially focussed on Labour’s possible future nationalisation of other sectors and industries, a policy bitterly opposed by the Conservatives. Many people were dissatisfied with the Government’s performance, resented that rationing was still being imposed and that there were regular shortages of goods. However, it was an election remarkably devoid of sensationalism.

Canvassing in Leeds showed the Conservatives doing well, as they had in the recent municipal elections and that both Liberals and Communists were being marginalised. In the city a new constituency had been created and in Leeds North West Donald Kaberry, a local solicitor, was successful with a 10,000 majority for the Conservatives who also won Leeds North West where 40% of the electorate had voted by 2pm. The other seats remained Labour. The poll in the city generally was extremely high with a turnout of 81.88%. Additional clerks had to be sent to Middleton where queues four deep and 400 yards long were reported.

The election proved a disaster for the Liberals who came third in every contest in the city and each candidate lost his deposit. At the declaration Osbert Peake forecast there would be another ‘General Election in eighteen months to two years which the Conservatives would win.’ He would be proved right.