The Thoresby Society

 

1966 - 31 March

East
D. W. Healey (Labour) 30,073
A. R. M. Graham (Conservative) 18,796

North East
Sir K. Joseph (Conservative) 20,813
D. A. Mallen (Labour) 15,851

North West
Sir D. Kaberry (Conservative) 30,168
C. J. Morgan (Labour) 24,044
South

M. Rees (Labour) 23,171
P. A. Woodward (Conservative) 9,813
B. Ramelson (Communist) 714

South East
A. M. Bacon (Labour) 14,663
J. G. Todd (Conservative) 5,743

West
T. C. Pannell (Labour) 24,391
I. M. Glover (Conservative) 13,883
D. Pedder (Liberal) 5,062

When Labour lost a by-election and saw it majority now down to 2, Harold Wilson decided to go the country. It was a shrewd decision in that it brought about a resounding victory for the Labour Party which secured 364 seats and a majority of 96. The Conservatives and supporters won 253 and the Liberals 12. It was difficult for the Conservatives in that their new leader, Edward Heath, had not been in charge long and the Liberals were financially strapped having to fight two elections in so short a space of time

Once again in Leeds no seat changed hands and the Liberals put only one candidate forward and that in Leeds West. In both Conservative seats the majorities were virtually halved whereas in the four Labour seats the majorities increased. In Leeds during the election, Alice Bacon raised the spectre of a whispering campaign being organised by the Conservatives on immigration, a subject which was becoming an issue at the time, whilst Sir Keith Joseph, speaking locally, raised another major concern, that of crime, claiming it was second only to the cost of living on people’s minds, and adding that, ‘Women are afraid to open the door at night.’ Healey, the Minister of Defence also speaking in the city, accused Enoch Powell of misleading the public, declaring that ‘Labour had no intention of sending British soldiers, sailors or airmen to fight in Vietnam.’