The Thoresby Society

1992 - 8 April

Central
D. Fatchett (Labour) 23,673
T. C. Holdroyd (Conservative) 8,653
D. Pratt (Liberal Democrat) 5,713

East
G. Mudie (Labour) 24,929
W. N. Carmichael (Conservative) 12,232
P. Wrigley (Liberal Democrat) 6,040

North East
T. J. R. Kirkhope (Conservative) 22,462
F. Hamilton (Labour) 18,218
C. R. Walmsley (Liberal Democrat) 8,274
J. Noble (Green ) 546

North West
K. Hampson (Conservative) 21,750
B. Pearce (Liberal Democrat) 14,079
S. Egan (Labour) 13,782
D. Webb (Green ) 519
N. Nowosielski (Liberal) 427

Pudsey
J. G. D. Shaw (Conservative) 25,067
A. Giles (Labour) 16,095
D. T. Shutt (Liberal Democrat) 15,153
J. Wynne (Green) 466

South & Morley
J. Gunnell (Labour) 23,896
G. R. Booth (Conservative) 16,524
J. Walmsley (Liberal Democrat) 5,062
R. Thurston (Natural Law) 327

West
J. D. Battle (Labour) 26,310
P. Bartlett (Conservative) 12,482
G. Howard (Liberal Democrat) 4,252
M. Meadowcroft (Liberal) 3,980
A. M. Mander (Green) 569
R. Tenny (National Front) 132

Elmet
S. Batiste (Conservative) 27,677
C. Burgon (Labour) 24,416
A. Beck (Liberal Democrat) 6,144

 

The Conservative victory under John Major was a surprise to many as the opinion polls had regularly shown Labour expected to win. The Conservatives stole a march on their opponents in their pre-election budget which offered cutting the bottom rate of income tax whilst targeting Labour as the party of high taxation. It appealed to 14,093,007 voters, the highest number of votes ever recorded for a party in the United Kingdom. Even though the Conservatives lost 40 seats they ended with 336 to Labour with 271 and the newly formed Liberal Democrats with 20.

Four Green candidates stood in Leeds whilst in Leeds West six candidates entered the fray including both a Liberal Democrat and a traditional Liberal. In Leeds North West both Conservatives and Labour complained about the Liberal Democrats producing a spurious newspaper the Leeds and Otley Herald and cases of political vandalism were reported by all parties. The result of the poll showed no changes in Leeds. It was claimed that the smallest polling station was a caravan based beside Leeds Bradford Airport, known as the ‘station at the end of the runway’. Elmet with an 82.5% turnout was one of the highest turnouts ever recorded in the city.