Leeds North East is a constituency which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Fabian Hamilton of the Labour Party.
Constituency profile Leeds North East is a constituency in West Yorkshire. It covers the northern neighbourhoods of the city of Leeds, including Chapeltown, Chapel Allerton, Roundhay, Oakwood, Moortown and Alwoodley. Leeds is one of the United Kingdom's largest cities and grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution as a centre for textile manufacturing, especially wool. Today the city has a diverse economy and is the largest legal and financial centre in England outside of London. There is some deprivation in inner-city Chapeltown, however this is generally an affluent constituency with many large detached and semi-detached properties, particularly in Moortown and Alwoodley. House prices are similar to the national average and higher than the rest of Yorkshire.
In general, residents of Leeds North East are well-educated and have high rates of income and professional employment. A high proportion work in the health and education sectors. White people made up 64% of the population in the 2021 census. Asians were the largest ethnic minority group at 20%, consisting mainly of Pakistani and Indian communities. Black people were 7% of the population, concentrated in the Chapeltown area. At the local city council, most of the constituency is represented by the Labour Party whilst Alwoodley elected Conservatives. Voters in the constituency strongly supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 64% voted to remain compared to the nationwide figure of 48%.
Boundaries 1918–1950: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Crossgates, Roundhay, Seacroft, and Shadwell, and parts of the wards of North and North East.
1950–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Burmantofts, Harehills, Potternewton, and Richmond Hill.
1955–1974: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Chapel Allerton, Potternewton, Roundhay, and Woodhouse.
1974–1983: The City of Leeds wards of Chapel Allerton, Harehills, Roundhay, Scott Hall, and Talbot.
1983–2010: The City of Leeds wards of Chapel Allerton, Moortown, North, and Roundhay.
2010–present: The City of Leeds wards of Alwoodley, Chapel Allerton, Moortown, and Roundhay.
History of boundaries A North-East division of Leeds's parliamentary borough was recommended by the Boundary Commission in its report of 1917. The Commission recommended that the division consist of the whole of the Crossgates, Roundhay, Seacroft, and Shadwell wards, together with the larger parts of two other wards which were to be divided between divisions: North-East ward save for a small part west of Accommodation Road in Burmantofts which was placed in the South-East division and that part of North ward east of Gledhow Park and Moor Allerton."87. Parliamentary Borough of Leeds" in "Report of the Boundary Commission (England and Wales)", Cd. 8757, vol II. This created a division with a population of 74,054 (according to the 1911 Census); 38,307 lived in the part of North ward, 28,349 in the part of North-East ward, and 7,398 in Roundhay, Seacroft, Shadwell and Cross Gates. Parliament enacted the new boundaries without alteration in the Representation of the People Act 1918.
The initial report of the Boundary Commission in 1947 recommended that the North East division consist of the Burmantofts, Harehills, Potternewton and Roundhay wards. This meant a slightly smaller electorate (in respect of the register in force on 15 October 1946) from 78,498 to a still hefty 66,671; the main change was the removal of Seacroft to the South East division."Initial Report of the Boundary Commission for England", Cmd. 7260, p. 54. The Government brought in a Representation of the People Bill based on the recommendations, but after pressure from some affected local authorities, decided give extra seats to some towns and cities where the electorate had resulted in the area narrowly missing out on an additional Member: on 18 March 1948 the Government put down amendments to the Bill which included increasing the number of seats in the County Borough of Leeds from six to seven."Constituency Changes", The Times, 19 March 1948, p. 4. The Boundary Commission produced revised recommendations contained the wards of Burmantofts, Harehills and Roundhay, and having an electorate of 51,181."Representation of the People Bill. Statement showing the names, contents and electorates of certain proposed new constituencies", Cmd. 7363, p. 6. The Boundary Commission consulted on their proposals and received objections to the arrangements in the west of the city which led them to revise the recommendations in May 1948. The alterations had knock-on effects on the North East division, which was now recommended to comprise the North, Roundhay and Woodhouse wards for 56,283 electors."Representation of the People Bill. Report of Boundary Commissioners for England on Representations relating to certain proposed new constituencies.", Cmd. 7400, pp. 6–7.
When the Home Secretary James Chuter Ede proposed altering the Bill in line with the altered recommendations, the sitting MP for Leeds North-East Alice Bacon (supported by George Porter, MP for Leeds Central) moved an amendment to alter the name of a division the Boundary Commission had called 'East Central' to 'North East', and altering the division the Boundary Commission had called 'North East' to 'North'. The Government accepted the amendment,Hansard, HC 5ser vol 452 cols 374–6. as effected in the Representation of the People Act 1948. The Leeds North East division from then consisted of the Burmantofts, Harehills, Potternewton and Richmond Hill wards and had a 1946 electorate of 49,882. The division was considerably smaller in area after changes in 1950.
Alterations in ward boundaries in Leeds on 28 July 1950 led the Boundary Commission to make an interim report on alterations of constituency boundaries in 1951; although the definition of the constituency was the same, the ward changes had a minor impact on the divisional boundaries."Boundary Commission for England Report", Cmd. 8100, p. 3; F. W. S. Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1950–1973", 2nd edition, Parliamentary Research Services, Chichester, 1983, p. 181. In 1954 the Boundary Commission looked again at boundaries, and recommended that the North East division of Leeds consist of the wards of Allerton, Potternewton, Roundhay and Woodhouse. Three out of the four wards (Allerton, Roundhay and Woodhouse wards) came from the abolished Leeds North, while Burmantofts and Harehills wards were removed to Leeds East, and Richmond Hill ward went to Leeds South East."Boundary Commission for England", First Periodical Report, Cmd. 9311, pp. 62–3.
By the time of the Second Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission in the late 1960s, the wards of the County Borough of Leeds had again been altered. The commission recommended that the Borough Constituency of Leeds North East consist of the wards of Chapel Allerton, Harehills, Roundhay, Scott Hall and Talbot. The change decreased the electorate (on the October 1968 register) slightly from 53,719 to 53,461."Boundary Commission for England", Second Periodical Report, Cmnd. 4084, p. 128, 134. These boundary changes took effect from the February 1974 general election. The Third Periodical Review in 1983 initially proposed a Leeds North East County Constituency comprising 33,200 electors out of 60,120 in the existing borough together with half of the previous Leeds North West seat and Harewood and Wetherby from the Barkston Ash seat. At a public inquiry the plans were challenged and the assistant Commissioner recommended that the Leeds North East constituency remain urban and based on the previous seat, comprising Chapel Allerton, Moortown, North and Roundhay wards; this alteration was accepted by the Boundary Commission."Boundary Commission for England", Third Periodical Report, Cmnd. 8797-I, pp. 72–4. The changes still removed 10,000 electors, mostly to Leeds East but some to Leeds Central and Elmet, and brought in 16,000 electors, mostly from Leeds North West and Barkston Ash and a small number from Leeds South East."The BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", Parliamentary Research Services, Chichester, 1983, pp. 89, 195. No changes were made in the Fourth Periodical Review in 1995."The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, 1995, p. 108. Current boundaries Boundary changes implemented under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which took effect at the 2010 general election — their final recommendations matched initial proposals — resulted in the seat comprising the City of Leeds wards of Alwoodley, Chapel Allerton, Moortown and Roundhay."Boundary Commission for England", Fifth Periodical Report, Cm. 7032, pp. 190–203. By these changes, 2,100 electors out of 64,106 in the existing seat were removed to Elmet and Rothwell, while 3,875 were added from Leeds North West, 700 from Leeds Central, and 349 from Leeds East."Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, 2007, pp. 107, 244. As a result of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies the composition of the constituency which came into effect for the 2024 general election was unchanged, apart from very minor changes due to modifications to ward boundaries.
History At the first election in 1918, it was decided that a Conservative candidate would receive the Coalition 'coupon' in Leeds North East, as four Liberals had received coupons in other Leeds divisions and Labour was allowed an unopposed return in Leeds South-East. Major John Birchall, the Coalition Conservative candidate, was opposed by Labour Party candidate John Bromley, leader of the Locomotive Engineman's Society. The Times described Bromley as "prone to verbal violence" and with "an unnecessary railway strike in his war service record". A third candidate, Captain W.P. Brigstock, announced himself for the National Party, but was felt to have negligible prospects and did not stand."Asquith Liberals in Yorkshire", The Times, 30 November 1918, p. 9. Birchall won comfortably, and went on to represent the seat until he retired in February 1940. His majority never fell below 4,000.
Birchall's resignation resulted in a by-election in March 1940, Professor J.J. Craik Henderson was nominated as a Conservative. Under the war-time electoral truce no Labour or Liberal candidate stood, but he was opposed by Sydney Allen of the British Union of Fascists who campaigned on an anti-war policy. Henderson won the by-election with 97.1% of the vote. Despite the division's history, Labour went into the 1945 general election with a degree of optimism."West Riding Liberals' revival effort", Manchester Guardian, 3 July 1945, p. 2. As it turned out Professor Craik Henderson could not defend his seat, and Alice Bacon won for Labour on a 22.6% swing.
The constituency with new boundaries at the 1950 election was reckoned to be helpful to Alice Bacon,"New Boundaries in Leeds make prophets cautious", Manchester Guardian, 2 February 1950, p. 6. and therefore likely to be held by Labour."Doubts about Steel", The Times, 9 February 1950, p. 3. She indeed held the seat at both the 1950 and 1951 general elections.