The 2021 Leeds City Council election took place on Thursday 6 May 2021 to elect members of Leeds City Council in England. It was held on the same day as other local elections across England and the rest of the UK, including the inaugural West Yorkshire mayoral election.
The election was originally scheduled for 7 May 2020, alongside the later cancelled 2020 West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner election and other local elections across the UK, but was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per the election cycle, both one third of the council's 99 seats and an additional casual vacancy in Roundhay ward were contested. Following the postponement of the original election in 2020, the incumbent councillors' terms have been extended for an additional year to their initial two-year term granted in 2018. All councillors elected in 2021 will serve a one-off three-year term, instead of the usual four-year term, to retain their original term end date of 2024.
The Labour Party maintained their majority control of the council despite losing two seats. The closest contest saw Labour hold Temple Newsam ward by 12 votes ahead of the Conservatives.
Election summary
|- style="text-align: right; font-weight: bold;" ! scope="row" colspan="2" | Total | 183 | 34 | 2 | 2 | | 100.0 | 100.0 | 222,647 | 50,061
The election result had the following consequences for the political composition of the council: Party2019 electionPrior to electionNew council Labour 57 54 54 Conservative 23 23 24 Liberal Democrat 8 7 8 Morley Borough Independents 5 5 6 Garforth and Swillington Independents 3 3 3 Green 3 3 3 Independent 0 1 1 Vacant 0 3 0 Total 99 99 99 Working majority
Councillors who did not stand for re-election +Councillor/s who did not stand for re-election (9) Councillor Ward First elected Party Reason Successor Judith Blake Middleton Park 1996, 2002 Labour stood down Sharon Burke (Labour) Morley South 2011 Labour stood down Jane Senior (Morley Borough Independents) Cross Gates & Whinmoor 1983 (as Conservative), 1997 (as Labour) Labour stood down James Gibson (Labour) Rothwell 2018 Liberal Democratsdied in office Conrad Hart-Brooke (Liberal Democrats) Pudsey 2018 Conservative stood down Dawn Seary (Conservative) Weetwood 2018 Labour stood down Emma Flint (Labour) Guiseley & Rawdon 2010 Conservative stood down Paul Alderson (Conservative) Roundhay 2016 Labour resigned office Zara Hussain (Labour) Roundhay 2018 Labour deselected, later resigned office Lisa Martin (Labour)
Ward results Adel & Wharfedale
Alwoodley
Ardsley & Robin Hood
Armley
Beeston & Holbeck
Bramley & Stanningley
Burmantofts & Richmond Hill
Calverley & Farsley
Chapel Allerton
Cross Gates & Whinmoor
Farnley & Wortley
Garforth & Swillington
Gipton & Harehills
Guiseley & Rawdon
Harewood
Headingley & Hyde Park
Horsforth
Hunslet & Riverside
Killingbeck & Seacroft
Kippax & Methley
Kirkstall
Little London & Woodhouse
Middleton Park
Moortown
Morley North
Morley South
Otley & Yeadon
Pudsey
Rothwell
Roundhay A casual vacancy was contested alongside the regular election following the resignation of Eleanor Tunnicliffe (Labour Party) in March 2021. The highest-placed candidate, Lisa Martin, received the full term and the second-placed candidate, Zara Hussain, filled the vacancy to complete Tunnicliffe's term of office until 2022.
Temple Newsam
Weetwood
Wetherby
Notes
References