The constituency was represented by Denis Healey from 1955 to 1992. Healey served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979 and latterly as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.[2]
Constituency profile
This seat includes the areas of Leeds around York Road and Temple Newsam, including several large council estates.[3] The seat is ethnically mixed and residents are poorer than the UK average.[4]
Boundaries
Map of present boundaries
1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Leeds ward of East, and parts of the wards of Central, North, and North East.
1955–1974: The former County Borough of Leeds wards of Burmantofts, Crossgates, Halton, Harehills, and Osmondthorpe.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Gipton, Halton, Osmondthorpe, Seacroft, and Whinmoor.
1983–2010: The City of Leeds wards of Burmantofts, Halton, Harehills, and Seacroft.
2010–present: The City of Leeds wards of Cross Gates and Whinmoor, Gipton and Harehills, Killingbeck and Seacroft, and Temple Newsam.
The City of Leeds wards of: Cross Gates & Whinmoor; Garforth & Swillington; Gipton & Harehills; Killingbeck & Seacroft; Temple Newsam (polling districts TNB, TNC-X, TNC-Y, TNF and TNG).[5]
In order to bring the electorate within the permitted range, the Garforth and Swillington ward will be added from Elmet and Rothwell (to be abolished). To partly compensate, parts of the Temple Newsam ward (polling districts TNA, TND, TNE, TNH, TNI, TNJ, TNK and TNL)will be transferred out to the re-established Leeds Central seat.
History
The constituency was created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and was first used in the general election of that year. Leeds had previously been represented by two MPs (1832–1868) and three MPs (1868–1885). From 1885 it was represented by five single-member constituencies: Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West. The constituencies of Morley, Otley and Pudsey were also created in 1885.
The constituency was abolished in 1918. After the 1918 general election, Leeds was represented by Leeds Central, Leeds North, Leeds North-East (created 1918), Leeds South, Leeds South-East (created 1918), and Leeds West.
The constituency was recreated in 1955. After the 1955 general election Leeds was represented by Leeds East (created 1885, abolished 1918, recreated 1955), Leeds North East, Leeds North West (created 1950), Leeds South and Leeds South East. There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley (created 1918) and Pudsey and Otley (created 1918, replacing Pudsey).
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 9 Yorkshire and the Humber region.
^ abLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 1)
^"Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
^Richard Burgon [@RichardBurgon] (8 February 2022). "Delighted to have been reselected as the Labour candidate in East Leeds at the next General Election, with the backing of every Labour Party Branch, every trade union affiliate and the Co-op Party. A huge thank you, as always, to all East Leeds Labour members and affiliates" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
^"Leeds East Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
^East Leeds Conservatives [@EastLeedsFirst] (20 January 2024). "We are delighted to announce @CllrSamFirth has been selected as our general election candidate. Sam is a local Councillor and proven campaigner born and raised in Leeds East" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"Leeds East Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated 2017" (PDF). Leeds City Council. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.