1945 Manchester City Council election

Elections to Manchester City Council were held on Thursday, 1 November 1945. One third of the councillors seats were up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a three-year term of office. The council remained under no overall control.^[1][2] These were the first local elections held in Manchester since the outbreak of the Second World War.

1945 Manchester City Council election

← 1938 1 November 1945 (1945-11-01) 1946 →
56 of 144 seats to Manchester City Council 73 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Labour Conservative Liberal Seats before 55 67 20 Seats won 35 19 2 Seats after 69 58 15 Seat change 14 9 5 Popular vote 155,143 108,826 18,221 Percentage 54.0% 43.9% 6.3%
Map of results of 1945 election
Leader of the Council before election No overall control Leader of the Council after election No overall control

Election result

Party		Votes			Seats			Full Council
Labour Party		155,143 (54.0%)			35 (62.5%)	35 / 56	14	69 (47.9%)	69 / 144
Conservative Party		108,826 (37.9%)			19 (33.9%)	19 / 56	9	58 (40.3%)	58 / 144
Liberal Party		18,221 (6.3%)			2 (3.6%)	2 / 56	5	15 (10.4%)	15 / 144
Communist		796 (0.3%)			0 (0.0%)	0 / 56		1 (0.7%)	1 / 144
Residents		73 (0.02%)			0 (0.0%)	0 / 56		1 (0.7%)	1 / 144
Independent		3,485 (1.2%)			0 (0.0%)	0 / 56		0 (0.0%)	0 / 144
Independent Labour Party		822 (0.3%)			0 (0.0%)	0 / 56		0 (0.0%)	0 / 144

Full council

↓

1

69

15

1

58

Ward results

All Saints'

All Saints'

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Evans	1,261	52.9
	Conservative	A. Holberry*	1,093	45.8
	Independent	F. R. Phillips	31	1.3
Majority			168	7.1
Turnout			2,385	24.4
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Ardwick

Ardwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. McGrath*	2,537	51.8
	Conservative	T. Dobbins	2,362	48.2
Majority			175	3.6
Turnout			4,899	40.0
	Labour hold		Swing

Beswick

Beswick (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Winstanley*	3,831	75.0
	Labour	T. W. Farrell	3,758	73.5
	Independent	J. McGuiness	1,279	25.0
Majority			2,479	48.5
Turnout			5,110	34.2
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Blackley

Blackley (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Cruse	3,898	43.8
	Labour	R. B. Prain	3,821	43.0
	Conservative	P. Chadwick*	3,637	40.9
	Conservative	G. W. Bryant	3,426	38.5
	Liberal	J. H. Culley	1,358	15.3
	Liberal	S. Critchley	1,246	14.0
Majority			184	2.1
Turnout			8,893	44.2
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Bradford

Bradford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Malcolm*	4,163	74.9
	Conservative	E. Griffiths	1,395	25.1
Majority			2,768	49.8
Turnout			5,558	31.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Cheetham

Cheetham (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Goldstone	3,752	53.8
	Labour	F. H. A. Micklewright	3,578	51.3
	Conservative	H. G. S. Lorimer*	1,753	25.2
	Conservative	W. L. Goodfellow	1,748	25.1
	Liberal	S. Needoff*	1,465	21.0
	Liberal	R. Phelan	784	11.3
Majority			1,825	26.1
Turnout			6,970	44.3
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Chorlton-cum-Hardy (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. S. Whittaker*	6,981	66.9
	Conservative	R. Turley*	6,979	66.9
	Labour	F. Kelsall	3,453	33.1
	Labour	W. H. Brightman	3,280	31.4
Majority			3,526	33.8
Turnout			10,434	31.6
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Collegiate Church

Collegiate Church (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	B. S. Langton	1,237	46.2
	Labour	R. Finkel	1,174	43.9
	Liberal	M. Fidler	590	22.0
	Conservative	G. W. G. Fitzsimmons	555	20.7
	Conservative	A. Lees*	526	19.7
	Independent	J. R. Gouldman	295	11.0
Majority			584	21.9
Turnout			2,677	43.3
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Collyhurst

Collyhurst (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Malcolm*	1,962	55.1
	Labour	M. Tylecote*	1,925	54.0
	Conservative	T. Smith	804	22.6
	Communist	S. Wild	796	22.4
Majority			1,121	31.4
Turnout			3,562
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Crumpsall

Crumpsall (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. P. Jennings	3,091	38.9
	Conservative	G. C. Roberts*	3,032	38.2
	Conservative	R. Renshaw	3,021	38.0
	Labour	H. Broderick	2,986	37.6
	Liberal	C. Hughes*	1,824	22.9
Majority			11	0.1
Turnout			7,947	43.0
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Didsbury

Didsbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Hill*	5,807	62.4
	Labour	F. Taylor	3,494	37.6
Majority			2,313	24.8
Turnout			9,301	40.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

Exchange

Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. E. Bird*	253	88.8
	Labour	M. C. Toner	32	11.2
Majority			221	77.6
Turnout			285	71.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

Gorton North

Gorton North (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Lord*	4,660	75.0
	Labour	C. Bentley*	4,610	74.2
	Conservative	C. Parker	1,551	25.0
Majority			3,059	49.2
Turnout			6,211	39.5
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Gorton South

Gorton South (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. R. Leslie*	4,417	73.3
	Labour	E. Kirkman	4,388	72.8
	Conservative	R. A. Fieldhouse	1,610	26.7
Majority			2,778	46.1
Turnout			6,027	31.9
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Harpurhey

Harpurhey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. P. J. Hinderer	3,408	55.7
	Conservative	C. F. Howarth*	2,713	44.3
Majority			695	11.4
Turnout			6,121	46.5
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Levenshulme

Levensulme (3 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Bowes*	3,821	35.2
	Conservative	O. Lodge*	3,786	34.9
	Liberal	C. R. de la Wyche*	3,721	34.3
	Labour	C. Bamber	2,801	25.8
	Labour	M. Geliher	2,754	25.4
	Labour	V. Wilson	2,613	24.1
	Ind. Labour Party	F. Hatton	499	4.6
	Ind. Labour Party	W. Kelly	323	3.0
Majority			920	8.5
Turnout			10,842	72.7
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Liberal hold		Swing

Longsight

Longsight (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Elliot*	4,006	51.2
	Conservative	H. Sharp*	3,892	49.7
	Labour	D. Rock	3,820	48.8
	Labour	G. Whalley	3,732	47.7
Majority			72	0.9
Turnout			7,826	41.9
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Medlock Street

Medlock Street

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Littlemore*	1,611	58.2
	Conservative	C. Brewster	991	34.6
	Independent	R. Frere	266	9.3
Majority			620	21.6
Turnout			2,868
	Labour hold		Swing

Miles Platting

Miles Platting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. F. Irvine*	2,627	64.3
	Conservative	A. H. Ball	1,461	35.7
Majority			1,166	28.5
Turnout			4,088	39.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Moss Side East

Moss Side East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. Knowles	1,914	51.4
	Conservative	H. A. E. Ramsden*	1,389	37.3
	Independent	A. M Edwards	423	11.3
Majority			525	14.1
Turnout			3,726	31.7
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Moss Side West

Moss Side West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	N. G. Atkinson	2,235	45.6
	Conservative	D. Gosling	2,055	41.9
	Independent	G. J. Playford	397	8.1
	Independent	A. C. Halliday	213	4.4
Majority			180	3.7
Turnout			4,900	34.5
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Moston

Moston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. C. Lamb	5,225	58.5
	Conservative	H. F. Johnston*	2,417	27.1
	Liberal	H. Kevin Armitage	1,285	14.4
Majority			2,808	31.5
Turnout			8,927	42.1
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

New Cross

New Cross

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. M. Lever*	3,011	88.5
	Independent	J. A. Gannon	393	11.5
Majority			2,618	76.9
Turnout			3,404	39.4
	Labour hold		Swing

Newton Heath

Newton Heath (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Eyres*	3,743	65.2
	Labour	J. Hellier*	3,708	64.6
	Conservative	W. H. Priestnall	1,999	34.8
	Conservative	A. Turner	1,936	33.7
Majority			1,709	29.8
Turnout			5,742	37.2
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Openshaw

Openshaw

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Moss*	3,614	79.7
	Conservative	L. H. Nesbitt	917	20.2
Majority			2,697	59.5
Turnout			4,531	35.0
	Labour hold		Swing

Oxford

Oxford (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. B. Cary	401	85.3
	Conservative	S. A. Gradwell*	397	84.5
	Labour	B. Starkie	69	14.7
	Labour	R. Thomas	69	14.7
Majority			328	69.8
Turnout			470
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Rusholme

Rusholme

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Stockdale	3,402	54.8
	Labour	A. B. Horan	2,479	40.0
	Liberal	A. E. Sherlock*	322	5.2
Majority			923	14.8
Turnout			6,203	39.2
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

St. Ann's

St. Ann's (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Marshall*	515	90.0
	Conservative	W. J. Pegge*	515	90.0
	Labour	S. Beaven	57	10.0
	Labour	N. Randolph	57	10.0
Majority			458	80.0
Turnout			572
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

St. Clement's

St. Clement's (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. L. Cobon*	338	44.1
	Liberal	A. E. Smith*	291	38.0
	Labour	W. Newton	137	17.9
	Labour	L. Palethorpe	128	16.7
Majority			154	20.1
Turnout			766
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Liberal hold		Swing

St. George's

St. George's

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. E. Thomas*	2,293	57.3
	Conservative	J. R. Sorenson	1,518	38.0
	Independent	H. B. Frere	174	4.4
	Independent	L. Weathers	14	0.4
Majority			775	19.3
Turnout			3,999	35.4
	Labour hold		Swing

St. John's

St. John's (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. E. Burgess*	598	63.2
	Conservative	H. Harker	515	54.4
	Labour	J. Clarkson	208	22.0
	Labour	F. Wain	189	20.0
	Liberal	G. Davies*	141	14.9
	Liberal	F. E. Doran	115	11.9
Majority			307	32.4
Turnout			947	55.4
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

St. Luke's

St. Luke's (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. Ball	1,842	45.5
	Labour	J. H. Alsop	1,832	45.2
	Conservative	C. V. Jarvis*	1,661	41.0
	Conservative	J. H. Willis	1,624	40.1
	Liberal	O. Heggs*	548	13.5
	Liberal	J. E. Moore	512	12.6
	Residents	E. Hutchinson	73	1.8
Majority			171	4.2
Turnout			4,051	27.1
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

St Mark's

St. Mark's (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. M. Larrad*	3,238	65.1
	Labour	H. Eastwood	3,067	61.6
	Conservative	W. Sharp	1,738	34.9
Majority			1,329	26.7
Turnout			4,976	37.2
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

St. Michael's

St. Michael's

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Donovan*	1,964	78.6
	Conservative	S. Taylor	536	21.4
Majority			1,428	57.2
Turnout			2,500
	Labour hold		Swing

Withington

Withington (2 vacancies)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Lord*	6,555	44.2
	Conservative	H. Bentley*	6,297	42.5
	Labour	F. H. Robinson	6,178	41.7
	Labour	E. C. Gates	5,909	39.8
	Liberal	C. A. Curtis	2,101	14.2
	Liberal	F. R. Cann	1,918	12.9
Majority			119	0.8
Turnout			14,834	40.2
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Wythenshawe

Wythenshawe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Frost*	7,303	62.9
	Conservative	W. Walton	4,300	37.1
Majority			3,003	25.8
Turnout			11,603	41.2
	Labour hold		Swing

Aldermanic election

By-elections between 1945 and 1946

References

1. Rawtenstall, Blackburn, and Oldham All Go Labour, Manchester Evening News, November 2, 1945, p.6
2. MORE LABOUR VICTORIES IN MANCHESTER, Manchester Guardian, November 3, 1945, p.6