Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
East Huddersfield was won by Labour at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 3,095 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in East Huddersfield from 1950 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1950–1979
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1950
Joseph Percival William Mallalieu (Labour)
22,296
56.6%
John Smith (Conservative)
5,233 (13.3 pts)
85.7%
1951
Joseph Percival William Mallalieu (Labour)
22,368
55.7%
John Smith (Conservative)
4,569 (11.4 pts)
86.6%
1955
Joseph Percival William Mallalieu (Labour)
22,835
55.1%
Douglas Clift (Conservative)
4,224 (10.2 pts)
80.2%
1959
Joseph Percival William Hallalieu (Labour)
22,474
53.7%
Paul Michael Beard (Conservative)
3,085 (7.4 pts)
80.6%
1964
Joseph Percival William Mallalieu (Labour)
20,501
50.8%
James Alan Fergusson (Conservative)
8,269 (20.5 pts)
78.8%
1966
Joseph Mallalieu (Labour)
21,960
55.8%
James Fergusson (Conservative)
10,879 (27.7 pts)
77.9%
1970
Joseph Mallalieu (Labour)
20,629
50.1%
John Greaves Holt (Conservative)
4,997 (12.2 pts)
75.5%
Oct 1974
Joseph Mallalieu (Labour)
19,522
50.4%
Albert Francis John Povey (Conservative)
8,414 (21.7 pts)
72.4%
Feb 1974
Joseph Mallalieu (Labour)
20,224
47.3%
Cyril Julian Hebden Taylor (Conservative)
7,304 (17.1 pts)
80.5%
1979
Barry Sheerman (Labour)
19,040
47.5%
Martin Richard Bendelow (Conservative)
3,095 (7.7 pts)
74.3%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1950
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Percival William Mallalieu
Labour
22,296
56.6%
Yes
John Smith
Conservative
17,063
43.4%
No
1951
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Percival William Mallalieu
Labour
22,368
55.7%
Yes
John Smith
Conservative
17,799
44.3%
No
1955
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Percival William Mallalieu
Labour
22,835
55.1%
Yes
Douglas Clift
Conservative
18,611
44.9%
No
1959
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Percival William Hallalieu
Labour
22,474
53.7%
Yes
Paul Michael Beard
Conservative
19,389
46.3%
No
1964
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Percival William Mallalieu
Labour
20,501
50.8%
Yes
James Alan Fergusson
Conservative
12,232
30.3%
No
Bernard Jennings
Liberal
7,494
18.6%
No
1966
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Mallalieu
Labour
21,960
55.8%
Yes
James Fergusson
Conservative
11,081
28.2%
No
George Lee
Liberal
6,303
16.0%
No
1970
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Mallalieu
Labour
20,629
50.1%
Yes
John Greaves Holt
Conservative
15,632
38.0%
No
George Malcolm Lee
Liberal
4,569
11.1%
No
Ethel Beresford
Communist
308
0.7%
No
Oct 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Mallalieu
Labour
19,522
50.4%
Yes
Albert Francis John Povey
Conservative
11,108
28.7%
No
George Malcolm Lee
Liberal
7,326
18.9%
No
John David Robertshaw
National Front
764
2.0%
No
Feb 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Mallalieu
Labour
20,224
47.3%
Yes
Cyril Julian Hebden Taylor
Conservative
12,920
30.2%
No
George Malcolm Lee
Liberal
8,530
20.0%
No
Norman Mear
National Front
796
1.9%
No
Anthony John Drake
Communist
246
0.6%
No
1979
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Barry Sheerman
Labour
19,040
47.5%
Yes
Martin Richard Bendelow
Conservative
15,945
39.7%
No
Gavin MacPherson
Liberal
4,890
12.2%
No
Harry Hirst
Independent
243
0.6%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
East Huddersfield has been contested at 10 general elections on record since 1950. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won East Huddersfield in the 1979 general election?
Labour won East Huddersfield in 1979 with 19,040 votes (47.5%), a majority of 3,095 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won East Huddersfield since 1950?
Since 1950, East Huddersfield has been won by: Labour.
What was the closest result in East Huddersfield?
The closest result on record for East Huddersfield was 1959, when Labour beat Conservative by just 3,085 votes (7.4 percentage points).