Leslie Seymour

Who was Leslie Seymour?

Leslie George Seymour, JP was a British company director and politician from the city of Birmingham.

Educated at Solihull Grammar School, Seymour left school at the age of 14 to work in a laboratory at a technical school. He then went into manufacturing industries, and became Managing Director of Improved Metallic Appliances Ltd. He was also involved in Conservative Party politics and was elected to Birmingham City Council from Small Heath ward in 1937. After losing his seat in 1946, he returned to the council from Rotton Park Ward in 1947 for two further terms before again being defeated in 1954. He specialised in the more mundane aspects of local government such as rating and valuation, although he was chair of the Civil Defence Committee in 1944.

Seymour was Conservative candidate in the safe Labour seat of Birmingham Ladywood at the 1951 general election. At the 1959 general election, he fought Birmingham Sparkbrook: the Labour incumbent Percy Shurmer had died shortly before polling day, and Seymour managed to defeat his underprepared successor as candidate.