2024 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

2024 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election
2 May 2024 (2024-05-02)
21 of 63 seats on Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
32 seats needed for a majority
Turnout24.1%
  Majority party Minority party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Stephen Houghton Hannah Kitching
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Independent
Last election 48 seats, 46.1% 10 seats, 17.5% 2 seats, 10.7%
Seats before 47 9 2
Seats won 17 4 0
Seats after 48 11 2
Seat change Steady Increase 1 Steady
Popular vote 21,995 7,420 2,398
Percentage 48.9% 16.5% 5.3%
Swing Increase 2.8% Decrease 1.0% Decrease 5.4%
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader John Wilson David White
Party Conservative Reform
Last election 2 seat, 14.2% 1 seat, 2.9%
Seats before 2 1
Seats won 0 0
Seats after 1 1
Seat change Decrease 1 Steady
Popular vote 5,274 4,156
Percentage 11.7% 9.2%
Swing Decrease 2.5% Increase 6.3%
Winner of each seat at the 2024 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election
Leader before election

Stephen Houghton
Labour

 Leader after election

Stephen Houghton
Labour

The 2024 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election was held on 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day. Labour retained its majority on the council.

Background

Result of the council election when these seats were last contested in 2021
Result of the most recent council election in 2023

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Barnsley was a district of the South Yorkshire metropolitan county.[1] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The South Yorkshire Combined Authority was established in 2014 as the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, which began electing the mayor of South Yorkshire in 2018.[2]

Since its formation, Barnsley has continuously been under Labour control. Councillors have predominantly been elected from the Labour Party, various independents, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats. The council elected a large number of Barnsley Independent Group councillors in the 2006 election, whose numbers had fallen in subsequent elections until its dissolution as a party in 2023. Councillors who will be seeking re-election were most recently elected in the 2021 election, which was originally scheduled to be held in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that election, seventeen Labour councillors were elected with 40.4% of the vote across the borough, with three Liberal Democrats on 11.8% of the vote across the borough and one Conservative with 25.1% of the vote across the borough. Labour held the Rockingham ward after a coin toss broke a tie between the Labour candidate and the Conservative candidate.[3] In the most recent election in 2023, Labour won 15 seats, the Liberal Democrats won 4 seats and independents won 2 seats. After that election, the council had 48 Labour councillors, ten Liberal Democrats, two Conservatives, two independents, and one Reform UK councillor.

Electoral process

The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year.[4][5] The election will take place by first-past-the-post voting, with wards generally being represented by three councillors, with one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Barnsley aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

Previous council composition

After 2023 election Before 2024 election After 2024 election
Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 48 Labour 47 Labour 48
Liberal Democrats 10 Liberal Democrats 9 Liberal Democrats 11
Conservative 2 Conservative 2 Conservative 1
Independent 2 Independent 2 Independent 2
Reform 1 Reform 1 Reform 1
Vacant 2


Results

Labour retained its majority on the council at this election.[6]

2024 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 17 Steady 81.0 31 48 76.2 21,995 48.9 +2.8
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 4 Increase 1 19.0 7 11 17.5 7,420 16.5 –1.0
  Independent {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 2 3.2 2,398 5.3 –5.4
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 1 0.0 1 1 1.6 5,274 11.7 –2.5
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 1 1 1.6 4,156 9.2 +6.3
  Green {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 2,035 4.5 –0.1
  SDP {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 396 0.9 –0.1
  English Democrat {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 313 0.7 N/A
  Yorkshire {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 272 0.6 –1.4
  TUSC {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 234 0.5 ±0.0

Ward results

The results for each ward were:[7]

Central

Central[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Nicola Sumner 1,012 58.2 Increase 9.3
Green Christopher Michael Scarfe 291 16.7 Decrease 1.9
Conservative Adrian Thompson 250 14.4 Decrease 12.4
Liberal Democrats Catherine Teresa Rogerson 185 10.6 Increase 4.9
Majority 721 41.5 19.3
Rejected ballots 25 1.4
Turnout 1763 20.0 −0.8
Registered electors 8,825
Labour hold Swing Increase 3.7

Cudworth

Cudworth[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Steve Houghton 1,150 72.9 Increase 6.0
Conservative Mark J Brook 184 11.7 Decrease 3.8
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Kate Waters 138 8.7 Increase 5.0
Green Kabir Nepal 106 6.7 N/A
Majority 966 61.2
Rejected ballots 20 1.3
Turnout 1598 18.7
Registered electors 8,531
Labour hold Swing Increase 1.1

Darfield

Darfield[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevin John Howard Osborne 1,012 54.0 Increase 4.0
Reform Scott Andrew McKenzie 564 30.1 N/A
Conservative Ian White 171 9.1 Decrease 16.6
Liberal Democrats Simon Richard Hulme 127 6.8 Increase 3.5
Majority 448 23.9
Rejected ballots 15 0.8
Turnout 1889 23.5
Registered electors 8,040
Labour hold Swing

Darton East

Darton East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Leyla Nayeri 1,196 46.7 Increase 7.9
Labour Teresa Ann Wilcockson 951 37.2 Increase 12.2
Reform Aiden Ian Benoit 258 10.1 N/A
Conservative Gillian Ruth Millner 96 3.8 Decrease 7.4
Yorkshire Simon Biltcliffe 58 2.3 N/A
Majority 245 9.6
Rejected ballots 10 0.4
Turnout 2569 28.9
Registered electors 8,874
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease 2.1

Darton West

Darton West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alice Cave 1,074 45.1 Increase 7.6
Green Trevor Anthony Mayne 495 20.8 Decrease 6.1
Reform Shaun Kenneth Turner 409 17.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Kevin Bennett 203 8.5 Increase 5.5
Conservative Bee D’abeille Lokkit 200 8.4 Decrease 24.2
Majority 579 24.3
Rejected ballots 8 0.3
Turnout 2389 26.8
Registered electors 8,898
Labour hold Swing Increase 0.8

Dearne North

Dearne North[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Wendy Ann Cain 1,025 69.7 Increase 8.6
English Democrats - "Putting England First!" Maxine Spencer 214 14.5 Increase 5.1
Conservative Mike Toon 138 9.4 Decrease 14.5
Liberal Democrats Brian John Evans 94 6.4 Increase 3.6
Majority 811 55.1
Rejected ballots 12 0.8
Turnout 1483 16.9
Registered electors 8,752
Labour hold Swing Increase 1.8

Dearne South

Dearne South[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Deborah Jane Pearson 1,060 60.1 Decrease 0.1
SDP David Alan Jarvis 396 22.5 Increase 6.7
Conservative Elaine Weems 131 7.4 Decrease 10.2
English Democrats - "Putting England First!" Janus Polenceusz 99 5.6 Increase 2.3
Liberal Democrats Linda Fielding 77 4.4 Increase 1.3
Majority 664 37.7
Rejected ballots 14 0.8
Turnout 1777 19.1
Registered electors 9,302
Labour hold Swing Decrease 3.3

Dodworth

Dodworth[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Chris Wray 1,328 51.4 Increase 25.2
Labour Ian Hague-Brown 896 34.7 Increase 12.6
Conservative Steven John Burkinshaw 361 14.0 Decrease 7.2
Majority 432 16.7
Rejected ballots 26 1.0
Turnout 2611 31.2
Registered electors 8,373
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase 6.3

Hoyland Milton

Hoyland Milton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mick Stowe 1,092 46.2 Increase 6.6
Reform Michael James Davies 697 29.5 N/A
Conservative Andrew Millner 191 8.1 Decrease 27.6
Liberal Democrats Glenn Lawrence 175 7.4 Increase 4.0
Green Tom Heyes 162 6.8 Decrease 1.2
TUSC Angela Ruth Waller 49 2.1 0.0
Majority 395 16.7
Rejected ballots 7 0.3
Turnout 2373 25.7
Registered electors 9,247
Labour hold Swing

Kingstone

Kingstone[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Steve Bullcock 791 44.9 Increase 38.2
Labour Simon John Jordan Williamson 591 33.5 Decrease 4.6
Reform Liam James Hardcastle 169 9.6 N/A
Green Peter Gordon Giles 114 6.5 Decrease 3.4
Conservative Roger Haw 69 3.9 Decrease 13.0
TUSC Tracey-Ann Holland 28 1.6 Decrease 0.6
Majority 200 11.4
Rejected ballots 8 0.5
Turnout 1770 22.5
Registered electors 7,877
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing Increase 16.8

Monk Bretton

Monk Bretton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Steven Green 1,032 51.0 Decrease 3.6
Independent Rachel Jane Stewart 784 38.8 N/A
Conservative Alex Wilkinson 132 6.5 Decrease 14.5
Liberal Democrats Susan Mary Rose 75 3.7 Increase 1.7
Majority 248 12.3
Rejected ballots 15 0.7
Turnout 2038 22.6
Registered electors 9,001
Labour hold Swing

North East

North East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dorothy Coates 1,085 53.9 Increase 4.7
Independent Raymond Archer 443 22.0 N/A
Yorkshire Tony Devoy 214 10.6 N/A
Conservative Samuel Wilkinson 165 8.2 Decrease 11.1
Liberal Democrats Samantha Bullock 107 5.3 Increase 2.8
Majority 642 31.9
Rejected ballots 12 0.6
Turnout 2026 19.5
Registered electors 10,372
Labour hold Swing

Old Town

Old Town[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Phil Lofts 1,130 57.0 Increase 13.9
Conservative Clive Watkinson 292 14.7 Decrease 8.3
Green Gillian Margaret Nixon 258 13.0 Increase 4.9
Liberal Democrats Patrick Dimelow Smith 196 9.9 Increase 5.5
TUSC Steve Dangerfield 106 5.3 Increase 4.3
Majority 838 42.3
Rejected ballots 19 0.9
Turnout 2001 23.2
Registered electors 8,618
Labour hold Swing Increase 2.8

Penistone East

Penistone East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Roberts 1,533 42.1 Increase 19.0
Conservative Peter Millar 1,377 37.8 Decrease 7.8
Liberal Democrats Andy Waters 385 10.6 Decrease 13.5
Green Kate Helen Raynor 346 9.5 Increase 2.3
Majority 156 4.3
Rejected ballots 40 1.1
Turnout 3,681 37.9
Registered electors 9,713
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase 5.6

Penistone West

Penistone West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mandy Lowe Flello 1,414 39.1 Increase 1.7
Labour Co-op Frances Nixon 1,061 29.4 N/A
Conservative Roy Garratt 447 12.4 Decrease 17.9
Reform David Wood 429 11.9 Increase 7.6
Green Richard Thomas James Trotman 263 7.3 Decrease 1.4
Majority 353 9.8
Rejected ballots 12 0.3
Turnout 3626 35.9
Registered electors 10,096
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Rockingham

Rockingham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sherry Holling 884 36.2 Decrease 2.9
Independent Jaz Holt 731 29.9 N/A
Reform Robert Lomas 457 18.7 N/A
Conservative Phil Weems 244 10.0 Decrease 29.1
Liberal Democrats Sue Waters 128 5.2 Increase 0.7
Majority 153 6.3
Rejected ballots 18 0.7
Turnout 2462 29.0
Registered electors 8,494
Labour hold Swing

Royston

Royston[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Caroline Makinson 1,082 58.6 Increase 15.1
Independent Neil Fisher 440 23.8 Increase 19.8
Conservative Michael Barraclough 187 10.1 Decrease 7.7
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Hood 87 4.7 Increase 2.8
TUSC Jennifer Louise Barker 51 2.8 N/A
Majority 642 34.8
Rejected ballots 11 0.6
Turnout 1858 21.2
Registered electors 8,771
Labour hold Swing Decrease 2.4

St Helen’s

St Helen’s[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sarah Jane Tattersall 1,004 75.2 Increase 18.3
Liberal Democrats Matthew Rigden Nicholson 191 14.3 Increase 11.3
Conservative Lee Ogden 140 10.5 Decrease 8.6
Majority 813 60.9
Rejected ballots 24 1.8
Turnout 1359 16.9
Registered electors 8,051
Labour hold Swing Increase 3.5

Stairfoot

Stairfoot[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Karen Dyson 955 51.0 Increase 13.0
Reform Luca Lorenzo Turner 518 27.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats James Robert Kitching 211 11.3 Increase 9.5
Conservative Mark Kevan Hitchmough 188 10.0 Decrease 5.4
Majority 437 23.3
Rejected ballots 16 0.8
Turnout 1888 20.8
Registered electors 9,080
Labour hold Swing

Wombwell

Wombwell[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Lewis Higginbottom 1,370 65.7 Increase 10.3
Reform Simon Glen Moore 317 15.2 N/A
Conservative Debbie Toon 161 7.7 Decrease 19.0
Green Jessica Claire Roebuck 149 7.1 Increase 1.9
Liberal Democrats Robert Welton Green 89 4.3 Increase 1.0
Majority 1053 50.5
Rejected ballots 9 0.4
Turnout 2095 21.0
Registered electors 9,958
Labour hold Swing

Worsbrough

Worsbrough[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roy Bowser 996 58.3 Increase 21.0
Reform Jamie Thomas Owen 338 19.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Sarah Calvert 223 13.1 Increase 7.3
Conservative Charlotte Wilkinson 150 8.8 Decrease 13.1
Majority 658 38.5
Rejected ballots 11 0.6
Turnout 1718 23.3
Registered electors 7,376
Labour hold Swing

Changes 2024–2026

  • November 2024: Sam Christmas (Liberal Democrats) resigned from the Dodworth seat, last elected in 2023; a by-election was held in December 2024.[8]
  • December 2024: Andy Waters (Liberal Democrats) won the Dodworth by-election.[9]
  • February 2025: David White, elected as a Conservative in Rockingham in 2021, resigned from Reform UK and sat as an independent councillor.[10]
  • July 2025: Clive Pickering (Labour), elected in Old Town in 2022, joined the Liberal Democrats.[11][12]
  • August 2025: Trevor Smith (Labour), elected in Darfield in 2023, left the party to sit as an independent councillor.[13]
  • 31 December 2025: David White resigned as councillor for Rockingham, the seat he was elected to in 2021; no by-election was held because the vacancy fell within six months of the scheduled May 2026 elections.[10]

By-elections

Dodworth

Dodworth by-election 12 December 2024[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Andy Waters 1,029 49.7 Decrease 1.2
Reform Eric Hodgson 503 24.3 N/A
Labour Kate Hutchinson 334 16.1 Decrease 18.2
Conservative Steven Burkinshaw 147 7.1 Decrease 6.7
Green Trevor Mayne 57 2.8 N/A
Majority 526 25.4
Rejected ballots 3 0.1
Turnout 2,073 24.4
Registered electors 8,503
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Sam Christmas.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  2. ↑ "Sheffield devolution deal". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  3. ↑ Brooke, Sam (2021-05-07). "Local elections Barnsley results with tied seat won by coin toss". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  4. ↑ "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  5. ↑ "Election Timetable in England" (PDF).
  6. ↑ Gallagher, Paul; Willis, Cullen (3 May 2024). "Barnsley council 2024 local election full results as Labour retains control". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "Local government and Combined Authority Mayoral elections – 2 May 2024". Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 Timlin, Josh (8 November 2024). "Resignation prompts council by-election". Barnsley Chronicle. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Dodworth ward by-election – 12 December 2024". Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Ex-Conservative and Reform councillor resigns from Barnsley Council". Hits Radio South Yorkshire. 19 December 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Review of the allocation of seats on committees and boards to political groups" (PDF). Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Councillor switches his allegiance". Barnsley Chronicle. 4 July 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Barnsley politics in confusion with Reform defection claim and counter-claim". Rotherham Advertiser. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
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