# Barnsley (UK Parliament constituency)

Barnsley was a Parliamentary constituency covering the town of Barnsley in England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

## History

The constituency was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election and abolished in 1983. It was a Liberal seat in its early years, but by the time of its abolition it had become a Labour stronghold.

## Boundaries

The area formerly covered by this constituency is now mostly in the Barnsley Central constituency and partly in the Barnsley East constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Courtney Kenny | Liberal Party |
| 1889 by-election | William Compton | Liberal Party |
| 1897 by-election | Sir Joseph Walton | Liberal Party |
| 1918 | Sir Joseph Walton | Coalition Liberal |
| 1922 | John Potts | Labour |
| 1931 | Richard John Soper | Liberal National |
| 1935 | John Potts | Labour |
| 1938 by-election | Frank Collindridge | Labour |
| 1951 | Sidney Schofield | Labour |
| 1953 by-election | Roy Mason | Labour |
| 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Courtney Kenny | 6,705 | 71.1 | |
| | Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | 2,722 | 28.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,983 | 42.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,427 | 85.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,034 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Courtney Kenny | 5,425 | 65.0 | −6.1 |
| | Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | 2,917 | 35.0 | +6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,508 | 30.0 | −12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,342 | 75.6 | −9.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,034 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.1 | |
Kenny resigned, causing a by-election.
1889 Barnsley by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Compton | 6,232 | 62.2 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | 3,781 | 37.8 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,451 | 24.4 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,013 | 79.5 | +3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,593 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.8 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Compton | 6,739 | 65.8 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Francis Foljambe | 3,498 | 34.2 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,241 | 31.6 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,237 | 75.0 | −0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,643 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.8 | |
General election 1895: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Compton | 6,820 | 59.4 | −6.4 |
| | Conservative | Ronald Greville | 4,653 | 40.6 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,167 | 18.8 | −12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,473 | 80.9 | +5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,181 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.4 | |
1897 Barnsley by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Walton | 6,744 | 59.7 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | James Blyth | 3,454 | 30.6 | −10.0 |
| | Ind. Labour Party | Pete Curran | 1,091 | 9.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,290 | 29.1 | +10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,289 | 76.3 | −4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,805 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +5.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election January 1900: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Walton | 7,549 | 63.4 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Arthur William Groser | 4,356 | 36.6 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,193 | 26.8 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,905 | 74.6 | −6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,948 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.0 | |
General election January 1906: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Walton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Walton | 12,425 | 71.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Arthur William Groser | 5,053 | 28.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,372 | 42.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,478 | 83.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election December 1910: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Walton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1918: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Joseph Walton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Potts | 14,728 | 55.1 | New |
| | National Liberal | Maurice Moore | 12,011 | 44.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,717 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,739 | 75.7 | N/A |
| | Labour gain from National Liberal | Labour gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1923: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Potts | 12,674 | 48.0 | −7.1 |
| | Unionist | William Craven-Ellis | 6,884 | 26.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Neal | 6,881 | 26.0 | −18.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,790 | 22.0 | +11.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,439 | 74.1 | −1.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1924: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Potts | 14,738 | 51.7 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal | John Neal | 13,785 | 48.5 | +22.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 953 | 3.2 | −18.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,523 | 78.2 | +4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1929: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Potts | 21,855 | 53.8 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal | William Sutherland | 12,517 | 30.8 | −17.7 |
| | Unionist | William Craven-Ellis | 6,265 | 15.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,388 | 23.0 | +19.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,637 | 82.3 | +4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.8 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | Richard John Soper | 21,392 | 50.9 | +35.5 |
| | Labour | John Potts | 20,622 | 49.1 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 770 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,014 | 84.2 | +1.9 |
| | National Liberal gain from Labour | National Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Potts | 25,318 | 58.9 | +9.8 |
| | National Liberal | Richard John Soper | 17,683 | 41.1 | −9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,635 | 17.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,001 | 82.6 | −1.6 |
| | Labour gain from National Liberal | Labour gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |
1938 Barnsley by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frank Collindridge | 23,566 | 64.4 | +5.5 |
| | National Liberal | Seymour Howard | 13,052 | 35.6 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,514 | 28.8 | +11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,618 | 72.7 | −9.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.5 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frank Collindridge | 30,614 | 72.9 | +14.0 |
| | National Liberal | Richard John Soper | 11,382 | 27.1 | −14.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,232 | 45.8 | +28.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,996 | 80.4 | −2.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frank Collindridge | 42,008 | 68.6 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Howard Walker | 10,779 | 17.6 | New |
| | National Liberal | Charles Gordon-Spencer | 8,480 | 13.8 | −13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 31,209 | 51.0 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,267 | 88.9 | +8.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sidney Schofield | 37,523 | 69.7 | +1.1 |
| | National Liberal | Geoffrey Whittaker | 9,296 | 17.3 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Howard Walker | 7,002 | 13.0 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 28,227 | 52.4 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,821 | 77.2 | −11.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
1953 Barnsley by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 29,283 | 72.9 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Whittaker | 10,905 | 27.1 | +9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,378 | 45.8 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,188 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.3 | |
General election 1955: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 39,485 | 72.8 | +3.1 |
| | National Liberal | R. Anthony Wilson | 14,776 | 27.2 | +9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,709 | 45.6 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,261 | 78.6 | +1.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 42,565 | 73.7 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative | John Philip Howard Bent | 15,189 | 26.3 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27,376 | 47.4 | +1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,754 | 82.7 | +4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 37,250 | 66.8 | −6.9 |
| | Conservative | Joan Hall | 9,417 | 16.9 | −9.4 |
| | Liberal | John Herbert Dossett | 9,089 | 16.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27,833 | 49.9 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,756 | 80.0 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 38,744 | 75.7 | +8.9 |
| | Conservative | Joan Hall | 12,456 | 24.3 | +7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26,288 | 51.4 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,200 | 73.4 | −6.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 34,956 | 64.8 | −10.9 |
| | Conservative | Robert Godber | 10,811 | 20.0 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal | John Herbert Dossett | 8,186 | 15.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,145 | 44.8 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,953 | 71.2 | −2.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 40,595 | 71.8 | +7.0 |
| | Conservative | George England | 15,969 | 28.2 | +8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,626 | 43.6 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,564 | 74.6 | +3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 34,212 | 65.3 | −6.5 |
| | Conservative | George England | 9,400 | 18.0 | −10.2 |
| | Liberal | Peter Tomlinson | 8,753 | 16.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,812 | 47.3 | +3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,365 | 68.4 | −6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Barnsley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Mason | 36,276 | 64.0 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | George England | 13,654 | 24.1 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal | Wilfred Whitaker | 5,751 | 10.2 | −6.5 |
| | Troops Out of Ireland | B. Gallagher | 638 | 1.1 | New |
| | Workers Revolutionary | J. Davis | 348 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,622 | 39.9 | −7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,667 | 72.9 | +4.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |