# 2024 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

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

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. 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.
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. 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. 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

* Council composition after the 2023 election
* Council composition ahead of the 2024 election
* Council composition following the 2024 election
| After 2023 election | After 2023 election | After 2023 election | Before 2024 election | Before 2024 election | Before 2024 election | After 2024 election | After 2024 election | After 2024 election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Party | Party | Seats | Party | 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 UK | 1 | | Reform UK | 1 | | Reform UK | 1 |
| | | | | Vacant | 2 |
Changes 2023–2024:
* 8 November 2023: Mat Crisp (Liberal Democrat) resigns; seat left vacant until election.
* December 2023: Pooja Ramchandani (Labour) resigns; seat left vacant until election.

## Results

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

## Ward results

The results for each ward were:

### Central

Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nicola Sumner | 1,012 | 57.4 | +10.6 |
| | Green | Christopher Michael Scarfe | 291 | 16.5 | +8.0 |
| | Conservative | Adrian Thompson | 250 | 14.2 | +4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Catherine Teresa Rogerson | 185 | 10.5 | +5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 721 | 40.9 | 19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1763 | 20.0 | −0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Cudworth

Cudworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Steve Houghton | 1,150 | 72.0 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Mark J Brook | 184 | 11.5 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Kate Waters | 138 | 8.6 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Kabir Nepal | 106 | 6.6 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 966 | 60.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1598 | 18.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Darfield

Darfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin John Howard Osborne | 1,012 | 53.6 | +2.6 |
| | Reform UK | Scott Andrew McKenzie | 564 | 29.9 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Ian White | 171 | 9.1 | −9.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Richard Hulme | 127 | 6.7 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 448 | 23.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1889 | 23.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Darton East

Darton East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leyla Nayeri | 1,196 | 46.6 | −18.1 |
| | Labour | Teresa Ann Wilcockson | 951 | 37.0 | +7.7 |
| | Reform UK | Aiden Ian Benoit | 258 | 10.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Gillian Ruth Millner | 96 | 3.7 | −6.1 |
| | Yorkshire | Simon Biltcliffe | 58 | 2.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 245 | 9.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2569 | 29.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Darton West

Darton West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alice Cave | 1,074 | 45.0 | +3.6 |
| | Green | Trevor Anthony Mayne | 495 | 20.7 | −8.5 |
| | Reform UK | Shaun Kenneth Turner | 409 | 17.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kevin Bennett | 203 | 8.5 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Bee D’abeille Lokkit | 200 | 8.4 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 579 | 24.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2389 | 26.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Dearne North

Dearne North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wendy Ann Cain | 1,025 | 69.1 | −4.0 |
| | English Democrat | Maxine Spencer | 214 | 14.4 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | Mike Toon | 138 | 9.3 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian John Evans | 94 | 6.3 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 811 | 54.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1483 | 16.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Dearne South

Dearne South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Deborah Jane Pearson | 1,060 | 59.7 | +0.2 |
| | SDP | David Alan Jarvis | 396 | 22.3 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative | Elaine Weems | 131 | 7.4 | −1.6 |
| | English Democrat | Janus Polenceusz | 99 | 5.6 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Fielding | 77 | 4.3 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 664 | 37.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1777 | 19.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Dodworth

Dodworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Wray | 1,328 | 50.9 | −4.3 |
| | Labour | Ian Hague-Brown | 896 | 34.3 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Steven John Burkinshaw | 361 | 13.8 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 432 | 16.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2611 | 31.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Hoyland Milton

Hoyland Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mick Stowe | 1,092 | 46.0 | +3.3 |
| | Reform UK | Michael James Davies | 697 | 29.4 | +11.7 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Millner | 191 | 8.0 | −3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Glenn Lawrence | 175 | 7.4 | +0.1 |
| | Green | Tom Heyes | 162 | 6.8 | +0.8 |
| | TUSC | Angela Ruth Waller | 49 | 2.1 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 395 | 16.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2373 | 25.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Kingstone

Kingstone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steve Bullcock | 791 | 44.7 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Simon John Jordan Williamson | 591 | 33.4 | −5.9 |
| | Reform UK | Liam James Hardcastle | 169 | 9.5 | N/A |
| | Green | Peter Gordon Giles | 114 | 6.4 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | Roger Haw | 69 | 3.9 | −0.5 |
| | TUSC | Tracey-Ann Holland | 28 | 1.6 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 200 | 11.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1770 | 22.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Monk Bretton

Monk Bretton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Steven Green | 1,032 | 50.6 | +0.4 |
| | Independent | Rachel Jane Stewart | 784 | 38.5 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | Alex Wilkinson | 132 | 6.5 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Mary Rose | 75 | 3.7 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 248 | 12.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2038 | 22.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### North East

North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dorothy Coates | 1,085 | 53.6 | +0.2 |
| | Independent | Raymond Archer | 443 | 21.9 | −1.2 |
| | Yorkshire | Tony Devoy | 214 | 10.6 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Wilkinson | 165 | 8.1 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Samantha Bullcock | 107 | 5.3 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 642 | 31.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2026 | 19.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Old Town

Old Town :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Phil Lofts | 1,130 | 56.5 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Clive Watkinson | 292 | 14.6 | −0.6 |
| | Green | Gillian Margaret Nixon | 258 | 12.9 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patrick Dimelow Smith | 196 | 9.8 | +3.7 |
| | TUSC | Steve Dangerfield | 106 | 5.3 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 838 | 41.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2001 | 23.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Penistone East

Penistone East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Roberts | 1,533 | 41.6 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative | Peter Millar | 1,377 | 37.4 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andy Waters | 385 | 10.5 | −2.4 |
| | Green | Kate Helen Raynor | 346 | 9.4 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 156 | 4.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,681 | 37.9 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Penistone West

Penistone West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mandy Lowe Flello | 1,414 | 39.0 | −6.9 |
| | Labour Co-op | Frances Nixon | 1061 | 29.3 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative | Roy Garratt | 447 | 12.3 | +5.4 |
| | Reform UK | David Wood | 429 | 11.8 | N/A |
| | Green | Richard Thomas James Trotman | 263 | 7.3 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 353 | 9.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3626 | 35.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Rockingham

Rockingham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sherry Holling | 884 | 35.9 | +6.8 |
| | Independent | Jaz Holt | 731 | 29.7 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Robert Lomas | 457 | 18.6 | +8.1 |
| | Conservative | Phil Weems | 244 | 9.9 | −3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sue Waters | 128 | 5.2 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 153 | 6.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2462 | 29.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Royston

Royston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Caroline Makinson | 1,082 | 58.2 | −0.6 |
| | Independent | Neil Fisher | 440 | 23.7 | +4.7 |
| | Conservative | Michael Barraclough | 187 | 10.1 | −4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Hood | 87 | 4.7 | −0.3 |
| | TUSC | Jennifer Louise Barker | 51 | 2.7 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 642 | 34.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1858 | 21.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### St Helen’s

St Helen’s :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sarah Jane Tattersall | 1,004 | 73.9 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matthew Rigden Nicholson | 191 | 14.1 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Lee Ogden | 140 | 10.3 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 813 | 59.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1359 | 16.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Stairfoot

Stairfoot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Karen Dyson | 955 | 50.6 | −10.9 |
| | Reform UK | Luca Lorenzo Turner | 518 | 27.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Robert Kitching | 211 | 11.2 | −4.9 |
| | Conservative | Mark Kevan Hitchmough | 188 | 10.0 | −12.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 437 | 23.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1888 | 20.8 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Wombwell

Wombwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Lewis Higginbottom | 1,370 | 65.4 | −4.1 |
| | Reform UK | Simon Glen Moore | 317 | 15.1 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | Debbie Toon | 161 | 7.7 | −3.6 |
| | Green | Jessica Claire Roebuck | 149 | 7.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Welton Green | 89 | 4.2 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1053 | 50.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2095 | 21.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Worsbrough

Worsbrough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Bowser | 996 | 58.0 | +26.9 |
| | Reform UK | Jamie Thomas Owen | 338 | 19.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Calvert | 223 | 13.0 | +8.9 |
| | Conservative | Charlotte Wilkinson | 150 | 8.7 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 658 | 38.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1718 | 23.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

## By-elections between 2024 and 2026

Dodworth by-election 12 December 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andy Waters | 1,029 | 49.7 | −1.2 |
| | Reform UK | Eric Hodgson | 503 | 24.3 | |
| | Labour | Kate Hutchinson | 334 | 16.1 | −18.2 |
| | Conservative | Steven Burkinshaw | 147 | 7.1 | −6.7 |
| | Green | Trevor Mayne | 57 | 2.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 526 | 25.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,070 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |