# Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council elections

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. One third of the council is elected each year, except for every fourth year when there is no election. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, councillors are elected from 21 wards.

## Council elections

Summary of the council composition after council elections, click on the year for full details of each election. Boundary changes took place for the 1979 election (increasing the number of seats by 6) and more recently the 2004 election (which decreased the number of seats by 3) prompting the whole council to be elected in those years.
| Year | Labour | Conservative | Liberal / Lib Dem | Independent | Ratepayers / Residents | Independent Labour | Barnsley Independent | Reform UK |
| 1973 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1 Dem Lab) | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | 48 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 (1 Dem Lab) | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | 39 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 3 (1 Dem Lab) | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | 37 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | 46 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | 53 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | 58 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | 59 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | 63 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 59 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 52 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 49 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 47 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 33 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 2007 | 33 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 2008 | 32 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 2010 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2011 | 43 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2012 | 52 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2014 | 53 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2015 | 55 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2016 | 55 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 49 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 49 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 46 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 48 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | 48 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |

### Composition since 1973
## Borough result maps

* 1979 results map
* 1980 results map
* 1982 results map
* 1983 results map
* 1984 results map
* 1986 results map
* 1987 results map
* 1988 results map
* 1990 results map
* 1991 results map
* 1992 results map
* 1994 results map
* 1995 results map
* 1996 results map
* 1998 results map
* 1999 results map
* 2000 results map
* 2002 results map
* 2003 results map
* 2004 results map
* 2006 results map
* 2007 results map
* 2008 results map
* 2010 results map
* 2011 results map
* 2012 results map
* 2014 results map
* 2015 results map
* 2016 results map
* 2018 results map
* 2021 results map
* 2022 results map
* 2023 results map
* 2024 results map

## By-election results

| By-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party |
| South West by-election | 29 November 1979 | Residents | Residents |
| Brierley by-election | 25 September 1980 | Labour | Labour |
| Ardsley by-election | 7 May 1981 | Labour | Labour |
| Dodworth by-election | 10 December 1981 | Residents | Labour |
| Penistone East by-election | 18 February 1982 | Labour | Alliance |
| Penistone East by-election | 14 June 1984 | Alliance | Labour |
| Park by-election | 3 May 1985 | Labour | Labour |
| Brierley by-election | 10 July 1986 | Labour | Labour |
| Ardsley by-election | 25 September 1986 | Labour | Labour |
| Cudworth by-election | 30 September 1988 | Labour | Labour |
| Athersley by-election | 27 July 1989 | Labour | Labour |
| Dodworth by-election | 9 April 1992 | Labour | Labour |
| Monk Bretton by-election | 9 April 1992 | Labour | Labour |
| Athersley by-election | 24 September 1992 | Labour | Labour |
| Brierley by-election | 20 May 1993 | Labour | Labour |
| Darton by-election | 8 July 1993 | Labour | Labour |
| Royston by-election | 8 July 1993 | Labour | Labour |
| Dearne South by-election | 14 September 1995 | Labour | Labour |
| Brierley by-election | 20 March 1997 | Labour | Labour |
| Worsbrough by-election | 5 March 1998 | Labour | Labour |
| North West by-election | 18 February 1999 | Labour | Labour |
| South West by-election | 18 February 1999 | Labour | Labour |
| Wombwell North by-election | 18 February 1999 | Labour | Liberal Democrats |
| Hoyland East by-election | 29 July 1999 | Labour | Labour |
| South West by-election | 29 July 1999 | Labour | Independent |
| Dodworth by-election | 7 June 2001 | Labour | Labour |
| Athersley by-election | 7 March 2002 | Labour | Labour |
| Penistone West by-election | 13 July 2006 | Independent | Conservative |
| Worsbrough by-election | 16 November 2006 | Labour | Labour |
| St Helen's by-election | 15 October 2009 | Labour | Labour |
| St Helen's by-election | 13 October 2011 | Labour | Labour |
| Royston by-election | 10 October 2013 | Labour | Labour |
| Penistone West by-election | 10 July 2014 | Labour | Labour |
| Dearne North by-election | 27 August 2015 | Labour | Labour |
| Kingstone by-election | 29 September 2017 | Labour | Labour |
| Rockingham by-election | 14 December 2017 | Labour | Labour |
| Old Town by-election | 12 July 2018 | Labour | Labour |
| Dodworth by-election | 12 December 2024 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats |