# 1976 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 6 May 1976, with one third of council up for election. The election resulted in Labour retaining control of the council.

## Election result

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Election Result 1976 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 11 | 0 | 9 | -9 | 55.0 | 48.0 | 29,255 | -4.5 |
| Residents | 5 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 25.0 | 30.1 | 18,369 | +3.3 |
| Liberal | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 15.0 | 11.5 | 7,027 | -5.6 |
| Independent Labour | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.0 | 2.4 | 1,436 | -1.1 |
| Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 8.6 | 3,976 | -2.1 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 925 | +0.2 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 48 | 39 |
| | Residents | 6 | 11 |
| | Liberals | 2 | 5 |
| | Independent Labour | 1 | 2 |
| | Conservatives | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Labour | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 36 | 18 |

## Ward results

+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.
Ardsley (7236) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Galvin T.* | 1,108 | 52.0 | +1.1 |
| | Residents | Sykes | 773 | 36.3 | +2.8 |
| | Conservative | Kitching A. | 249 | 11.7 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 335 | 15.7 | −1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,130 | 29.4 | +4.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.8 | |
No. 1 (Barnsley: Carlton) (10201) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bright G.* | 1,649 | 68.1 | +11.6 |
| | Residents | Hayward | 774 | 31.9 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 875 | 36.2 | +12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,423 | 23.8 | +5.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.4 | |
No. 2 (Barnsley: East & North) (8459) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kaye F.* | 1,641 | 45.2 | +8.1 |
| | Residents | Ward | 1,477 | 40.7 | −1.8 |
| | Conservative | Guest M. | 510 | 14.1 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 164 | 4.5 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,628 | 42.9 | +4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.9 | |
No. 3 (Barnsley: Central-South-South East)(9594) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Warden R.* | 1,763 | 49.3 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal | Jepson G. | 996 | 27.8 | +27.8 |
| | Residents | Spencer | 492 | 13.7 | −20.2 |
| | Conservative | England | 328 | 9.2 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 767 | 21.4 | +2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,579 | 37.3 | +14.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -15.5 | |
No. 4 (Barnsley: South West and West) (7682) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Pemberton | 1,808 | 52.8 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Sinfield W.* | 1,259 | 36.7 | +4.3 |
| | Conservative | Oldfield H. | 360 | 10.5 | +6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 549 | 16.0 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,427 | 44.6 | +4.0 |
| | Residents gain from Labour | Residents gain from Labour | Swing | -1.4 | |
No. 5 (Barnsley: Monk Bretton) (9103) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Whyke G.* | 1,565 | 50.1 | +14.6 |
| | Residents | Robinson | 1,224 | 39.2 | −13.4 |
| | Conservative | Copeland | 334 | 10.7 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 341 | 10.9 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,123 | 34.3 | +8.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +14.0 | |
No. 7 (Cudworth) (6262) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Green | 1,370 | 56.8 | −0.2 |
| | Labour | Rigby R.* | 1,041 | 43.2 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 329 | 13.6 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,411 | 38.5 | +6.1 |
| | Residents gain from Labour | Residents gain from Labour | Swing | -0.2 | |
No. 8 (Darfield) (5900) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Key B.* | 1,617 | 63.3 | +28.5 |
| | Residents | O'Donnell | 936 | 36.7 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 681 | 26.7 | +20.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,553 | 43.3 | +4.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +16.6 | |
No. 9 (Dodworth-Barugh-Higham-Gawber)(6324) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brown D.* | 1,202 | 42.3 | −11.1 |
| | Residents | Addison | 1,027 | 36.2 | +23.5 |
| | Liberal | Crosby J. | 611 | 21.5 | −12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 175 | 6.2 | −13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,840 | 44.9 | +1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -17.3 | |
No. 10 (Darton) (8997) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Hutchinson | 1,745 | 53.2 | −3.2 |
| | Labour | Bretton W.* | 1,532 | 46.8 | +12.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 213 | 6.4 | −15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,277 | 36.4 | +4.1 |
| | Residents gain from Labour | Residents gain from Labour | Swing | -7.9 | |
No. 11 (Dearne: Central & South) (9945) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Labour | Gregory | 1,436 | 46.2 | N/A |
| | Labour | Sayles | 1,240 | 39.9 | N/A |
| | Residents | Barwell | 435 | 14.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 6.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,111 | 31.3 | N/A |
| | Independent Labour gain from Labour | Independent Labour gain from Labour | Swing | N/A | |
No. 12 (Dearne: East & West) (7436) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lloyd D.* | 1,496 | 82.3 | +9.4 |
| | Residents | Lowe | 322 | 17.7 | +17.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,174 | 64.6 | +5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,818 | 24.4 | +3.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.1 | |
No. 13 (Hoyland Nether) (11398) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | McKay A.* | 2,726 | 58.3 | +12.6 |
| | Residents | Lockwood | 1,949 | 41.7 | +41.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 777 | 16.6 | +8.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,675 | 41.0 | +9.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -14.5 | |
No. 14 (Penistone) (6014) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lockwood | 1,257 | 36.3 | −27.2 |
| | Independent | Lee | 925 | 26.7 | +26.7 |
| | Labour | Murphy W.* | 841 | 24.3 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative | Kellett | 374 | 10.8 | −5.4 |
| | Residents | Dalby | 65 | 1.9 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 332 | 9.6 | −33.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,462 | 57.6 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | -26.9 | |
No. 15 (Royston) (6456) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rispin K.* | 1,670 | 57.7 | +20.0 |
| | Liberal | Whitehead E. | 1,063 | 36.7 | +36.7 |
| | Residents | Cawthorn | 163 | 5.6 | +5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 607 | 21.0 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,896 | 44.9 | +1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.3 | |
No. 16 (Wombwell: Central-North-South East)(5382) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Wraith | 799 | 57.6 | +24.3 |
| | Labour | Jones C.* | 588 | 42.4 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 211 | 15.2 | +7.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,387 | 25.8 | +0.7 |
| | Residents gain from Labour | Residents gain from Labour | Swing | +11.6 | |
No. 17 (Wombwell: Hemingfield and SouthWest) (7441) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hargreaves | 1,707 | 55.5 | +17.7 |
| | Labour | Brookes H.* | 1,368 | 44.5 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 339 | 11.0 | +3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,075 | 41.3 | +5.7 |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +9.1 | |
No. 18 (Worsbrough) (11257) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Batty | 2,275 | 53.0 | +16.3 |
| | Labour | Schofield* | 2,017 | 47.0 | −7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 258 | 6.0 | −11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,292 | 38.1 | +7.4 |
| | Residents gain from Labour | Residents gain from Labour | Swing | +11.7 | |
No. 19 (Hemsworth Rural) (8938) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stacey N.* | 1,752 | 58.9 | +2.6 |
| | Residents | McKernan | 735 | 24.7 | −4.1 |
| | Conservative | Schofield D. Ms. | 486 | 16.3 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,017 | 34.2 | +6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,973 | 33.3 | +6.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
No. 20 (Penistone Rural & Wortley) (7257) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frow | 1,393 | 35.6 | +4.7 |
| | Conservative | Wade J. | 1,335 | 34.2 | −5.6 |
| | Labour | Ellis W.* | 1,180 | 30.2 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 213 | 1.5 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,908 | 53.9 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +5.1 | |