# 1996 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 3 May 1996, with one third of the council up for election. The election resulted in Labour retaining control of the council.

## Election result

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Election Result 1996 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 20 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 90.9 | 68.6 | 11,460 | -2.3 |
| Conservative | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 | 12.2 | 2,040 | +5.4 |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.5 | 9.6 | 1,604 | -3.4 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.3 | 883 | +0.3 |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 481 | +0.5 |
| Militant Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 235 | -0.5 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 64 | 63 |
| | Independent | 1 | 2 |
| | Conservatives | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 62 | 60 |

## Ward results

+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.
Ardsley (7226) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brian Mathers | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Athersley (6075) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Bostwick* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Brierley (7169) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arthur Whittaker* | 1,382 | 84.6 | +19.4 |
| | Conservative | Schofield D. Ms. | 252 | 15.4 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,130 | 69.2 | +27.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,634 | 22.8 | −8.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.7 | |
Central (8646) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Judith Watts* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Cudworth (7769) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Steve Houghton* | 1,589 | 88.3 | −0.5 |
| | Independent | Cowton S. | 211 | 11.7 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,378 | 76.6 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,800 | 23.2 | −3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
Darfield (7792) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Barlow* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Darton (10385) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Miller* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Dearne South (8856) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John 'Inky' Thomson* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Dearne Thurnscoe (8114) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Bird* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Dodworth (10130) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Ryan* | 1,822 | 74.3 | −3.7 |
| | Green | Jones D. | 630 | 25.7 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,192 | 48.6 | −7.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,452 | 24.2 | −6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.7 | |
Hoyland East (8012) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Beardshall* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Hoyland West (6643) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Clarrie Wroe* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Monk Bretton (8456) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Sheard* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
North West (7212) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bill Denton* | 1,005 | 73.6 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | Carrington C. Ms. | 230 | 16.8 | +16.8 |
| | Independent Labour | Holderness B. | 130 | 9.5 | +9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 775 | 56.8 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,365 | 19.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.1 | |
Park (5659) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Doyle* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Penistone East (7622) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Wade | 1,393 | 50.2 | +50.2 |
| | Labour | Linda Smith* | 1,382 | 49.8 | −8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | 0.4 | −15.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,775 | 36.6 | −3.8 |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | +29.2 | |
Penistone West (8461) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brenda Hinchliff.* | 1,220 | 42.4 | +42.4 |
| | Labour | Trevor Cave | 1,051 | 36.6 | −7.1 |
| | Independent Labour | Scott S. Ms. | 351 | 12.2 | +12.2 |
| | Green | Wood A. Ms. | 253 | 8.8 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 169 | 5.9 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,875 | 34.0 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +24.7 | |
Royston (8529) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bill Newman* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
South West (7537) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Hall* | 1,432 | 80.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Carrington | 338 | 19.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,094 | 61.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,770 | 23.5 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Wombwell North (5075) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arnold Storey* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Wombwell South (8061) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Margaret Morgan* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Worsbrough (7815) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gerald Hadfield* | 1,797 | 88.4 | +4.8 |
| | Militant Labour | Souter C. Ms. | 235 | 11.6 | -4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,562 | 76.9 | +9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,032 | 26.0 | −6.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.8 | |

## By-elections between 1996 and 1998

Brierley (7197) 20 March 1997 By-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Chris Sykes | 1,064 | 70.7 | −13.9 |
| | Conservative | Beaumont-Schofield, D. M. | 230 | 15.3 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Brook | 211 | 14.0 | +14.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 834 | 55.4 | −13.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,505 | 20.9 | −1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.9 | |
Worsbrough 5 March 1998 By-Election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jimmy Rae | 1,398 | 71.4 | −17.0 |
| | Socialist Labour | Anne Scargill | 331 | 16.9 | +16.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Guest | 151 | 7.7 | +7.7 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Elders | 79 | 4.0 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,067 | 54.5 | −22.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,959 | 25.5 | −0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -16.9 | |