# 1986 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 8 May 1986, with one third of the council up for election as well as vacancies in Athersley and South West wards. Prior to the election Labour gained a seat from Alliance in a Penistone East by-election. The election resulted in Labour retaining control of the council.

## Election result

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Election Result 1986 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 24 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.0 | 68.5 | 26,586 | -1.8 |
| Alliance | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0.0 | 15.4 | 5,969 | +3.3 |
| Conservative | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0.0 | 7.6 | 2,952 | -2.5 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 1,961 | +2.0 |
| Independent Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 1,372 | +3.5 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 60 | 62 |
| | Conservatives | 3 | 2 |
| | Residents | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 |
| | SDP–Liberal Alliance | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 54 | 58 |

## Ward results

+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.
Ardsley (7722) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shirt R.* | 1,504 | 74.1 | −9.9 |
| | Alliance | Swift D. | 525 | 25.9 | +25.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 979 | 48.3 | −19.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,029 | 26.3 | −0.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -17.9 | |
Athersley (7057)2 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Moore G. | 1,738 | 86.0 | −2.0 |
| | Labour | Langford L.* | 1,703 | | |
| | Alliance | Oak A. | 282 | 14.0 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,456 | 72.1 | −4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,020 | 28.6 | −2.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.0 | |
Brierley (7339) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ennis J.* | 2,364 | 82.6 | +4.5 |
| | Alliance | Hirst C. Ms. | 311 | 10.9 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Schofield D. Ms. | 186 | 6.5 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,053 | 71.8 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,861 | 39.0 | −7.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
Central (8631) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wood J.* | 2,245 | 75.7 | +4.0 |
| | Alliance | Major C. | 720 | 24.3 | +3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,525 | 51.4 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,965 | 34.4 | −4.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.1 | |
Cudworth (7970) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wraith C.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Darfield (7993) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dixon T.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Darton (9280) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | McKenna E. | 2,463 | 68.7 | +4.3 |
| | Alliance | Smith A. | 1,120 | 31.3 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,343 | 37.5 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,583 | 38.6 | −3.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 | |
Dearne South (8814) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ramsden D.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Dearne Thurnscoe (8553) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Evans C. Ms. | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Dodworth (8550) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herring J.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Hoyland East (8047) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brankin M. | 2,202 | 73.8 | −0.4 |
| | Independent Liberal | Chantrey J. | 780 | 26.2 | +26.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,422 | 47.7 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,982 | 37.1 | +3.1 |
| | Labour gain from Alliance | Labour gain from Alliance | Swing | -13.3 | |
Hoyland West (6755) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andrews J. | 2,073 | 77.8 | +1.8 |
| | Independent Liberal | Burd K. | 592 | 22.2 | +22.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,481 | 55.6 | +3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,665 | 39.5 | −1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.2 | |
Monk Bretton (9184) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robinson R.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
North West (7670) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Williams A.* | 1,807 | 67.2 | +6.4 |
| | Alliance | Price E. | 882 | 32.8 | +32.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 925 | 34.4 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,689 | 35.1 | −1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.2 | |
Park (5988) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Warden R.* | 1,746 | 81.0 | +1.5 |
| | Alliance | Appleyard J. Ms. | 410 | 19.0 | +7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,336 | 62.0 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,156 | 36.0 | −0.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.1 | |
Penistone East (6993) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hunter D. | 1,600 | 47.2 | +7.4 |
| | Conservative | Wardle M. Ms. | 1,178 | 34.8 | −6.4 |
| | Alliance | Marshall J. Ms. | 610 | 18.0 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 422 | 12.5 | +11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,388 | 48.4 | +0.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.9 | |
Penistone West (8067) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Walker R. | 1,612 | 50.4 | +13.0 |
| | Conservative | Hinchcliff A. Ms. | 1,588 | 49.6 | +21.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24 | 0.8 | −2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,200 | 39.7 | −1.4 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -4.2 | |
Royston (8667) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rispin C.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
South West (7672)2 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Foster D. | 1,938 | 63.6 | +13.4 |
| | Labour | Parry L. | 1,705 | | |
| | Alliance | Hallam D. | 1,109 | 36.4 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 829 | 27.2 | +18.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,047 | 39.7 | −12.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.1 | |
Wombwell North (5415) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fellows B.* | 1,050 | 65.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | Beck A. | 557 | 34.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 493 | 30.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,607 | 29.7 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Wombwell South (8123) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Naylor T.* | 2,244 | 61.5 | +11.8 |
| | Independent | Rudkin E. | 1,404 | 38.5 | −11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 840 | 23.0 | +22.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,648 | 44.9 | −5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.8 | |
Worsbrough (8108) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bristowe T.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |

## By-elections between 1986 and 1987

Brierley (7339) By-election 10 July 1986 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Whittaker, A. | 1,671 | 75.4 | −7.2 |
| | Independent | Vodden, N. | 292 | 13.2 | +13.2 |
| | Alliance | Hirst C. Ms. | 156 | 7.0 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Schofield D. Ms. | 96 | 4.3 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,379 | 62.2 | −9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,215 | 30.2 | −8.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.2 | |
Ardsley (7722) By-election 25 September 1986 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Parkin, A. | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |