# 1978 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 4 May 1978. One third of the council was up for election. The election resulted in Labour retaining control of the council. The sole Democratic Labour councillor elected in 1973 successfully defended his seat as an Independent and the only Independent elected in 1973 unsuccessfully defended his seat as a Conservative.

## Election result

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Election Result 1978 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 16 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 80.0 | 51.0 | 28,584 | +3.0 |
| Residents | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 15.0 | 31.0 | 17,383 | +0.9 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 2,567 | +4.1 |
| Conservative | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0.0 | 9.1 | 5,116 | +0.5 |
| Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 2,379 | -7.2 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 39 | 37 |
| | Residents | 11 | 14 |
| | Liberals | 5 | 5 |
| | Independent Labour | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 |
| | Conservatives | 2 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 18 | 14 |

## Ward results

+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.
Ardsley (7424) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hepworth R. | 1,295 | 55.7 | +3.7 |
| | Residents | Parkin A. Ms. | 758 | 32.6 | −3.7 |
| | Conservative | Kitching A. | 273 | 11.7 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 537 | 23.1 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,326 | 31.3 | +1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.7 | |
No. 1 (Barnsley: Carlton) (10226) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brain H.* | 1,892 | 72.0 | +4.0 |
| | Residents | Roughley J. | 735 | 28.0 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,157 | 44.0 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,627 | 25.7 | +1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.0 | |
No. 2 (Barnsley: East & North) (8250) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Williams A.* | 1,471 | 42.7 | −2.5 |
| | Residents | Harris M. | 1,444 | 41.9 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | Guest M. | 529 | 15.4 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27 | 0.8 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,444 | 41.7 | −1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 | |
No. 3 (Barnsley: Central-South-South East)(9433) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lunn F.* | 2,435 | 71.0 | +21.8 |
| | Residents | Welbourne E. Ms. | 536 | 15.6 | +1.9 |
| | Conservative | Oldfield H. | 458 | 13.4 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,899 | 55.4 | +34.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,429 | 36.4 | −1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.9 | |
No. 4 (Barnsley: South West and West) (7650) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Addison M. Ms. | 1,517 | 54.6 | +1.9 |
| | Labour | Almond B. | 960 | 34.6 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | Moorhouse J. | 301 | 10.8 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 557 | 20.1 | +4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,778 | 36.3 | −8.3 |
| | Residents gain from Labour | Residents gain from Labour | Swing | +2.0 | |
No. 5 (Barnsley: Monk Bretton) (11006) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stokes M. | 2,024 | 55.7 | +5.6 |
| | Residents | French W. | 1,610 | 44.3 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 414 | 11.4 | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,634 | 33.0 | −1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
No. 7 (Cudworth) (6477) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Salt H. | 1,574 | 54.4 | +11.3 |
| | Residents | Saxby J. | 1,317 | 45.6 | −11.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 257 | 8.9 | −4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,891 | 44.6 | +6.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.3 | |
No. 8 (Darfield) (6210) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dixon T. | 1,445 | 55.4 | −8.0 |
| | Residents | Sykes E. | 1,165 | 44.6 | +8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 280 | 10.7 | −16.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,610 | 42.0 | −1.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.0 | |
No. 9 (Dodworth-Barugh-Higham-Gawber)(6948) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mason G.* | 1,453 | 54.5 | +12.2 |
| | Residents | Taylor S. | 1,211 | 45.5 | +9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 242 | 9.1 | +2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,664 | 38.3 | −6.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
No. 10 (Darton) (9483) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Booth D.* | 1,611 | 43.9 | −2.8 |
| | Residents | Skelton G. | 1,567 | 42.7 | −10.5 |
| | Conservative | England G. | 491 | 13.4 | +13.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44 | 1.2 | −5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,669 | 38.7 | +2.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.8 | |
No. 11 (Dearne: Central & South) (9977) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bedford J.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
No. 12 (Dearne: East & West) (7367) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Oldham J.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
No. 13 (Hoyland Nether) (11479) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Eaden D. | 2,525 | 57.5 | +57.5 |
| | Labour | Wadsworth A. | 1,868 | 42.5 | −15.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 657 | 15.0 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,393 | 38.3 | −2.7 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | +36.6 | |
No. 14 (Penistone) (6472) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Harrison M. Ms. | 1,150 | 35.1 | +33.2 |
| | Conservative | Gledhill W.* | 1,105 | 33.8 | +22.9 |
| | Labour | Murphy W. | 778 | 23.8 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal | Stein W. | 241 | 7.4 | −28.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 45 | 1.4 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,274 | 50.6 | −7.0 |
| | Residents gain from Conservative | Residents gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.1 | |
No. 15 (Royston) (6522) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ball T.* | 1,367 | 58.4 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal | Whitehead E. | 973 | 41.6 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 394 | 16.8 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,340 | 35.9 | −9.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.0 | |
No. 16 (Wombwell: Central-North-South East)(5381) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fellows B.* | 898 | 57.7 | +15.4 |
| | Liberal | Hargreaves E. | 657 | 42.3 | +42.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 241 | 15.5 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,555 | 28.9 | +3.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.4 | |
No. 17 (Wombwell: Hemingfield and SouthWest) (7551) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wake J. | 1,821 | 59.9 | +15.5 |
| | Residents | Nield M. Ms. | 1,217 | 40.1 | +40.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 604 | 19.9 | +8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,038 | 40.2 | −1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -12.3 | |
No. 18 (Worsbrough) (11259) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Dickinson F. | 2,261 | 50.2 | −2.8 |
| | Labour | Bland J.* | 2,245 | 49.8 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 0.4 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,506 | 40.0 | +1.9 |
| | Residents gain from Labour | Residents gain from Labour | Swing | -2.8 | |
No. 19 (Hemsworth Rural) (9218) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wooley E. | 1,805 | 59.4 | +0.5 |
| | Residents | Hardman J. | 895 | 29.5 | +4.7 |
| | Conservative | Schofield D. Ms. | 338 | 11.1 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 910 | 30.0 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,038 | 33.0 | −0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.1 | |
No. 20 (Penistone Rural & Wortley) (7541) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fish H.* | 1,642 | 43.1 | +12.9 |
| | Conservative | Tue G. Ms. | 1,621 | 42.5 | +8.4 |
| | Liberal | Nicholson M. | 508 | 13.3 | −22.3 |
| | Independent | Wilson M. | 42 | 1.1 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21 | 0.6 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,813 | 50.6 | −3.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.2 | |