# 1988 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 5 May 1988, with one third of the council and an additional vacancy in Dearne Thurnscoe up for election. Prior to the election, the defending councillor in Darton had defected from Labour to Independent. The election resulted in Labour retaining control of the council.

## Election result

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Election Result 1988 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 21 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 91.3 | 70.0 | 26,117 | +6.4 |
| Conservative | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.3 | 20.9 | 7,798 | +8.7 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 4.3 | 9.2 | 3,414 | +3.3 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 61 | 62 |
| | Conservatives | 2 | 2 |
| | Residents | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent | 2 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 56 | 58 |

## Ward results

+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.
Ardsley (7650) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wilson H.* | 1,319 | 73.2 | +12.6 |
| | Independent | Parkin A. Ms. | 484 | 26.8 | +26.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 835 | 46.3 | +25.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,803 | 23.6 | −7.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.9 | |
Athersley (6885) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dancer H.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Brierley (7253) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Whittaker A. | 1,984 | 87.2 | +14.0 |
| | Conservative | Schofield D. Ms. | 292 | 12.8 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,692 | 74.3 | +13.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,276 | 31.4 | −9.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.4 | |
Central (8672) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Watts J. Ms.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Cudworth (7975) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rigby R.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Darfield (7956) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barlow E.* | 2,026 | 88.8 | +15.8 |
| | Conservative | Schofield R. | 255 | 11.2 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,771 | 77.6 | +19.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,281 | 28.7 | −10.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.2 | |
Darton (9350) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Miller R. | 1,960 | 60.1 | −6.2 |
| | Independent | Ibbotson A.* | 707 | 21.7 | +21.7 |
| | Conservative | Barnard R. | 595 | 18.2 | +3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,253 | 38.4 | −9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,262 | 34.9 | −5.3 |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | -13.9 | |
Dearne South (8783) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomson J. | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Dearne Thurnscoe (8351)2 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Gardiner A. | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Labour | Young K.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Dodworth (8722) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ryan J. | 2,312 | 79.0 | +13.5 |
| | Conservative | Fielding A. | 615 | 21.0 | +8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,697 | 58.0 | +13.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,927 | 33.6 | −11.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.7 | |
Hoyland East (8121) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Beadshall P.* | 1,851 | 86.0 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Romilly S. Ms. | 302 | 14.0 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,549 | 71.9 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,153 | 26.5 | −8.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.7 | |
Hoyland West (6878) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wroe C.* | 2,088 | 85.2 | +17.1 |
| | Conservative | Dews S. Ms. | 363 | 14.8 | +14.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,725 | 70.4 | +34.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,451 | 35.6 | −5.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
Monk Bretton (9098) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sheard T.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
North West (7553) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denton W. | 1,597 | 72.0 | +5.8 |
| | Conservative | Carrington C. Ms. | 622 | 28.0 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 975 | 43.9 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,219 | 29.4 | −3.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
Park (5882) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Borrett K.* | 1,449 | 86.3 | +28.2 |
| | Conservative | Dews R. | 230 | 13.7 | +5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,219 | 72.6 | +34.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,679 | 28.5 | −14.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.4 | |
Penistone East (7105) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Smith L. Ms. | 1,791 | 51.4 | +12.1 |
| | Conservative | Tue G. Ms.* | 1,693 | 48.6 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 98 | 2.8 | −4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,484 | 49.0 | −3.9 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.2 | |
Penistone West (8241) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hinchcliff A. Ms. | 1,825 | 54.4 | +54.4 |
| | Labour | Collett N. Ms. | 1,530 | 45.6 | +21.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 295 | 8.8 | −43.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,355 | 40.7 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +16.3 | |
Royston (8665) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Newman W.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
South West (7662) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | McCormick R. | 2,075 | 77.0 | +16.7 |
| | Conservative | Carrington J. | 619 | 23.0 | +7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,456 | 54.0 | +17.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,694 | 35.2 | −7.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.6 | |
Wombwell North (5354) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Storey A.* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Wombwell South (8156) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Mahatme S.* | 2,223 | 54.6 | +9.8 |
| | Labour | Turp G. | 1,851 | 45.4 | −9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 372 | 9.1 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,074 | 50.0 | +2.6 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | +9.8 | |
Worsbrough (8136) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hadfield G.* | 2,284 | 85.5 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative | Elders E. Ms. | 387 | 14.5 | −4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,897 | 71.0 | +8.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,671 | 32.8 | −4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.1 | |

## By-elections between 1988 and 1990

Cudworth (7975) By-election 30 September 1988 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Houghton, S. G. | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Athersley (6854) By-election 27 July 1989 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bostwick, D. | 1,572 | 85.2 | N/A |
| | Athersley Democrat | Bailey, R. | 272 | 14.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,300 | 70.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,844 | 26.9 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |