# 2008 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2008 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council in South Yorkshire, England. One third of the council, alongside an additional vacancy in Old Town was up for election. Prior to the election the defending councillor in Penistone West, having earlier defected from Conservative to the Barnsley Independent Group, fought the election as an Independent. The Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Election result

Before the election it had been thought that the Labour party might lose overall control of the council but they held on by only one seat. They lost two seats to the Barnsley Independent Group but gained one seat from the Liberal Democrats to hold on. The Barnsley Independent Group also lost 1 seat to the Conservatives. Overall turnout was 34.78%.
The losses for the Labour party were blamed on government policies, such as on immigration and the abolition of the 10p income tax band, by the leader of the council, Steve Houghton, who was himself re-elected for Cudworth ward.
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Election Result 2008 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Barnsley Ind. | 10 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 45.5 | 23.0 | 13,517 | -0.8% |
| Labour | 8 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 36.4 | 31.4 | 18,443 | -7.8% |
| Conservative | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 9.1 | 15.2 | 8,930 | +1.1% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 4.5 | 6.6 | 3,880 | +1.0% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 3,429 | +2.5% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 9,959 | +3.4% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 440 | +0.3% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 76 | +0.1% |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 33 | 32 |
| | Barnsley Independent | 20 | 22 |
| | Conservatives | 5 | 6 |
| | Independent | 3 | 2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 2 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 63 | 63 | 63 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 3 | 1 |

## Ward results

+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.
Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Doug Birkinshaw | 775 | 31.0 | −12.2 |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Noel Cowdell | 660 | 26.4 | +3.9 |
| | BNP | Peter Marshall | 621 | 24.8 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eddie Gouthwaite | 243 | 9.7 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Barr | 202 | 8.1 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115 | 4.6 | −12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,501 | 31.8 | +1.0 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | -8.0 | |
Cudworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Steve Houghton | 1,279 | 48.9 | −25.6 |
| | BNP | Terry Hubbard | 650 | 24.9 | +24.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pam Kershaw | 215 | 8.2 | +8.2 |
| | Independent | Ian Sanders | 184 | 7.0 | +7.0 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Shaw | 183 | 7.0 | −18.5 |
| | Barnsley Ind. | David Surgey | 82 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| | Independent | Tony Devoy | 22 | 0.8 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 629 | 24.0 | −25.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,615 | 32.8 | +5.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -25.2 | |
Darfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Ron Fisher | 1,457 | 56.8 | +11.9 |
| | Labour | Brian Mathers | 510 | 19.9 | −9.2 |
| | BNP | Steve O'Connor | 316 | 12.3 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Gillian Milner | 282 | 11.0 | +4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 947 | 46.9 | +31.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,565 | 32.7 | −1.0 |
| | Barnsley Ind. hold | Barnsley Ind. hold | Swing | +10.5 | |
Darton East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Parkinson | 1,044 | 34.5 | −5.5 |
| | BNP | Colin Porter | 669 | 22.1 | +4.9 |
| | Independent | John Race | 606 | 20.0 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative | Howard Pearson | 490 | 16.2 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sally Brook | 220 | 7.3 | +7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 375 | 12.4 | −9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,029 | 36.0 | −1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.2 | |
Darton West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alice Cave | 1,173 | 36.8 | −6.2 |
| | BNP | Ian Sutton | 919 | 28.8 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Wilkinson | 554 | 17.4 | +5.4 |
| | Independent | Jean Rowley | 545 | 17.1 | +17.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 254 | 8.0 | −8.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,191 | 38.8 | −1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.0 | |
Dearne North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jennifer Worton | 853 | 40.2 | −6.7 |
| | BNP | Rob Garrett | 392 | 18.5 | −3.1 |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Ian Garner | 375 | 17.7 | +13.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Brook | 316 | 14.9 | −6.6 |
| | Conservative | Paul Buckley | 186 | 8.8 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 461 | 21.7 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,122 | 26.2 | −0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 | |
Dearne South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sharron Brook | 1,094 | 39.6 | +12.9 |
| | Labour | Ralph Sixsmith | 934 | 33.8 | −12.1 |
| | BNP | June Peel | 590 | 21.3 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | Deborah Toon | 146 | 5.3 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 160 | 5.8 | −13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,764 | 30.6 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +12.5 | |
Dodworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Philip Birkinshaw | 1,444 | 48.7 | +10.8 |
| | Labour | Pauline Haigh | 654 | 22.0 | −6.1 |
| | Conservative | George Hill | 456 | 15.4 | +1.0 |
| | BNP | Nick Parker | 414 | 13.9 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 790 | 26.7 | +16.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,968 | 37.9 | −1.9 |
| | Barnsley Ind. hold | Barnsley Ind. hold | Swing | +8.4 | |
Hoyland Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Michael Brankin | 1,159 | 40.4 | −6.7 |
| | Labour | Robin Franklin | 902 | 31.5 | −11.9 |
| | Conservative | Alan Pilkington | 296 | 10.3 | +0.8 |
| | BNP | Simon Goodricke | 289 | 10.1 | +10.1 |
| | Green | Carol Robb | 145 | 5.1 | +5.1 |
| | UKIP | Wayne Harling | 76 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 257 | 8.9 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,867 | 32.1 | +1.1 |
| | Barnsley Ind. hold | Barnsley Ind. hold | Swing | +2.6 | |
Kingstone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Malcolm Price | 1,016 | 45.7 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Kath Mitchell | 565 | 25.4 | −9.8 |
| | BNP | Peter Robinson | 407 | 18.3 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Turvey | 155 | 7.0 | +1.6 |
| | Independent | Frank Watson | 80 | 3.6 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 451 | 20.3 | +11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,223 | 28.0 | −2.8 |
| | Barnsley Ind. hold | Barnsley Ind. hold | Swing | +5.6 | |
Monk Bretton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Grace Brown | 911 | 33.4 | +33.4 |
| | BNP | Jane Hubbard | 668 | 24.5 | +7.4 |
| | Labour | Nadia Richardson | 664 | 24.3 | −19.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ken Smith | 247 | 9.0 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Peter Murray | 241 | 8.8 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 243 | 8.9 | −5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,731 | 33.3 | +5.3 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | +13.0 | |
North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Danny Gillespie | 1,522 | 45.9 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | Arthur Whittaker | 1,183 | 35.7 | −2.7 |
| | BNP | Dennis Seilly | 308 | 9.3 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative | Frances Hamer | 305 | 9.2 | +3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 339 | 10.2 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,318 | 36.2 | −0.6 |
| | Barnsley Ind. gain from Labour | Barnsley Ind. gain from Labour | Swing | +0.2 | |
Old Town (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Bill Gaunt | 1,503 | 48.6 | −7.1 |
| | Barnsley Ind. | John Love | 1,255 | | |
| | Labour | Phil Davies | 721 | 23.3 | +1.6 |
| | BNP | Daniel Cooke | 564 | 18.2 | +4.2 |
| | BNP | Lancer White | 424 | | |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Hill | 306 | 9.9 | −7.1 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Wilkinson | 227 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 782 | 25.3 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,000 | 37.0 | +4.1 |
| | Barnsley Ind. hold | Barnsley Ind. hold | Swing | | |
| | Barnsley Ind. hold | Barnsley Ind. hold | Swing | -4.3 | |
Penistone East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wilson | 2,050 | 52.8 | +3.8 |
| | Labour | Jill Hayler | 827 | 21.3 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trish Arundel | 654 | 16.8 | +0.1 |
| | BNP | Kelly Thorpe | 355 | 9.1 | +9.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,223 | 31.5 | +6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,886 | 41.4 | +0.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.1 | |
Penistone West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steve Webber | 1,439 | 42.5 | +1.5 |
| | Independent | Brenda Hinchcliff | 654 | 19.3 | −6.5 |
| | BNP | Paul James | 550 | 16.2 | +7.6 |
| | Labour | Peter Starling | 447 | 13.2 | −2.7 |
| | Green | Lynda Pickersgill | 295 | 8.7 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 785 | 23.2 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,385 | 39.7 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | -+4.0 | |
Rockingham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Mary Brankin | 1,336 | 42.1 | −3.5 |
| | Labour | Alan Schofield | 913 | 28.8 | −13.8 |
| | BNP | Paul Richardson | 343 | 10.8 | +10.8 |
| | Conservative | Lesley Watkinson | 296 | 9.3 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patrick Connell-Fothergill | 159 | 5.0 | +5.0 |
| | Independent | Bob Hannaghan | 128 | 4.0 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 423 | 13.3 | +10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,175 | 37.0 | +1.7 |
| | Barnsley Ind. hold | Barnsley Ind. hold | Swing | +5.1 | |
Royston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Kyte | 1,202 | 46.9 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Danny Oates | 513 | 20.0 | −1.3 |
| | BNP | Paul Harris | 392 | 15.3 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | Garry Needham | 263 | 10.3 | +1.7 |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Daniel Pickering | 195 | 7.6 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 689 | 26.9 | +3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,565 | 31.1 | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 | |
St Helens :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Len Picken | 965 | 46.0 | −11.6 |
| | BNP | Lisa Brooksbank | 635 | 30.3 | +13.7 |
| | Independent | Dennis Kelk | 299 | 14.2 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | Michael Toon | 200 | 9.5 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 330 | 15.7 | −23.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,099 | 26.5 | +2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -12.6 | |
Stairfoot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Fred Clowery | 1,218 | 48.8 | +20.7 |
| | Labour | Steve Redford | 706 | 28.3 | −13.2 |
| | BNP | Susan Harris | 350 | 14.0 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative | Clive Watkinson | 224 | 9.0 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 512 | 20.5 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,498 | 31.0 | +0.3 |
| | Barnsley Ind. hold | Barnsley Ind. hold | Swing | +16.9 | |
Wombwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Margaret Morgan | 1,200 | 48.9 | −10.3 |
| | BNP | Lisa Goodricke | 527 | 21.5 | +7.0 |
| | Conservative | Keith Jenner | 439 | 17.9 | +6.3 |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Ray Murdoch | 286 | 11.7 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 673 | 27.4 | −17.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,452 | 28.9 | −0.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.6 | |
Worsbrough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Gill Carr | 1,264 | 48.1 | +16.5 |
| | Labour | Terry Bristowe | 926 | 35.3 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pat Durie | 219 | 8.3 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | Peter Hamer | 217 | 8.3 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 338 | 12.8 | +9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,626 | 34.7 | +0.7 |
| | Barnsley Ind. gain from Labour | Barnsley Ind. gain from Labour | Swing | +8.2 | |

## By-elections between 2008 and 2010

St. Helen's 15 October 2009 By-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Butterwood | 1,520 | 59.8 | +13.8 |
| | BNP | Lisa Brooksbank | 590 | 23.2 | −7.1 |
| | Barnsley Ind. | Daniel Pickering | 171 | 6.7 | +6.7 |
| | UKIP | Neil Robinson | 94 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | Clive Watkinson | 83 | 3.5 | −6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eddie Gouthwaite | 78 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 930 | 36.6 | +20.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,542 | 31.0 | +4.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.4 | |