2026 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

Main article: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council elections
2026 Barsnley Metropolitan Borough Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
All 63 seats to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
32 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Stephen Houghton Hannah Kitching
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Independent
Last election 48 seats, 48.9% 11 seats, 16.5% 2 seats, 5.3%
Current seats 46[1] 12 4
 
Party Conservative Reform UK
Last election 1 seat, 11.7% 0 seats, 9.2%
Current seats 1 0
Incumbent Leader

Stephen Houghton
Labour



The 2026 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. All 63 members of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council in South Yorkshire will be elected following boundary changes.

This will be the first election on an all-out cycle whereby all councillors will be elected every four years, after the change was approved by the council in 2025.[2]

Background

Barnsley was created in 1974 as a metropolitan borough. Labour have always performed well in local elections, holding majority control of the council since its creation.[3] The closest Labour have come to losing their majority on the council was 2006 and 2008, where the success of the Barnsley Independents saw the party reduced to holding just over half the seats.[4] Since 2012, Labour have held over 70% of seats on the council.

The Barnsley Independents formed the principal opposition from 2006 to 2018, when the Conservatives briefly became the second largest party. The Liberal Democrats overtook the Conservatives in 2019 and have formed the principal opposition since.[5]

Prior to this election, Barnsley elected it councillors on a four year cycle, with one councillor elected from each three-member ward in each election. At the most recent election in 2024, 2024, Labour won 17 seats, taking one from the Conservatives, but did not increase their majority due to losing a vacant seat last held by the party to the Liberal Democrats, which won 4 seats.[6] Following boundary changes, the 2026 election will use a new set of ward boundaries.[7]

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 48 Labour 46
Liberal Democrats 11 Liberal Democrats 12
Conservative 1 Conservative 1
Reform UK 1 Reform UK 0
Independent 2 Independent 3
Vacant N/A Vacant 1

Changes 2024–2026:

  • November 2024: Sam Christmas (Liberal Democrats) resigns – by-election held December 2024[8]
  • December 2024: Andy Waters (Liberal Democrats) wins by-election[9]
  • July 2025: Clive Pickering (Labour) joins Liberal Democrats[10]
  • August 2025: Trevor Smith (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[11]
  • December 2025: David White (Independent, previously Reform, elected as Conservative) resigns – seat left vacant until 2026 election[12]

References

  1. ^ "Barnsley Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Barnsley Council announces results of election cycle public consultation". Barnsley Council. 14 May 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  3. ^ "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Barnsley". BBC News. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  4. ^ "Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Labour suffers "worst night in 15 years" in Barnsley local elections". Yorkshire Post. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Labour retains grip on Barnsley Council". BBC News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  7. ^ The Barnsley (Electoral Changes) Order 2025
  8. ^ Timlin, Josh (8 November 2024). "Resignation prompts council by-election". Barnsley Chronicle. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  9. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Dodworth Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  10. ^ Tolson, Jack (4 July 2025). "Councillor switches his allegiance". Barnsley Chronicle. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  11. ^ Whitehouse, Paul (21 August 2025). "Barnsley politics in confusion with Reform defection claim and counter-claim". Rotherham Advertiser. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  12. ^ Tolson, Jack (12 December 2025). "Controversial councillor hands in resignation". Barnsley Chronicle. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
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