Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. One third of the council is elected each year, except for every fourth year when there is no election. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, councillors are elected from 21 wards.[1]
Summary of the council composition after council elections, click on the year for full details of each election. Boundary changes took place for the 1979 election (increasing the number of seats by 6) and more recently the 2004 election (which decreased the number of seats by 3) prompting the whole council to be elected in those years.
| Year | Labour | Conservative | Liberal / Lib Dem | Independent | Ratepayers / Residents | Independent Labour | Barnsley Independent | Reform UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1 Dem Lab) | 0 | 0 | |
| 1975 | 48 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 (1 Dem Lab) | 0 | 0 | |
| 1976 | 39 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 3 (1 Dem Lab) | 0 | 0 | |
| 1978 | 37 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1979 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1980 | 46 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 53 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1983 | 58 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1984 | 59 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1986 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1987 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1988 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 63 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 59 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 52 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 49 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 47 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 33 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 33 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 32 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 43 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 52 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 53 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 55 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 55 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 49 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 49 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 46 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 48 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| By-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West by-election | 29 November 1979 | ||||
| Brierley by-election | 25 September 1980 | ||||
| Ardsley by-election | 7 May 1981 | ||||
| Dodworth by-election | 10 December 1981 | ||||
| Penistone East by-election | 18 February 1982 | ||||
| Penistone East by-election | 14 June 1984 | ||||
| Park by-election | 3 May 1985 | ||||
| Brierley by-election | 10 July 1986 | ||||
| Ardsley by-election | 25 September 1986 | ||||
| Cudworth by-election | 30 September 1988 | ||||
| Athersley by-election | 27 July 1989 | ||||
| Dodworth by-election | 9 April 1992 | ||||
| Monk Bretton by-election | 9 April 1992 | ||||
| Athersley by-election | 24 September 1992 | ||||
| Brierley by-election | 20 May 1993 | ||||
| Darton by-election | 8 July 1993 | ||||
| Royston by-election | 8 July 1993 | ||||
| Dearne South by-election | 14 September 1995 | ||||
| Brierley by-election | 20 March 1997 | ||||
| Worsbrough by-election | 5 March 1998 | ||||
| North West by-election | 18 February 1999 | ||||
| South West by-election | |||||
| Wombwell North by-election | |||||
| Hoyland East by-election | 29 July 1999 | ||||
| South West by-election | |||||
| Dodworth by-election | 7 June 2001 | ||||
| Athersley by-election | 7 March 2002 | ||||
| Penistone West by-election | 13 July 2006 | ||||
| Worsbrough by-election | 16 November 2006 | ||||
| St Helen's by-election | 15 October 2009 | ||||
| St Helen's by-election | 13 October 2011 | ||||
| Royston by-election | 10 October 2013 | ||||
| Penistone West by-election | 10 July 2014 | ||||
| Dearne North by-election | 27 August 2015 | ||||
| Kingstone by-election | 29 September 2017 | ||||
| Rockingham by-election | 14 December 2017 | ||||
| Old Town by-election | 12 July 2018 | ||||