The 2026 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election took 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 were elected following boundary changes.

This was the first election on a cycle where all councillors will be elected every four years, after the change was approved by the council in 2025.

Prior to the election, the council was under Labour majority control, as it had been since the council's creation in 1974. At this election, Reform UK, which held no seats on the council prior to the election, won 42 seats, giving them an overall majority. Reform chose William Brown to be its new group leader after the election. He was formally appointed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 29 May 2026. Labour's long-standing leader, Stephen Houghton, who had led the council from 1996 until this election, stood down as party leader after the election. Labour chose James Higginbottom to be its new party leader in opposition.

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. 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. 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.

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. Following boundary changes, the 2026 election will use a new set of ward boundaries.The Barnsley (Electoral Changes) Order 2025

Council composition After 2024 election Before 2026 election Party Seats Party Seats 48 46 11 12 1 1 1 0 2 3Vacant N/AVacant 1 Candidates 288 candidates were nominated to contest the 63 seats. The Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK are each fielding a full slate of 63 candidates. The Conservative Party and Green Party are fielding 42 candidates each. There are 6 independent candidates, 3 English Democrats, 3 SDP and 3 TUSC.

Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition, Hannah Kitching, is did not seek re-election. In addition, six other incumbents are did not run again during this election; Alice Cave, Steve Green, Kath Mitchell and Abi Moore of the Labour Party; Steve Hunt of the Liberal Democrats and independent councillor Trevor Smith. Smith had previously been elected as Labour, Democrats and Veterans and Barnsley Independent Group. There was one vacancy at the time of the election, this seat was previously held by independent David White, elected as Conservative, previously Reform UK. All other 55 serving councillors are seeking re-election, with two moving wards.

Election result

Ward results The results for each ward were:

Athersley and New Lodge

Central

Cudworth

Darfield and Great Houghton

Darton East

Darton West

Dearne North

Dearne South

Mandy Lowe-Flello was an incumbent councillor for Penistone West.

Dodworth, Stainborough and Tankersley

Hoyland Milton

Kingstone

Monk Bretton

North East

Old Town

Will Fielding was an incumbent councillor for Dodworth.

Penistone East

Penistone West

Rockingham

Royston

Stairfoot

Wombwell

Worsbrough

David Webster was an incumbent councillor for Royston.

Changes 2026–2027

By-elections

Penistone East

The Penistone East by-election was triggered by the resignation of Reform UK councillor Kay Hughes for personal reasons, around two months after her election.

References