Barnsley East was a constituency in South Yorkshire, from 1983 to 1997 and again from 2010 to 2024. As its name suggests, it covered eastern parts of Barnsley, South Yorkshire as well as surrounding areas.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was replaced (including boundary changes) by Barnsley South, first contested at the 2024 general election.
Constituency profile The seat covered the south-east suburbs of Barnsley and former coal mining areas such as Hoyland, Darfield and Wombwell. Its residents were poorer than the UK average.
History The seat was created as Barnsley East in 1983 and later abolished in 1997 to create Barnsley East and Mexborough. It was recreated as Barnsley East at the 2010 general election.
Eight candidates competed for the seat in the 2010 general election; however, the largest two opposition parties failed to gain more than 18.2% each and the winning candidate Michael Dugher managed to obtain 47% of all votes despite the presence of a candidate from the Socialist Labour Party. Although the percentage decline in the Labour vote was the largest in the country (at nearly 24%), they still won the seat safely. In 2017, Stephanie Peacock succeeded Dugher as MP for Barnsley East.
Both between 1983 and 1997, and at the 2010 general election, this constituency had been a safe seat for the Labour Party, as indeed was its temporary replacement, Barnsley East and Mexborough. After the 2019 general election however, this constituency became a marginal seat, with Labour's vote share dropping by 21.9% and their majority cut to just 8.4% after a strong challenge by the Brexit Party.
Boundaries
1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley wards of Brierley, Cudworth, Darfield, Dearne South, Dearne Thurnscoe, Wombwell North, and Wombwell South.
2010–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley wards of Cudworth, Darfield, Hoyland Milton, North East, Rockingham, Stairfoot, Wombwell, and Worsbrough.
Following their review of parliamentary representation in South Yorkshire for the 2010 general election, the Boundary Commission for England divided the existing Barnsley East and Mexborough seat to split off Barnsley East from Mexborough, to create the new Barnsley East constituency.
Members of Parliament MPs 1983–1997 ElectionMemberParty 1983 Terry Patchett Labour 1996 by-election Jeff Ennis Labour 1997Constituency abolished: see Barnsley East and Mexborough & Barnsley Central
MPs 2010–2024 ElectionMemberParty 2010 Michael Dugher Labour 2017 Stephanie Peacock Labour 2024 constituency abolished
Election results 2010–2024
Elections in the 2010s
Election results 1983–1997
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1990s
Following the death of Terry Patchett on 11 October 1996, a by-election was held on 12 December 1996. The replacement Labour candidate Jeff Ennis held the seat for the party despite a low voter turnout.
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in South Yorkshire
Notes
References
Sources BBC Election 2005 BBC Vote 2001 Guardian Unlimited Politics (Election results from 1992 to the present)
External links Barnsley East UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK