Story perspectives

Reform UK Sweeps Barnsley Seats, Ends 50-Year Labour Rule

5/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Reform UK captured all three Hoyland Milton seats in Barnsley, ending five decades of Labour council control.
Voter turnout in Barnsley’s local elections rose to 38%, up from 25% two years earlier.
Residents Angela Collier and Roy Holdsworth said Labour neglected neighbourhood shops and were optimistic about Reform’s visibility.
Labour lost almost 1,500 councillors across England in the same elections, prompting calls for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to step down.

History

Historical Context

Tony Blair’s Labour Party won 418 seats in the 1 May 1997 general election, ending 18 years of Conservative rule and reshaping national policy. The election’s dramatic swing to the centre set a precedent for later local upheavals, and today observers see recent local shifts as a possible echo of that transformative shift, raising questions for Labour leader Keir Starmer.

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Story summary

Reform UK captured all three Hoyland Milton seats in Barnsley, ending five decades of Labour council control.
Voter turnout in Barnsley’s local elections rose to 38%, up from 25% two years earlier.
Residents Angela Collier and Roy Holdsworth said Labour neglected neighbourhood shops and were optimistic about Reform’s visibility.
Labour lost almost 1,500 councillors across England in the same elections, prompting calls for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to step down.

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