Barnsley cabinet agree to public consultation on election changes

The proposal, which would see the council shift its election cycle to every four years, could strengthen stability and provide substantial financial savings.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council will consult the public on whether to switch from its current “elections by thirds” system to full council elections, also known as “all-out elections.”

Currently, Barnsley elects one-third of its councillors every year over a three-year period, with no elections held in the fourth year. However, the proposal would see all councillors elected on the same day every four years, a system already adopted by many councils in the UK, including neighbours Doncaster and Rotherham.

With only a third of seats being contested at a time, it has been difficult for opposition parties to make significant inroads into the council’s leadership. While smaller parties have occasionally gained seats, the system has made it challenging for any group to wrestle control from Labour.

During today’s (March 19) cabinet meeting, council leader Sir Steve Houghton CBE emphasised that the proposed change was a direct response to the recommendations, which pointed to the need for stability within the council.

“The government have come in with an agenda to try and bring stability, back to local government, that is both financial stability, but also professional stability, because over the last 14 years we have seen large numbers of councils, struggling, quite literally, in some cases to survive,” said Coun Houghton.

“The demands on services have been exceptional, and we’ve seen that here in Barnsley as well. The demands on finances as a consequence of that have been exceptional as well, and some councils have been able to manage that better than others, but it has left the sector in a very, very difficult place overall. The government itself wants to bring that stability back that we used to have.

“What we are proposing here is….that we start public consultation on this, there will no doubt be arguments both ways.

“There are substantial savings to be made to the council, well over a million pounds over the period, which could then be reinvested back into services, or at least contribute towards the financial challenges that we’ve got.

“This is not about trying to undermine the democratic process. It’s about making sure that democratic process can add value in the best possible way.”

The decision is expected to be made by a full council meeting later in the year, with the Secretary of State having the final say.