Election

England council results

Number of councillors

136 of 136 councilsCounting complete

  • Reform UK 1,454 councillors 1,452 councillors gained
  • Labour 1,068 councillors 1,498 councillors lost
  • Liberal Democrat 844 councillors 155 councillors gained
  • Conservative 801 councillors 563 councillors lost
  • Green 587 councillors 441 councillors gained
  • Independent 213 councillors 35 councillors gained
Change

Summary

  1. New Barnsley Council Reform group leaders selectedpublished at 15:21 BST

    William Brown and Edward Dillingham are chosen as leader and deputy leader of Reform UK in Barnsley.

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  2. 'We switched from Labour to Reform as we want change'published at 14:19 BST

    Reform won all three seats in Hoyland and turnout was higher than for previous elections.

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  3. Reform councillor 'brought party into disrepute'published at 19:57 BST 13 May

    Reform UK say Sheffield councillor Nathaniel Menday has been suspended pending an investigation.

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  4. What happens now at my council after the elections?published at 12:28 BST 12 May

    Parties are now selecting leaders and senior teams following the Sheffield and Barnsley local elections.

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  5. Reform ends 50 years of Barnsley Labour leadershippublished at 21:04 BST 8 May

    Reform UK takes control of Barnsley Council, ending Labour's 50-year reign.

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  6. Council leader out as Reform and Greens make gainspublished at 20:54 BST 8 May

    Tom Hunt says the results in Sheffield are "extremely disappointing" for Labour.

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  7. A big day for Reform but one to forget for Labourpublished at 20:49 BST 8 May

    With the final results in Barnsley now not due till tomorrow lunchtime, that's the end of our live coverage of today's local election results in South Yorkshire - thank you for joining us.

    Three Reform UK candidates congratulate each otherImage source, Getty Images

    Before we go, here's a round up of the main talking points:

  8. Weekend recount for final three Barnsley seatspublished at 20:45 BST 8 May

    Three recounts have taken place for Penistone West, and candidates have declined to accept the result.

    This means a further recount will take place at midday tomorrow at Barnsley Town Hall.

    Whatever the result, it will make little difference to the makeup of the council - Reform already holds 41 out of 63 seats.

    11 seats have gone to Labour, six to the Liberal Democrats and two to independent councillors.

    Results for the last three seats will be returned tomorrow.

  9. 'It’s one thing to win an election - it’s another to run a council'published at 20:41 BST 8 May

    James Vincent
    Yorkshire political editor

    Both in Sheffield and Barnsley today Reform UK decided not to speak to us.

    That means we don’t know who is likely to lead Barnsley Council or what priorities they’ll have when it comes to running the town.

    To be fair to them they just had a load of new people elected and they need to choose their leader - but voters will want to know pretty quickly what they’re getting for their vote.

    The next challenge - as it is for every party - is convincing people you’re up to the job.

    There will be a lot of new councillors who’ve never done anything like this before. Some will say that’s a good thing, but it’s also a huge commitment.

    In Doncaster we’ve seen Reform councillor numbers drop already in their first year because of individuals leaving and some being suspended.

    It’s one thing winning an election - it’s quite another to run a council.

  10. Nigel Farage hails Reform's success in local electionspublished at 20:39 BST 8 May

    Reform UK's newly elected councillors may have chosen not to speak to the BBC in South Yorkshire, but leader Nigel Farage has been talking to reporters in other parts of the country.

    Nigel Farage stands in front of a group of peopleImage source, Getty Images

    Speaking after Reform secured control of Havering, Farage said: "What's happened is a truly historic shift in British politics.

    "We've been so used to thinking about politics in terms of left and right, yet what Reform are able to do is to win in areas that have always been Conservative, but equally, we're proving in a big way that we could win in areas that Labour has dominated since the end of World War I."

    Farage highlighted his party's successes in former Labour strongholds dubbed the "red wall", which the Conservatives initially made gains in the 2019 general election under the leadership of Boris Johnson before suffering losses in 2024.

    He said he was convinced a "fundamental change" was happening in which voters "aren't just coming to us for a one-off, they're now becoming Reformers in every way".

  11. Watch: 'This has been coming for 30 years'published at 20:09 BST 8 May

    Sir Steve Houghton says the seeds of Labour's losses were sown decades ago.

    Speaking to the BBC he said: "We can't lay all this at the door of Keir Starmer, but what we can do is say to him and his colleagues 'you'd better deal with it now, because if you don't this will become even worse for Labour'."

  12. What's the national picture?published at 19:51 BST 8 May

    We've been focusing on the results here in South Yorkshire today, but what has been going on elsewhere in England?

    As in Barnsley, Reform UK has been the biggest winner, picking up more than 1,200 councillors so far.

    Meanwhile, the Greens and Lib Dems have also made gains, while the Conservatives have lost almost 500 seats and Labour has lost over 1,000.

    Chart showing change in the number of councillors by party in England, 4,044 of 5,036 seats declared. Reform UK up 1296; Green up 294; Lib Dem up 92; Residents' Association down 16; Independents and Others down 23; Conservative down 475; Labour down 1168
  13. Three seats still to go...published at 19:41 BST 8 May

    A recount is underway for the seats in Penistone West, the only Barnsley ward yet to be declared.

  14. What happens next in Barnsley?published at 18:50 BST 8 May

    Lucy Ashton
    South Yorkshire political reporter

    What happens when a new political party takes control?

    The Barnsley count is still going on but Reform have a very clear majority and are now in control of the council.

    Labour leader Stephen Houghton says he will move out of his town hall office on Monday, parting company with the team who support the council leader.

    It's an office he has occupied for the past 30 years.

    Barnsley Town HallImage source, Getty Images

    Officially Houghton remains as council leader until the council's annual general meeting at the end of May but it's in name only, a caretaker role.

    For the next three weeks there will be state of flux at Barnsley town hall - the first time in 50 years it has not been Labour.

  15. Reform tight-lipped despite success in Barnsleypublished at 18:37 BST 8 May

    Lucy Ashton
    South Yorkshire political reporter

    While Barnsley's Labour leader Stephen Houghton has been very vocal throughout this election count, Reform has declined our requests for interviews.

    The party have now taken control of Barnsley Council but have not shared any information about who their leader is or what their first policies in office will be.

  16. Final seats to be declared in Barnsleypublished at 18:26 BST 8 May

    Old Town, Rockingham, Wombwell and Worsbrough have been declared.

    Six seats go to Reform, four to Labour, and two to independent councillors from the four wards.

    The current total count is:

    • 38 Reform UK
    • 11 Labour
    • 6 Liberal Democrats
    • 2 independents

    Six seats are left to declare.

  17. Conservatives lose only Barnsley seatpublished at 18:07 BST 8 May

    The Conservatives have lost their only Barnsley seat, in Penistone East, to Reform's Kay Hughes.

    Labour held the other two seats in the ward.

  18. Reform takes control of Barnsley Councilpublished at 17:45 BST 8 May
    Breaking

    Victoria Scheer
    in Barnsley

    Labour's 50-year reign in Barnsley has come to an end.

    After Reform wins three seats in Stairfoot and three in Darfield and Great Houghton, the party now has the numbers it needs to take control of the council.

    Three middle aged men with turquouise ties and suitsImage source, Victoria Scheer/BBC
    Image caption,

    Darfield and Great Houghton's new councillors react to their win

  19. What's the word on the street in Barnsley?published at 17:27 BST 8 May

    Rebecca Wearn
    in Barnsley

    Barnsley has had a Labour council for fifty years. But all that looks set to change.

    A man in a light blue t-shirt

    Lee is installing a door in a terraced home. He’s voted Labour for most of his life.

    “But for the last ten years they’ve made no difference my every day life, I’ve seen no benefits," he says

    “As a taxpayer we are paying too much out for illegal immigrants; for housing, for benefits. That’s my number one, followed by all the unemployed but who can work.”

    Lee has held down a job since he was 16. His wife worked as a carer.

    “Everything is just tax, tax, tax and tax again,” he says. “I just want the country to be run fairly.

    “We can but vote and hope for the best."

    A woman in a cream top looks at the camera

    Over at the market, Jackie is doing her weekly shopping and told me she is worried.

    "I’ve been Labour all my life. I’m sad,” she said.

    “I don’t think they will know how to run [the] council, Reform.”

    Meanwhile Paul, from Keith’s Quality Meats butchers, thinks people have not voted on local issues.

    “It seems to me that national issues are in play. In my opinion people have voted against Keir Starmer.”

  20. Results 'disappointing' - Sheffield council leaderpublished at 17:17 BST 8 May

    Chloe Aslett
    Yorkshire

    The leader of Sheffield City Council, who lost his seat earlier, said it was an "extremely disappointing" set of results.

    He notes the "positive track record" of Sheffield Labour, citing bus franchising and plans for new homes.

    Tom Hunt after the election count, he wears glasses and a suitImage source, Simon Thake/BBC

    "We've seen national issues persuade people here about how they're going to vote," he says.

    "Voters are rightly impatient for change and they want to see change happen quicker."

    He says he hopes the more "fragmented" authority will not lead to "chaotic scenes" in local politics.

    Hunt remains the leader until an AGM takes place later this month, but it is a name-only, caretaker role.