Barnsley — UK General Election Results
Barnsley was won by Labour at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 22,622 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Barnsley from 1885 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1885–1979
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Courtney Stanhope Kenny (Liberal) | 6,705 | 71.1% | Bruce Canning Vernon-Wentworth (Conservative) | 3,983 (42.2 pts) | 85.4% |
| 1886 | Courtney Stanhope Kenny (Liberal) | 5,425 | 65.0% | Bruce Canning Vernon-Wentworth (Conservative) | 2,508 (30.1 pts) | 75.6% |
| 1892 | William George Spencer Scott Compton (Liberal) | 6,739 | 65.8% | Francis John Savile Foljambe (Liberal Unionist) | 3,241 (31.7 pts) | 75.0% |
| 1895 | William George Spencer Scott Compton (Liberal) | 6,820 | 59.4% | Ronald Henry Fulke Greville (Conservative) | 2,167 (18.9 pts) | 80.9% |
| 1900 | Joseph Walton (Liberal) | 7,549 | 63.4% | Arthur William Groser (Liberal Unionist) | 3,193 (26.8 pts) | 74.6% |
| 1906 | Joseph Walton (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| Jan 1910 | Joseph Walton (Liberal) | 12,425 | 71.1% | Arthur William Groser (Conservative) | 7,372 (42.2 pts) | 83.8% |
| Dec 1910 | Joseph Walton (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1918 | Joseph Walton (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1922 | John Potts (Labour) | 14,728 | 55.1% | Maurice Moore (National Liberal) | 2,717 (10.2 pts) | 75.7% |
| 1923 | John Samuel Potts (Labour) | 12,674 | 47.9% | William Craven-Ellis (Unionist) | 5,790 (21.9 pts) | 74.1% |
| 1924 | John Samuel Potts (Labour) | 14,738 | 51.7% | John Neal (Liberal) | 953 (3.3 pts) | 78.2% |
| 1929 | John Samuel Potts (Labour) | 21,855 | 53.8% | William Sutherland (Liberal) | 9,338 (23.0 pts) | 82.3% |
| 1931 | Richard John Soper (National Liberal) | 21,392 | 50.9% | John Potts (Labour) | 770 (1.8 pts) | 84.2% |
| 1935 | John Potts (Labour) | 25,318 | 58.9% | Richard John Soper (National Liberal) | 7,635 (17.8 pts) | 82.6% |
| 1945 | Frank Collindridge (Labour) | 30,614 | 72.9% | Richard John Soper (National Liberal) | 19,232 (45.8 pts) | 80.4% |
| 1950 | Frank Collindridge (Labour) | 42,008 | 68.6% | Geoffrey Howard Walker (Liberal) | 31,229 (51.0 pts) | 88.9% |
| 1951 | Sidney Schofield (Labour) | 37,523 | 69.7% | Geoffrey Whittaker (Conservative) | 28,227 (52.4 pts) | 77.2% |
| 1955 | Roy Mason (Labour) | 39,485 | 72.8% | R Anthony Wilson (Conservative) | 24,709 (45.5 pts) | 78.6% |
| 1959 | Roy Mason (Labour) | 42,565 | 73.7% | John Philip Howard Bent (Conservative) | 27,376 (47.4 pts) | 82.7% |
| 1964 | Roy Mason (Labour) | 37,250 | 66.8% | Joan Valerie Hall (Conservative) | 27,833 (49.9 pts) | 80.0% |
| 1966 | Roy Mason (Labour) | 38,744 | 75.7% | Joan Hall (Conservative) | 26,288 (51.3 pts) | 73.4% |
| 1970 | Roy Mason (Labour) | 34,956 | 64.8% | Robert Godber (Conservative) | 24,145 (44.8 pts) | 71.3% |
| Feb 1974 | Roy Mason (Labour) | 40,595 | 71.8% | George England (Conservative) | 24,626 (43.5 pts) | 74.6% |
| Oct 1974 | Roy Mason (Labour) | 34,212 | 65.3% | George England (Conservative) | 24,812 (47.4 pts) | 68.4% |
| 1979 | Roy Mason (Labour) | 36,276 | 64.0% | George England (Conservative) | 22,622 (39.9 pts) | 72.9% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courtney Stanhope Kenny | Liberal | 6,705 | 71.1% | Yes |
| Bruce Canning Vernon-Wentworth | Conservative | 2,722 | 28.9% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courtney Stanhope Kenny | Liberal | 5,425 | 65.0% | Yes |
| Bruce Canning Vernon-Wentworth | Conservative | 2,917 | 35.0% | No |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William George Spencer Scott Compton | Liberal | 6,739 | 65.8% | Yes |
| Francis John Savile Foljambe | Liberal Unionist | 3,498 | 34.2% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William George Spencer Scott Compton | Liberal | 6,820 | 59.4% | Yes |
| Ronald Henry Fulke Greville | Conservative | 4,653 | 40.6% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Walton | Liberal | 7,549 | 63.4% | Yes |
| Arthur William Groser | Liberal Unionist | 4,356 | 36.6% | No |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Walton | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Walton | Liberal | 12,425 | 71.1% | Yes |
| Arthur William Groser | Conservative | 5,053 | 28.9% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Walton | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Walton | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Potts | Labour | 14,728 | 55.1% | Yes |
| Maurice Moore | National Liberal | 12,011 | 44.9% | No |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Samuel Potts | Labour | 12,674 | 47.9% | Yes |
| William Craven-Ellis | Unionist | 6,884 | 26.0% | No |
| John Neal | Liberal | 6,881 | 26.0% | No |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Samuel Potts | Labour | 14,738 | 51.7% | Yes |
| John Neal | Liberal | 13,785 | 48.3% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Samuel Potts | Labour | 21,855 | 53.8% | Yes |
| William Sutherland | Liberal | 12,517 | 30.8% | No |
| William Craven-Ellis | Unionist | 6,265 | 15.4% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard John Soper | National Liberal | 21,392 | 50.9% | Yes |
| John Potts | Labour | 20,622 | 49.1% | No |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Potts | Labour | 25,318 | 58.9% | Yes |
| Richard John Soper | National Liberal | 17,683 | 41.1% | No |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Collindridge | Labour | 30,614 | 72.9% | Yes |
| Richard John Soper | National Liberal | 11,382 | 27.1% | No |
1950
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Collindridge | Labour | 42,008 | 68.6% | Yes |
| Geoffrey Howard Walker | Liberal | 10,779 | 17.6% | No |
| Charles Gordon-Spencer | Conservative | 8,480 | 13.8% | No |
1951
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Schofield | Labour | 37,523 | 69.7% | Yes |
| Geoffrey Whittaker | Conservative | 9,296 | 17.3% | No |
| Geoffrey Howard Walker | Liberal | 7,002 | 13.0% | No |
1955
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Mason | Labour | 39,485 | 72.8% | Yes |
| R Anthony Wilson | Conservative | 14,776 | 27.2% | No |
1959
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Mason | Labour | 42,565 | 73.7% | Yes |
| John Philip Howard Bent | Conservative | 15,189 | 26.3% | No |
1964
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Mason | Labour | 37,250 | 66.8% | Yes |
| Joan Valerie Hall | Conservative | 9,417 | 16.9% | No |
| John Herbert Dossett | Liberal | 9,089 | 16.3% | No |
1966
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Mason | Labour | 38,744 | 75.7% | Yes |
| Joan Hall | Conservative | 12,456 | 24.3% | No |
1970
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Mason | Labour | 34,956 | 64.8% | Yes |
| Robert Godber | Conservative | 10,811 | 20.0% | No |
| John Dossett | Liberal | 8,186 | 15.2% | No |
Feb 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Mason | Labour | 40,595 | 71.8% | Yes |
| George England | Conservative | 15,969 | 28.2% | No |
Oct 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Mason | Labour | 34,212 | 65.3% | Yes |
| George England | Conservative | 9,400 | 18.0% | No |
| Peter William Tomlinson | Liberal | 8,753 | 16.7% | No |
1979
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Mason | Labour | 36,276 | 64.0% | Yes |
| George England | Conservative | 13,654 | 24.1% | No |
| Wilfred Whitaker | Liberal | 5,751 | 10.1% | No |
| William Brendan Gallagher | Troops Out of Ireland | 638 | 1.1% | No |
| John Edward Davis | Workers Revolutionary | 348 | 0.6% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Barnsley has been contested at 26 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Liberal, Labour, National Liberal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Barnsley in the 1979 general election?
Labour won Barnsley in 1979 with 36,276 votes (64.0%), a majority of 22,622 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Barnsley since 1885?
Since 1885, Barnsley has been won by: Labour, Liberal, National Liberal.
What was the closest result in Barnsley?
The closest result on record for Barnsley was 1931, when National Liberal beat Labour by just 770 votes (1.8 percentage points).