Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Penistone was won by Labour at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 9,701 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Penistone from 1918 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1918–1979
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1918
Sydney Arnold (Liberal)
7,338
39.4%
Phillip Gatty Smith (Unionist)
594 (3.2 pts)
58.4%
1922
William Mather Rutherford Pringle (Liberal)
8,924
35.8%
William Gillis (Labour)
542 (2.2 pts)
73.1%
1923
William Mather Rutherford Pringle (Liberal)
9,164
36.9%
Rennie Smith (Labour)
835 (3.4 pts)
71.8%
1924
Rennie Smith (Labour)
10,997
38.6%
Charles Hodgkinson (Unionist)
1,279 (4.5 pts)
80.6%
1929
Rennie Smith (Labour)
17,286
45.2%
Francis George Bibbings (Unionist)
6,646 (17.4 pts)
81.6%
1931
Clifford William Hudson Glossop (Conservative)
19,556
47.7%
Rennie Smith (Labour)
4,972 (12.1 pts)
81.9%
1935
Henry George McGhee (Labour)
23,869
53.5%
Clifford William Hudson Glossop (Conservative)
3,086 (6.9 pts)
73.3%
1945
Henry George McGhee (Labour)
40,180
65.8%
Rex Graham Davies (Conservative)
19,311 (31.6 pts)
75.1%
1950
Henry George McGhee (Labour)
34,979
62.0%
Denton Hinchcliffe (Conservative)
18,851 (33.4 pts)
87.7%
1951
Henry George McGhee (Labour)
36,169
64.2%
Denton Hinchcliffe (Conservative)
16,024 (28.4 pts)
85.1%
1955
Henry George McGhee (Labour)
29,432
62.3%
Laurence Fulton (Conservative)
11,636 (24.6 pts)
80.0%
1959
John Jakob Mendelson (Labour)
31,117
61.1%
John Bedford Deby (Conservative)
11,308 (22.2 pts)
82.9%
1964
John Jakob Mendelson (Labour)
29,784
58.1%
Bryan Askew (Conservative)
16,689 (32.6 pts)
81.1%
1966
John Mendelson (Labour)
31,419
62.3%
Bryan Askew (Conservative)
19,602 (38.9 pts)
78.9%
1970
John Mendelson (Labour)
31,615
58.7%
Alan Pickup (Conservative)
16,718 (31.0 pts)
73.9%
Feb 1974
John Mendelson (Labour)
27,797
49.7%
Andrew David Wilkinson (Conservative)
13,713 (24.5 pts)
84.0%
Oct 1974
John Mendelson (Labour)
27,146
54.2%
Geoffrey Charles Wesson Harris (Conservative)
15,135 (30.2 pts)
74.7%
1979
Allen McKay (Labour)
28,010
49.1%
Ian Dobkin (Conservative)
9,701 (17.0 pts)
78.9%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1918
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Sydney Arnold
Liberal
7,338
39.4%
Yes
Phillip Gatty Smith
Unionist
6,744
36.2%
No
Frederick William Southern
Independent Labour
4,556
24.4%
No
1922
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Mather Rutherford Pringle
Liberal
8,924
35.8%
Yes
William Gillis
Labour
8,382
33.7%
No
Charles Hodgkinson
Unionist
7,600
30.5%
No
1923
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Mather Rutherford Pringle
Liberal
9,164
36.9%
Yes
Rennie Smith
Labour
8,329
33.5%
No
Charles Hodgkinson
Unionist
7,369
29.6%
No
1924
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Rennie Smith
Labour
10,997
38.6%
Yes
Charles Hodgkinson
Unionist
9,718
34.1%
No
William Mather Rutherford Pringle
Liberal
7,799
27.4%
No
1929
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Rennie Smith
Labour
17,286
45.2%
Yes
Francis George Bibbings
Unionist
10,640
27.9%
No
Ashley Mitchell
Liberal
10,277
26.9%
No
1931
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Clifford William Hudson Glossop
Conservative
19,556
47.7%
Yes
Rennie Smith
Labour
14,584
35.6%
No
Thomas Neville
Liberal
6,821
16.7%
No
1935
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Henry George McGhee
Labour
23,869
53.5%
Yes
Clifford William Hudson Glossop
Conservative
20,783
46.5%
No
1945
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Henry George McGhee
Labour
40,180
65.8%
Yes
Rex Graham Davies
Conservative
20,869
34.2%
No
1950
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Henry George McGhee
Labour
34,979
62.0%
Yes
Denton Hinchcliffe
Conservative
16,128
28.6%
No
Anthony Smith
Liberal
5,316
9.4%
No
1951
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Henry George McGhee
Labour
36,169
64.2%
Yes
Denton Hinchcliffe
Conservative
20,145
35.8%
No
1955
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Henry George McGhee
Labour
29,432
62.3%
Yes
Laurence Fulton
Conservative
17,796
37.7%
No
1959
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Jakob Mendelson
Labour
31,117
61.1%
Yes
John Bedford Deby
Conservative
19,809
38.9%
No
1964
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Jakob Mendelson
Labour
29,784
58.1%
Yes
Bryan Askew
Conservative
13,095
25.6%
No
Ronald Swinden
Liberal
8,372
16.3%
No
1966
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Mendelson
Labour
31,419
62.3%
Yes
Bryan Askew
Conservative
11,817
23.4%
No
Ronald Swinden
Liberal
7,191
14.3%
No
1970
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Mendelson
Labour
31,615
58.7%
Yes
Alan Pickup
Conservative
14,897
27.7%
No
Derick Mirfin
Liberal
7,347
13.6%
No
Feb 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Mendelson
Labour
27,797
49.7%
Yes
Andrew David Wilkinson
Conservative
14,084
25.2%
No
David Chadwick
Liberal
13,140
23.5%
No
Martin Eaden
Campaign for Social Democracy
867
1.6%
No
Oct 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Mendelson
Labour
27,146
54.2%
Yes
Geoffrey Charles Wesson Harris
Conservative
12,011
24.0%
No
David Chadwick
Liberal
10,900
21.8%
No
1979
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Allen McKay
Labour
28,010
49.1%
Yes
Ian Dobkin
Conservative
18,309
32.1%
No
David Chadwick
Liberal
10,772
18.9%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Penistone has been contested at 18 general elections on record since 1918. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Liberal, Labour, Conservative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Penistone in the 1979 general election?
Labour won Penistone in 1979 with 28,010 votes (49.1%), a majority of 9,701 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Penistone since 1918?
Since 1918, Penistone has been won by: Conservative, Labour, Liberal.
What was the closest result in Penistone?
The closest result on record for Penistone was 1922, when Liberal beat Labour by just 542 votes (2.2 percentage points).