BARNSLEY will hold its first all-out local council elections next May with every seat up for grabs on the same day.

This follows a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which led to changes in ward boundaries and the way elections are run.

The new arrangements became law last month and means that all 63 councillors will be elected at once, across 21 newly-created wards.

Currently, Barnsley elects one-third of its councillors every year over a three-year period, with no local elections in the fourth year.

In contrast, all-out elections allow voters to decide the make-up of the entire council at once, potentially opening the door to political change in a way that the current system doesn’t.

Labour has held a majority on Barnsley Council since its formation in 1974, making it one of the party’s long-standing strongholds.

Coun Steve Hunt, who represents the Liberal Democrats in the Darton East, said: “The local elections have shown how damaging and dysfunctional our voting system is.

“Across the country, we’ve seen results which don’t reflect how people voted.

“For example, in the west of England, the mayor was elected despite three out of four voters rejecting them.

“This is not a glitch in the system, it’s a feature.

“Whether in local or in general elections, First Past the Post (FPTP) distorts public opinion and damages trust in politics.

“It forces us to choose between voting tactically and being ignored, and leads to millions of votes, particularly those cast for smaller parties, being wasted.

“Time and again, it hands full control to parties supported by a minority of the electorate.

“Last year, Labour won a landslide on just 34 per cent of the vote.

“With more and more people abandoning the two biggest parties, the proportion of votes needed to win would be even smaller.

“This means we could get a government that 70 per cent of the public voted against.

“I’m very concerned about the future of our democracy if we don’t improve how our elections work.

“That’s why I support the Make Votes Matter campaign in calling for FPTP to be replaced with a proportional system where seats match votes, and all voices are heard equally.”

Although the 2026 all-out election is already confirmed in law, the council has been asking residents whether it should stick with this approach in future.

A six-week consultation ran from March 20 to May 2, inviting views on whether Barnsley should continue with all-out elections every four years or return to the staggered system.

The results of that consultation will be discussed at a special council meeting on May 22, where councillors will decide what election system to use after 2026.

Sir Steve Houghton, who has led Barnsley Council for almost 30 years, acknowledged the efforts made by the current government, particularly in areas like NHS improvements and support for Ukraine.

However, he stressed that local election results across the country last week highlighted a growing disconnect between the Labour Party and its traditional supporters.

“Despite the good work on the NHS, including consistently reducing waiting times, and the Prime Minister’s leading work on supporting Ukraine, last Thursday’s results are a worrying sign for the Labour Party,” said Sir Steve.

“These results show that the outcome of next year’s local elections will be even worse if things don’t change and the government doesn’t do more to help councils and communities in need.”

Coun Houghton explained that while large-scale capital projects take time to yield political results, there is an urgent need to focus on immediate issues like the cost-of-living crisis and the wellbeing of the most deprived communities.

“It’s now or never for the government to make these changes,” he added.

“Delivering support on immediate problems is pivotal if Labour wants to hold off Reform and secure a second term.”

Sarah Norman, chief executive of Barnsley Council, added: “At a time of local government reorganisation, securing our council’s future is paramount.

“We’re committed to maintaining strong and stable leadership which is essential for effective governance and long-term planning.

“We want our council to reflect modern ways of working, and this potential change highlights how we’re transforming long-standing systems and effective use of resources to improve public services for our residents now and in the future.”