BARNSLEY’S politics changed last week. After decades of Labour leadership, voters chose a new direction for our borough, ending a crucial chapter in our town’s history.
For 30 years, Steve Houghton led Barnsley through good and bad times alike. No council leader anywhere else in the country can point to that kind of service; none can point to a record of change on the scale Barnsley has seen under his leadership.
When Steve first became leader, Barnsley was still grappling with the aftermath of pit closures and industrial decline. Like many former coalfield communities, our borough faced huge economic and social challenges. There were plenty of people who thought Barnsley had no future.
They were wrong.
Today, Barnsley is the best it’s ever been. We’ve got a regenerated town centre people can be proud of, award-winning markets, thriving cultural spaces and major investment coming into the borough.
We became the UK’s first Tech Town and are attracting businesses that many people would never have imagined coming here one years ago.
Yet Steve always understood that regeneration required more than just new buildings. Under his leadership, Barnsley Council focused relentlessly on improving every day life for local people.
That meant backing working families with school uniform vouchers and free bus travel for under-18s. It meant investing in parks, libraries, youth services, community spaces, and the Pathways to Work programme, helping people gain and retain good jobs.
It also meant trying new ideas like Health on the High Street, bringing services closer to where people are and helping to shape national policy about the future of healthcare.
None of that happened accidentally. It took patience, long-term thinking, and a council leadership that was always prepared to graft hard for Barnsley.
Politics moves on, though. Elections have consequences, voters have made their decision, and I respect that decision. So I want to congratulate every newly elected councillor, whatever party they represent. Public service is a privilege, and anyone elected by their community deserves the chance to get on with the job.
Barnsley is now taking a different direction. Responsibility for running the council passes to Reform, and with that comes a huge amount of responsibility. It’s one thing to talk the talk; it’s another thing entirely to run a council and deliver for people day in, day out.
As Barnsley North’s MP, I’ll always work constructively with anyone to benefit our town. Yet I’ll also hold the new Reform council to account. Barnsley folk deserve serious leadership and proper delivery - and, frankly, other Reform councils haven’t managed to do this.
I sincerely hope that Barnsley’s Reform council buck that trend - because I want the best for my constituents.
While political control has changed, nobody has done more for Barnsley than Steve. His legacy is there for everyone to see in the town he helped rebuild - and he’ll continue to graft hard for the residents of Cudworth as their local councillor.
Whoever becomes Barnsley’s next leader will discover very quickly that they have big boots to fill.
