DESCRIBING an event as a political bloodbath might sound a tad dramatic upon first glance but the goings-on at the Metrodome’s election count last Friday were truly jaw-dropping to watch.
There was a sense that something earth-shattering could happen even hours before the first results were read out; many Labour councillors – town hall stalwarts with bags of experience – had a panicked expression on their faces.
As the day progressed, the murmurings and tip-offs began to roll in: Labour councillors’ worries would come true and Reform candidates’ glee grew.
The results were stark – Reform ended with 42 councillors while Labour lost a staggering 35 seats to end on just 11. Eight straight wards – North East, Athersley and New Lodge, Hoyland Milton, Royston, Dodworth, Stainborough and Tankersley, Dearne South and Monk Bretton – saw Reform romp to clean sweeps.
Big-name casualties were seen as a result and people like Kevin Osborne – a hard-working and extremely helpful councillor – fell foul of Reform’s dominance. Others followed: the council’s deputy leader Caroline Makinson, serving mayor Dave Leech and a whole host of ruling cabinet members were given the boot.
Perhaps the biggest intake of breath was noted when Cudworth’s results were announced as it’s Sir Steve Houghton’s ward. The tension was palpable as candidates took to the stage and the number of votes were read out.
Reform’s three were evenly matched, as were Steve, Joe Hayward and Anita Cherryholme. Having scraped through, Steve and Joe were visibly relieved, and Reform’s Stan Bryan was named as the third councillor for Cudworth. As the day went on it was clear to see that his long rule as the council’s leader was about to come crashing down.
I’ve known Steve for well over a decade and I must admit that I felt a mixture of emotions when talking to him afterwards – ‘shellshocked’ is probably the only way to describe a man who’s always the definition of cool, calm and collected.
For 30 years, Steve led Barnsley through good and bad times – no council leader anywhere else in the country can point to that kind of service – and although he’s retained his position as a councillor, the brutal, merciless loss of his leadership can be deemed unfair.
Labour’s pre-election tactics just did not work, though – ridiculous statements about Nigel Farage’s choice of football team were quite frankly embarrassing. They pleaded with voters to focus on local matters and not national ones, but opting for this stance proved to be exceptionally naive – they ought to have known that the public would not follow that direction given Sir Keir Starmer’s shambolic reign which has been dominated by U-turns and broken promises.
Throw in the most recent Mandelson scandal, Angela Rayner’s resignation and the ongoing Morgan McSweeney saga, the government is currently facing outright electoral oblivion – unless change comes quickly.
Starmer’s lack of leadership on the national stage and his quite frankly bewildering lack of awareness has ultimately resulted in good people losing their positions locally, so Barnsley’s Labour MPs’ reluctance to speak up against that in the aftermath is somewhat galling.
Instead, we’ve had turgid statements which did little other than leave readers’ eyes rolling.
The Prime Minister’s withering authority has been weakened by the quick-fire resignation of four senior ministers in what appeared to be an orchestrated move; almost 100 Labour MPs have also called for him to go since the weekend, but not Barnsley’s MPs.
So, what can we expect from a Reform-run Barnsley Council? It’s still an absolute unknown – no-one knows what’s to come – but they’re inheriting a local authority that’s been undoubtedly well-run and weathered multiple financial storms.
Sure, it’s not perfect – multiple directorates are in the red and many roads are a patchwork bodge-job – so there’s work for the new administration to do, but everything’s unfamiliar and who knows what we’ll see in the weeks and months to come.
However, having reported in this town for many years I can safely say that Labour – put simply – became too complacent and arguably took voters for granted. They rested on their laurels and paid the ultimate price.
