Barnsley Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Summary

Barnsley Central is a constituency[n 1] in South Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2011 by Dan Jarvis of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Barnsley Central
borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Barnsley Central in South Yorkshire
Outline map
Location of South Yorkshire within England
CountySouth Yorkshire
Population85,714 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate64,229 (December 2019)[2]
BoroughBarnsley
Major settlementsBarnsley, Royston
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentDan Jarvis[3] (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromBarnsley, Wakefield

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be subject to moderate boundary changes and will be renamed Barnsley North, to be first contested at the next general election.[4]

Constituency profile edit

Barnsley Central is generally an urban seat and has a large majority of its population on middle or low incomes, with most of the large former mining town's social housing contained within it.[5] It has been held by the Labour Party since 1983 and was consistently a safe seat, like its main predecessor, until 2019, when Labour's majority was cut to 9.7%.

History edit

Created in 1983, Barnsley Central covers a similar area to that of the former Barnsley constituency. The seat was held by almost a year from May 2010 by Eric Illsley as an independent MP after he was suspended from the Labour party over the expenses row and he led to its becoming vacant on 8 February 2011.[6]

On 12 January 2011, having admitted the crime of fraud over his expenses, Illsley announced the intention to stand down from Parliament, necessitating a by-election in early 2011.[7] On 8 February 2011 Ilsley resigned his seat[n 3] before he was due to be sentenced for fraudulently claiming parliamentary expenses.[8] The by-election was held on 3 March 2011 and was won by Dan Jarvis for the Labour Party. The Labour majority and share of the vote rose to give an absolute majority, on a turnout 20% lower than in the General Election; meanwhile the Conservative share of the vote fell steeply to just 8.3%, less than UKIP's 12.2% vote-share.[3] In the 2019 general election, Jarvis held onto his seat, but with a sharply reduced majority; it fell from 15,546 to 3,571. The Brexit Party came second with 11,233 votes, which was 30.4% of the vote, compared to Jarvis's 40.1%.

Boundaries edit

 
Map of present boundaries

1983–1997: The Borough of Barnsley wards of Ardsley, Athersley, Central, Monk Bretton, North West, Royston, and South West.

1997–2010: The Borough of Barnsley wards of Ardsley, Athersley, Central, Cudworth, Monk Bretton, North West, Royston, and South West.

2010–present: The Borough of Barnsley wards of Central, Darton East, Darton West, Kingstone, Monk Bretton, Old Town, Royston, and St Helens.

Barnsley Central constituency covers most of the town of Barnsley. It is bordered by the constituencies of Wakefield, Hemsworth, Barnsley East, and Penistone and Stocksbridge.

Members of Parliament edit

The constituency has had three Members of Parliament since its creation in 1983, all of whom have been from the Labour Party.

Election Member[9] Party
1983 Roy Mason Labour
1987 Eric Illsley Labour
2010 Independent[6]
2011 by-election Dan Jarvis Labour

Elections edit

 

Elections of the 2010s edit

General election 2019: Barnsley Central[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dan Jarvis 14,804 40.1 −23.8
Brexit Party Victoria Felton 11,233 30.4 New
Conservative Iftikhar Ahmed 7,892 21.4 −2.7
Liberal Democrats Will Sapwell 1,176 3.2 +1.8
Green Tom Heyes 900 2.4 +0.9
Yorkshire Ryan Williams 710 1.9 New
Independent Donald Wood 188 0.5 New
Majority 3,571 9.7 −30.1
Turnout 36,903 56.5 −4.1
Labour hold Swing −27.1

This was the highest Brexit Party vote share at the 2019 general election.[11] It was also the highest vote share for any non Labour candidate in the seat's history.

General election 2017: Barnsley Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dan Jarvis 24,982 63.9 +8.2
Conservative Amanda Ford 9,436 24.1 +9.1
UKIP Gavin Felton 3,339 8.5 −13.2
Green Richard Trotman 572 1.5 −1.1
Liberal Democrats David Ridgway 549 1.4 −0.7
English Democrat Stephen Morris 211 0.5 −0.8
Majority 15,546 39.8 +5.8
Turnout 39,089 60.6 +3.9
Labour hold Swing −0.48
General election 2015: Barnsley Central[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dan Jarvis 20,376 55.7 +8.4
UKIP Lee Hunter 7,941 21.7 +17.1
Conservative Kay Carter 5,485 15.0 −2.3
Green Michael Short 938 2.6 New
Liberal Democrats John Ridgway 770 2.1 −15.2
TUSC Dave Gibson 573 1.6 New
English Democrat Ian Sutton 477 1.3 New
Majority 12,435 34.0 +4.0
Turnout 36,560 56.7 +0.2
Labour hold Swing −4.3
2011 Barnsley Central by-election [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dan Jarvis 14,724 60.8 +13.5
UKIP Jane Collins 2,953 12.2 +7.5
Conservative James Hockney 1,999 8.3 -9.0
BNP Enis Dalton 1,463 6.0 -2.9
Independent Tony Devoy 1,266 5.2 +3.6
Liberal Democrats Dominic Carman 1,012 4.2 -13.1
English Democrat Kevin Riddiough 544 2.2 New
Monster Raving Loony Howling Laud Hope 198 0.8 New
Independent Michael Val Davies 60 0.2 New
Majority 11,771 48.6 +18.6
Turnout 24,219 36.5 -20.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 2010: Barnsley Central [15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Illsley 17,487 47.3 -10.4
Liberal Democrats Christopher Wiggin 6,394 17.3 +0.7
Conservative Piers Tempest 6,388 17.3 +4.0
BNP Ian Sutton 3,307 8.9 +4.4
UKIP David Silver 1,727 4.7 New
Independent Donald Wood 732 2.0 -2.1
Independent Tony Devoy 610 1.6 New
Socialist Labour Terrence Robinson 356 1.0 New
Majority 11,093 30.0 -14.5
Turnout 37,001 56.5 +8.8
Labour hold Swing

Elections of the 2000s edit

General election 2005: Barnsley Central [17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Illsley 17,478 61.1 -8.5
Liberal Democrats Miles Crompton 4,746 16.6 +1.9
Conservative Peter Morel 3,813 13.3 +0.2
BNP Geoffrey Broadley 1,403 4.9 New
Independent Donald Wood 1,175 4.1 New
Majority 12,732 44.5 -10.4
Turnout 28,615 47.2 +1.4
Labour hold Swing 5.2
General election 2001: Barnsley Central [19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Illsley 19,181 69.6 -7.4
Liberal Democrats Alan Hartley 4,051 14.7 +5.2
Conservative Ian McCord 3,608 13.1 +4.0
Socialist Alliance Henry Rajch 703 2.6 New
Majority 15,130 54.9 -12.7
Turnout 27,543 45.8 -13.9
Labour hold Swing 6.3

Elections of the 1990s edit

General election 1997: Barnsley Central [21][22][23][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Illsley 28,090 77.0 +6.2
Conservative Simon Gutteridge 3,589 9.8 -8.7
Liberal Democrats Darren Finlay 3,481 9.5 -1.2
Referendum James Walsh 1,325 3.6 New
Majority 24,501 67.2 +17.6
Turnout 36,485 59.7 -10.8
Labour hold Swing 7.5
General election 1992: Barnsley Central [25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Illsley 27,048 69.3 +2.5
Conservative David N. Senior 7,687 19.7 +1.6
Liberal Democrats Stephen R. Cowton 4,321 11.1 -4.1
Majority 19,361 49.6 +0.9
Turnout 39,056 70.5 +0.5
Labour hold Swing 0.5

Elections of the 1980s edit

General election 1987: Barnsley Central [27][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Illsley 26,139 66.8 +7.0
Conservative Vivien Prais 7,088 18.1 -2.9
Liberal Susan Holland 5,928 15.1 -4.0
Majority 19,051 48.7 +9.9
Turnout 37,548 70.0 +3.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1983: Barnsley Central [29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roy Mason 21,847 59.8
Conservative Howard S. Oldfield 7,674 21.0
Liberal Geoffrey Reid 7,011 19.2
Majority 14,173 38.8
Turnout 36,532 66.3
Labour win (new seat)

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
  3. ^ By the time-honoured tradition of accepting appointment as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds

References edit

  1. ^ "Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Constituency data: electorates – House of Commons Library". Parliament UK. 15 June 2020. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Labour win Barnsley Central by-election". BBC News. BBC. 3 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  4. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – Yorkshire and the Humber | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Labour MP charged over expenses". BBC News. BBC. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  7. ^ "MPs' expenses: Eric Illsley is to stand down as MP". 12 January 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  8. ^ "Expenses fraud Barnsley Central MP Eric Illsley resigns" (Press release). BBC. 8 February 2011. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  9. ^ *Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 1)
  10. ^ "Barnsley Central Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. p. 72. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Barnsley Central". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  14. ^ "By election result for Barnsley Central". BBC. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "UK general election 2010: Results for Barnsley Central". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Vote 2005". BBC News. 5 May 2005. Archived from the original on 13 March 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Vote 2001". BBC News. 7 June 2001. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  21. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  23. ^ C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.25 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  24. ^ The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
  25. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  27. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1987. Politics Resources. 11 June 1987. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  29. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  30. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1983. Politics Resources. 9 June 1983. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2011.

Sources edit

  • Guardian Unlimited Politics Archived 29 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine (Election results from 1992 to the present)

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