'All-out' council elections get go-ahead

Every seat on Barnsley Council will be up for grabs on the same day for the first time in the authority's 50-year history after councillors approved the change.

It means that instead of holding elections in four out of every five years, "all-out" elections will now be held in Barnsley once every four years, with all councillors elected at the same time.

The motion to change the way elections were run, which was proposed by Labour, was passed with a vote of 47 in favour and 12 against, and follows a public consultation earlier this year where 87% of respondents supported the move.

Council leader Sir Steve Houghton CBE said the decision was "significant" for the authority.

Labour councillors argued the move would save the authority about £1.2m over the next seven years by reducing election costs and provide a more stable political environment for long-term planning.

However, the proposal faced opposition from the Barnsley Liberal Democrats, who voted against the motion and called for a referendum to allow residents to decide on the change.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Liberal Democrat group raised concerns that reducing the frequency of elections could weaken democratic accountability and make residents feel more detached from the council.

Councillor Hannah Kitching, leader of the Lib Dems on Barnsley Council, told a full council meeting on Thursday: "Democracy might be expensive, but do we put a price on allowing people to have their say?

"I believe the best way to help people understand and get involved with local government, which can be quite opaque and confusing, is by regular voting in thirds.

"I don't believe that people should have to wait four years to hold their council to account over decisions they don't like."

Kitching added that elections every four years could discourage young people to stand for council.

"When an enthusiastic young person comes to me and says, I want to stand for the council, I don't want to tell that young person they have to wait three and a half years."

However, Houghton said that despite taking him out of his "comfort zone", he supported the proposal for the long-term stability for Barnsley residents.

"We've come to it for two principal reasons. The government has said it wishes to create stability across the local government sector. It aims to do that significantly through local government reorganisation," he said.

"We may be vulnerable at some point in the future, so we cannot be complacent.

"I am happy to come forward with what I believe to be in the best interests, not just of the council, but the people of Barnsley for the longer term."

The council is now expected to notify the Local Government Boundary Commission of the change, with the first whole council election scheduled for 7 May next year.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North