The air is palpable in the Barnsley Metrodome as the votes are being counted, we will learn more around 2.30 this afternoon.
Sir Steve Houghton, Labour leader of the Barnsley council, said: “today’s a shocker” as Reform UK is predicted to win a majority of the votes.
Sir Houghton also said: “What Reform did in these local elections was turn it into a referendum as Nigel Farage said to get Starmer out which looks like that’ll happen anyway”
Barnsley has had a Labour council for more than 50 years and Sir Houghton said that has done so much for the people of the town.
He said: “we have changed this town significantly so it makes it all the more disappointing that the election results will undo it”.
Barnsley is expected to become the first Reform UK council in South Yorkshire.
The whole Barnsley turnout has been announced at 37.25% this is 13.41% more than the last local elections here in 2024.
Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, said: “I don’t know if the Prime Minister will leave but I know something has to change because otherwise this is going to continue happening and it is not good for Barnsley, it’s not good for South Yorkshire and it’s not good for the country.”
He added: “It’s a really tough day, Labour party colleagues are losing their jobs, Labour are losing our councils, we are losing our ability to help our community.
“So it’s not a great day, and it’s about to get worse.”
Mr Coppard spoke highly of the current council saying it “completely revamped the town centre” but said the government “needs to listen very, very hard as the people have put them on notice”.
Reform UK’s candidates are not talking to the media today, they’ve said. Although a Reform UK county organiser, Susan Dyas, said: “we have done well in hull and we want to do even better in Barnsley”. However she didn’t have any answers for what they will do after the election results.