Barnsley Independent Group

Barnsley Independent Group is a British political party in Barnsley, England.

The party was founded in January 2006 by a group of Independent councillors on Barnsley Council, described as "dissident former "old labour" councillors".[1] At that time they had seven councillors, and in the local elections that May they fielded 17 candidates.[2] They have contested council elections since. The party leader is Phillip Birkinshaw, but there are no whips and membership is only open to councillors and candidates, which the party says is to prevent influence from being exerted in the background by a party structure or powerful individuals. All candidates pay their own expenses.[3]

They currently have four councillors: Philip Birkinshaw and Jack Carr in Dodworth; Gill Carr in Worsborough; and Liz Grundy in Old Town

After the 2007 elections they had 22 councillors,[4] and 24 after the 2008 elections.[5] It currently has 5 councillors on Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council after suffering massive losses in the 2012 Local Elections. They are now the third party in Barnsley where Labour control the council, and have a 41-seat majority since the 2012 elections.[6] Despite threatening to overtake Labour as the largest party on Barnsley Council in 2008, BIG's fortunes have dramatically altered, with the Group only able to field 5 candidates in the 2015 local elections.

References

  1. ↑ Tingle, Len (25 September 2009). "Love for Labour lost". Politics Show (BBC). Retrieved 2012-11-08.
  2. ↑ Hakala, Anna (25 April 2006). "The rise of the Independents". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
  3. ↑ "Who are we". Barnsley Independent Group. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
  4. ↑ "Local Elections: Small groups hold balance in hung city". Yorkshire Post. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
  5. ↑ "Lib Dems take power in Sheffield". BBC News. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
  6. ↑ "LOCAL ELECTIONS: Labour majority grows in Barnsley - VIDEO". The Star. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 2012-11-08.

External links

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