IN the run up to the general election on July 4 the Chronicle will be sharing the pledges of each Parliamentary candidate from the three constituencies which cover Barnsley.
There are a total of 21 candidates fighting to get residents’ votes - five in Penistone and Stocksbridge and eight in both Barnsley South and Barnsley North.
Before election day, everyone in your household who’s eligible to vote should receive a poll card.
This will state the date of the election, where your polling station is and the polling hours - which are 7am to 10pm.
The count of both Barnsley North and South will take place at the Metrodome that night - with Penistone and Stocksbridge’s votes being counted by Sheffield City Council.
Below you will see the candidates from the latter constituency which covers the Dodworth, Penistone East and Penistone West wards.
Miriam Cates - Conservative Party
It has been an absolute privilege to represent the residents of Penistone, Stocksbridge, Chapeltown, Dodworth and every one of our wonderful villages in Parliament.
Over the last four years I have been a strong voice for our local community on a wide variety of issues, such as supporting the steel industry, campaigning to keep our children safe, raising concerns about immigration and lobbying the government for better transport, better jobs and more opportunities.
And we’re making great progress on local projects too, delivering the £24m Town Deal in Stocksbridge, securing £48m of funding to improve the rail network around Penistone and Chapeltown, investing in school buildings, opening a new NHS Community Diagnostic Centre, and campaigning on local issues like road safety, antisocial behaviour and fly tipping.
On July 4 there will be a general election, and electors will have a choice.
You can either use your vote to choose a Labour candidate, who will follow Sir Keir Starmer in scrapping the Rwanda plan, raising taxes, and letting activists and trade unions hold our country to ransom.
Or you can use your vote to re-elect me, Miriam Cates, to continue to speak up for you boldly and courageously in Westminster, and to keep going with the important work we’re doing locally.
I am the only candidate who will represent resident’s views on key issues, such as cutting immigration, reducing taxes for families and small businesses, protecting children, and investing in communities around the constituency.
But I can only deliver this plan, and stand up for you in Parliament, if you support me in this election.
Dr Marie Tidball - Labour
I spent the first few months of my life in Dodworth, growing up in Penistone and then living in Stocksbridge in my late teens.
This place is special to me.
It is my home and where we are raising our family.
The NHS surgeries I had here enabled me to walk and follow my ambitions.
My state education in Penistone helped me catch up and go on to do a law degree and a doctorate.
I know the difference good public services make to people’s life chances; I’ve lived it.
Now I want to use the skills and experiences I have to give back to the communities who made me.
As your MP, I would be a strong voice for local people both here and in Westminster.
In our constituency, it’s a straight up fight between us and the Conservatives.
Only Labour can win against the Conservatives here.
Change will only come if you vote for it.
The choice is yours.
You can stop the chaos, you can turn the page and together we can rebuild our country.
My plan for Penistone and Stocksbridge constituency includes:
Getting the NHS back on its feet;
Tackling the cost-of-living crisis to bring bills down by switching on GB Energy;
Backing British steel with £2.5bn extra investment;
Connecting communities with better public transport;
Reviving our high streets and local businesses;
Securing safer communities with more police;
Free breakfast clubs for all primary aged children.
All our plans are fully costed, with delivering economic stability central to our Labour manifesto.
If I were to have the privilege of being elected here, I’d be the first person in over 100 years to have grown up in our constituency to go on and represent it as our MP.
That would be a very great honour.
Edward Dillingham - Reform UK
I am a devoted husband and father of two amazing little girls.
They are my number one reason for standing as the Reform UK candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge.
Living in our amazingly beautiful constituency sometimes you can forget just how badly our country has been run for the past 20-plus years.
We’ve a southern border that is invaded daily by hundreds of fighting age men.
An immigration system happily letting 24,000 people a week come in.
The vast majority being unskilled and uneducated so will only be able to live here by taking money from you, the taxpayer.
We’ve got the highest taxes since the end of WW2.
We have an NHS failing on almost every measurable scale.
Your chances of getting a GP or dentist appointment are slim to none.
Kids rammed in to overcrowded classrooms whilst they are being force fed sex education from as young as eight and a government that thinks they know what is best for your children.
Farmers being crushed by supermarket bullying, mass bureaucracy whilst we import poor quality substitutes from abroad.
So, I need to tell you what I would do for you if you lend me your vote.
I will fight for your family just like I am for mine.
I will fight to stop the government stealing the money you earn.
I will fight to stop the mass importation of the third world and to stop us, the tax payer, paying for them to live here.
I will fight for our kids to be able to go to school and have fun, be kids.
Not indoctrinated with the alphabet soup that all other main parties are pushing.
I will fight for you, for our country, our values and especially the great people of Penistone and Stocksbridge.
Andrew Davies - Green Party
Having voted Green in 2015, I was a Labour member during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership but returned to the Greens as the only party that truly reflects my beliefs of fairness, social equity, and environmental protection.
I have been actively engaged in campaigning to elect Green councillors in the neighbouring Hillsborough ward in 2022, 2023 and 2024. ( As a teacher and contractor in Countryside Management, I understand the value that nature brings to people.
We should all be proud of the incredible green and blue spaces in our constituency such as the River Don, parts of the Peak District, and a wealth of reservoirs.
A key aim is to improve community access to these, especially for those who don’t drive, who can be the most isolated in any community.
I would fully utilise schemes such as the Green Infrastructure Framework to reinvigorate and reconnect fragmented habitats.
Bus services are vital in rural communities, and these essential public services must be taken back under public control.
We need to increase the frequency of bus services within the constituency, to Sheffield, Barnsley, and the Peak District.( I support the campaign to re-open the Don Valley Railway to deliver Stocksbridge residents to Sheffield quickly and regularly, alongside the Upper Don Trail for an ‘active travel’ route.
These projects would remove cars from our roads, improving safety and air quality; bringing innumerable benefits to the health, well-being, economy and happiness of our population.( I believe local decisions should be taken by local people; I would push for more powers to local councils and regions, and would work closely with the Sheffield City Region mayor to further increase the devolution of powers. I hope never again to see the sheer arrogance that led to Sheffield’s tree-felling scandal.( As the Green candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge, I pledge to focus on bringing nature into the heart of our community, improving ties within the community, and delivering better public transport and increased devolution of powers.
Robert Reiss - Liberal Democrats
I am the Liberal Democrat candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge.
A city councillor in North Sheffield, I understand what the communities of Penistone, Stocksbridge, Ecclesfield, Chapeltown and Dodworth want and need to ensure that they continue to prosper.
As an employee of a local steelworks, I can see that the area is blessed with a unique combination of an industrial economy and beautiful green space, and I will fight to make sure that both are protected.
I want to work to ensure that companies are equipped for future growth and prosperity through the availability of a thriving and well-skilled workforce.
I also sees the importance of having a healthy local and public transport system so that money can be put back into the pockets of people in a sustainable way to ensure that nobody is left behind.
I see that your green spaces are more than just for making Penistone and Stocksbridge look nice, they are good for your mental and physical health as well.
I will work to stop sewage dumping into your rivers and plant more trees so you have a natural environment you can be proud of.]
