A chaotic extraordinary meeting of the City of Doncaster Council which was adjourned after false accusation against senior officers will reconvene next week.
Reform UK’s deputy leader, Councillor Jason Charity, read a pre-written statement in the chamber on March 5, 2026, alleging senior officers had altered a motion submitted by party leader, Cllr Craig Ward, without his permission.
However, it transpired that, despite Cllr Ward being “adamant” with other councillors he had not agreed to any changes, the Roman Ridge councillor had indeed given his permission in a WhatsApp message to the chief executive, Damian Allen.
In a statement the week following the meeting, a Reform UK spokesperson said Ward now acknowledged he did not read the email in sufficient detail before responding. Referred to as an “error in judgement he accepts”.
Reform UK had called the extraordinary meeting in hopes of discussing the lease signed between Doncaster Council and the Peel Group over Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
The lease was leaked to journalists in January 2026 and a number of clauses reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) and Yorkshire Post.
Cllr Charity wrongly accused officers of altering a motion regarding the lease without Cllr Ward’s permission as the motion proposer.
The ensuing fiasco meant the meeting was adjourned to a later date and the motion on DSA was abandoned without a vote.
Advance UK group leader, Cllr Nicola Brown, subsequently attacked Reform for...
False. The video is old and actually depicts a fire that broke out at a market in Ajman, in the UAE, in August 2020. An old video of a fire in the UAE has been circulating on social media alongside...