1. Background: What’s the political situation in Doncaster?
- In the May 2025 local elections, incumbent Labour Mayor Ros Jones won re-election by a very narrow margin — just 698 votes against the Reform UK candidate. (Sky News)
- However, Reform UK won an overall majority on Doncaster City Council, taking 37 of the 55 council seats in a major local victory that displaced Labour’s long dominance on the council. (Wikipedia)
This split result — a Labour mayor with a council dominated by Reform UK councillors — has created an unusual political dynamic in Doncaster. (Wikipedia)
2. What the Mayor said
- In comments shared on social media from the local press (e.g., Doncaster Free Press reporting on posts by the Mayor on X/Twitter), Ros Jones acknowledged that having a council with a Reform UK majority has made her job “tougher”. (X (formerly Twitter))
- The gist of her comments:
- She has to navigate a council where the majority of councillors are from a party different from her own (Labour). (X (formerly Twitter))
- This means more negotiation and compromise are required to pass local policy and budgets. (X (formerly Twitter))
Note: These remarks were made publicly via the Mayor’s own social channel and reported locally, rather than in a formal national news interview.
3. Why this is significant
- Normally, a mayor’s agenda is more easily delivered when their own party controls the council. With Reform UK holding the council majority, the Mayor may face resistance or demands for change on spending priorities, strategic planning decisions, and governance oversight. (Wikipedia)
- This situation sets up a dynamic in which the directly elected mayor (executive leader of the local authority) must find ways to work with a council majority from a different party — something that can complicate decision-making and raise the political stakes on local priorities and services. (Wikipedia)
4. Broader political context
- Across England, Reform UK made major gains in the 2025 local elections, securing control of multiple councils and making significant inroads into areas that had long been held by Labour or the Conservatives. (The Guardian)
- In Doncaster, this local breakthrough reflected wider national shifts in voter sentiment — with many locals giving Reform strong support in council races even where Labour held mayoral posts. (The Telegraph)
Here’s a detailed case-study style brief on the Doncaster Mayor’s comments about the impact of a Reform UK majority on the City Council, including context, examples, and key reactions:
Context: Dual Power in Doncaster
In the May 2025 local elections, two significant outcomes shaped Doncaster’s political landscape:
- Ros Jones (Labour) was re-elected as Mayor of Doncaster, but by a very narrow margin — just 698 votes — over the Reform UK candidate. (Wikipedia)
- Reform UK secured an overall majority on the Doncaster City Council, winning 37 of 55 seats, displacing Labour’s long-standing control of the council. (Wikipedia)
This created a political situation where the executive mayor (Labour) and the legislative council majority (Reform UK) are from different parties, setting the stage for both collaboration and conflict. (Wikipedia)
Mayor Ros Jones — “Role Made Tougher”
What She Said
Although there’s no long formal transcript in major UK outlets, local reporting captured the core of Mayor Jones’s comments via her social media (X/Twitter):
Ros Jones said a Reform UK majority on the council has made her job “tougher”. (X (formerly Twitter))
This line — reported by Doncaster Free Press — reflects the challenge of steering local policy when the council majority belongs to a party with different priorities from the mayor’s own platform.
Case Studies & Illustrative Examples
1. Budget and Policy Negotiations
Case: With Reform UK controlling the council, passing budgets, strategic plans, and local policy initiatives now requires more negotiation or compromise.
- Because the mayor leads the executive and Labour appointed the cabinet, but the council majority can shape committees, scrutiny, and voting outcomes, there’s no guarantee of smooth adoption of Labour-led proposals.
- Council minutes and governance notes show the mayor arranging ways for Reform UK and Conservative councillors to be able to discuss policy in private before formal cabinet decisions, indicating ongoing effort at cross-party engagement. (Wikipedia)
This is a structural example of how the dual power dynamic demands continuous negotiation.
2. Internal Party Friction Within Reform UK (Impact on Governance)
Case: After the 2025 elections, several Reform UK councillors in Doncaster either left the party to sit as independents or resigned:
- Some councillors stepped down citing personal reasons or internal disagreements. (Reddit)
- The Reform UK council group leader resigned, reportedly after receiving “vitriolic” messages from within and outside the party. (Reddit)
This internal instability within the council majority complicates how predictable or unified that majority will be — again making the mayor’s job politically and practically tougher.
3. Public Reaction and Political Fracture
Example: Online discussions and local debates reflect a polarised public perception:
- Some residents on local forums argue that Reform “have no power” due to the mayor retaining executive control but acknowledge that Reform votes are needed to approve key decisions. (Reddit)
- Others level criticism at both sides, illustrating that Doncaster’s electorate is sharply divided — a factor that makes governance more contentious. (Reddit)
These grassroots reactions highlight how political legitimacy and community expectations further shape the mayor’s role after the election.
Other Relevant Comments
Ros Jones on Broader Challenges
While the specific “tougher” comment is local and reported primarily via local media/social posts, Ros Jones has historically emphasized:
- The importance of collaboration across political lines in city governance.
- The need to balance economic development, service delivery, and community priorities in a pressured fiscal and political climate. (Doncaster Council)
These themes suggest that her remark is grounded in real governance experience rather than just partisan rhetoric.
Why This Matters
This situation in Doncaster serves as a microcosm of current UK local politics, where:
- Populist and non-traditional parties like Reform UK can win council majorities even if they don’t secure executive roles. (Wikipedia)
- Directly elected mayors and council majorities can be politically misaligned, leading to negotiation, friction, and potentially slower local governance.
- Internal party dynamics (such as councillors leaving or leadership changes) further complicate stable governance.
Summary
| Dimension | Impact on Mayor’s Role |
|---|---|
| Council Majority | Reform UK majority means mayor must negotiate more for policy approval and budget support. (Wikipedia) |
| Party Dynamics | Internal disputes within Reform councillors create unpredictability. (Reddit) |
| Public Perception | Polarised local debate increases political pressure. (Reddit) |