Ex-Conservative and Reform councillor resigns from Barnsley Council
Councilor David White - who represents the Rockingham ward - will step down at the end of the year
A Barnsley councillor who has represented three different political affiliations during his time in office has formally resigned.
Councilor David White has given notice of his resignation as an elected member of Barnsley Council, effective from 31 December.
The council has confirmed that no by-election will be held, as the vacancy falls within six months of the next scheduled local elections in May. The Rockingham ward will instead be represented by its remaining two councillors until polling day.
Cllr White was elected in May 2022 as a Conservative, winning the Rockingham seat by 42 votes and unseating Labour’s long-standing councillor Jim Andrews BEM.
In December 2022, he resigned from the Conservative Party and joined Reform UK, saying at the time that he would continue to represent residents while standing for a different national party. He later became chairman of Reform UK’s South Yorkshire region.
He stood as the Reform UK candidate at the Barnsley South general election in July 2024, where Labour’s Stephanie Peacock retained her seat with a majority of 4,838. Cllr White finished second with 11,651 votes, saying on the night that he was “disappointed” with the result.
In February 2025, Cllr White resigned from Reform UK, stepping down both as a councillor representing the party and from his regional chairman role.
Barnsley Council has now confirmed that Cllr White will step down entirely from his role as a councillor at the end of December.
Cllr White has been contacted for comment regarding his resignation but had not responded at the time of publication.