Reform UK boot councillor from party over Doncaster Sheffield Airport company controversy
Councillor David Knight will no longer be a member of the Reform UK at Doncaster Council - after an apparent attempt to cash in on the reopening of the airport
Doncaster Reform UK have stripped a local councillor of the party whip, and another has resigned as scrutiny committee chair, after the creation of a new business intended to capture council contracts related to Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Councillor David Knight will no longer be a member of the Reform UK group on the City of Doncaster Council and will sit as an independent.
Cllr Rachel Reed has informed party leadership that she will resign as chair of the overview and scrutiny management committee (OSMC), but will stay as deputy group leader.
It follows the establishment of ‘Fly Doncaster (Auxiliary Services) Ltd’, which was registered on Companies House over the weekend with both Knight and Reed as co-directors.
The controversial company shares the first part of its name with the “arms-length” business created by Doncaster Council to run Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
Cllr Guy Aston, Reform UK group leader, said: “It is essential that the public can have complete trust in their elected representatives. Councillor Knight’s decision to establish this company without consultation caused reputational damage and placed our group’s work under unnecessary strain.
“As Leader, I have therefore withdrawn the whip and removed him from committee roles. Reform UK expects the highest standards of accountability and integrity from its councillors, and I will always act to protect those standards.”
Both councillors sat on the OSMC until Monday afternoon, when it was revealed the party had withdrawn Knight from his numerous committee positions over the scandal.
Contrastingly, Reform UK rallied to Reed’s defence, but party sources tell the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it had accepted her resignation as the committee chair.
The OSMC is the primary committee at Doncaster Council responsible for reviewing and scrutinising council policy and decisions – made by the Labour mayor Ros Jones and her cabinet.
It includes upcoming decisions regarding the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport after the approval of £160million of public funds for the project.
The establishment of Fly Doncaster (Auxiliary Services) Ltd called both Knight and Reed’s abilities to sit on the scrutiny committee into question, as it suggested they had a business interest which would benefit from the airport opening.
Reform UK group spokesperson, Cllr Jason Charity, previously told the LDRS that the party had taken legal advice and been informed Reed, who worked in a school before entering politics, could go on as OSMC chair – due to the explanation that the business had been registered without her full understanding.
Founding the business was entirely legal, but Charity informed the LDRS it was not a move the party would have approved of had it been made aware.
In a statement after stepping down as OSMC chair, Cllr Reed said: “I recognise that the recent developments have caused concern, and I do not want that to overshadow the important work of scrutiny.
“That is why I have stepped aside as chair of OSMC. My focus as deputy leader is on supporting our councillors, standing up for residents, and making sure Reform UK continues to deliver strong local leadership.”
When approached by the LDRS, Cllr Knight appeared to suggest he would not be de-registering Fly Doncaster (Auxiliary Services) Ltd, as had previously been reported.
He said: “Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has entered an amazing uplift phase, euphoria and enthusiasm towards a potential ‘opening’.
“Fly Doncaster (Auxiliary Services) Ltd. offers a wealth of knowledge and acumen. This along with the expertise already in place and the potential input of £160m from SYMCA South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard.
“May everyone come together and collectively ‘pool’ resources howsoever to achieve the best possible success is dependent on the keeping of close eyes on achieving ‘value for money’ and ‘best value overall’. These being paramount.
“Jobs in the future will bring prosperity to Doncaster, South Yorkshire and neighbouring counties.”
Knight is the second Reform UK councillor to be booted from the party since the local elections in May 2025.
He will join Cllr Mark Broadhurst as the only two independent councillors in the chamber.
Broadhurst lost the whip weeks after being elected in May 2025 over “inappropriate” social media posts on Facebook.
A recent investigation by monitoring officers at Doncaster Council found Broadhurst had discriminated “unlawfully” against people of Muslim faith in offending posts.