Another new leader chosen for Reform UK in Doncaster after vote
Cllr Howard Rimmer has become the third leader of Doncaster's largest party - after a leadership challenge to Cllr Craig Ward
A leadership contest at the Reform UK Doncaster annual general meeting has seen a new face chosen to lead the City of Doncaster Council’s largest party.
Two councillors, Jason Charity and Howard Rimmer, stepped forward to challenge the leadership of the previous leader, Councillor Craig Ward, who represents Roman Ridge, sources told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Late on the evening of May 18, 2026, Reform UK councillors elected Cllr Rimmer to be the new leader of the council group, which, despite being the largest party, is the main opposition to the Labour administration led by Mayor Ros Jones.
It is understood that Cllr Charity, who represents Conisbrough ward, withdrew from the race, leaving his colleagues with a head-to-head vote between Ward and Rimmer, who also represents Roman Ridge.
Cllr Rimmer becomes Reform UK’s third official leader on the council, since the local elections in May 2025, beating Ward 19 votes to 12.
Following those elections, the group chose Wheatley Hills and Intake councillor Guy Aston to lead the group in its early stages.
However, a backbench rebellion in November 2025 over Cllr Aston’s plans to remove Cllr Charity has chair of the audit committee, left his authority in tatters.
Aston resigned as leader of the Reform UK group the very next day, with the LDRS reporting he claimed to have received “vitriolic messages that border on abuse” following the rebellion.
Cllr Karl Hughes, Aston’s deputy leader, led the group briefly as interim, but Aston was eventually succeeded in January 2025 by Cllr Ward.
Ward’s tenure started well as his party capitalised on the leaking of the lease signed between Doncaster Council and the Peel Group for Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
However, cracks started to show in February 2026, following an interview with the LDRS about Reform UK’s amendment to the 2026/27 council budget.
Reform UK had successfully forced a lower council tax hike of just two per cent, instead of the maximum 4.99 per cent proposed by Mayor Jones, but Cllr Ward struggled to answer questions on his amendment after the meeting.
Ward then disappeared from council life and only appeared once more as group leader in the council chamber, despite multiple extraordinary meetings, on May 11, 2026.
Cllr Rimmer, who represents Roman Ridge ward alongside Cllr Ward, has chaired multiple meetings of the council’s licensing committee, in his capacity as the committee’s vice-chair.
For the last few months, Cllr Charity has been serving as Ward’s deputy leader. Reform UK are yet to announce who Cllr Rimmer will be choosing in his leadership team.