Reform UK Triumphs in Doncaster By-Election: A New Face for Bentley Ward

In a surprising turn of events, Reform UK has successfully secured a by-election victory in Doncaster, following the resignation of one of its own councillors just two months after being elected. Isaiah-John Reasbeck has emerged as the new representative for Bentley Ward, having garnered 1,062 votes. He defeated Labour’s Matt Jones, who came in second with 912 votes.

Reasbeck expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “I’m very happy. Closer than I would have liked, but it’s a good result in the end.” After his victory, he shared his feelings of exhaustion and relief, emphasizing the hard work that went into the campaign, which involved approximately 70-100 hours of door-knocking and leafleting over the past month. He noted that the residents were generally pleased to engage with his team.

As Reasbeck steps into his role, he will represent the ward alongside Reform UK’s Rebecca Booth and Labour’s James Church. This election comes after the resignation of Sam Booth in July, who cited personal reasons for his departure. With this win, Reform UK now holds a total of 36 seats on the council, while Labour is reduced to 11, including Mayor Ros Jones, and the Conservatives hold two. Interestingly, Mark Broadhurst sits as an independent councillor after losing the Reform whip due to his controversial social media posts made in June.