Reform councillor quits party to sit as independent

A Reform UK councillor in Doncaster has announced he has quit the party to sit as an independent.

William Shaw has represented the Conisbrough ward on City of Doncaster Council as a Reform councillor since his election in May 2026, but has now left the party.

In a letter to the authority's Reform leader Howard Rimmer, Shaw wrote: "Through my councillor work, I now hold positions that are politically neutral."

Rimmer said his party was "extremely disappointed" by Shaw's decision.

"While we respect his right to make his own decision, we believe it is important to recognise that residents elected him under the Reform UK banner, and we are disappointed he has chosen to step away from the party," Rimmer said.

He added that he believed being a member of a political party "does not prevent councillors from carrying out their responsibilities impartially or working constructively".

Earlier this year, Shaw was appointed as Doncaster Council's "farming and nature recovery champion" by Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones.

A farmer himself, Shaw said there was a "real disconnect" between the farming and public sectors when he was appointed and was committed to improving the relationship between local authorities and farms across the borough.

He also sits on the Pride in Place board for Conisbrough North, which will determine how a £20m investment in that community will be spent over the next decade.

Shaw remains a councillor and and has not resigned from that position.

The Conisbrough ward has two other councillors representing the area on the authority - Rachel Reed and Jason Charity, both of whom are Reform UK members.

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