Latest news with #RosJones
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Doncaster Reform group shun offer to join mayor's executive group
Reform UK has rejected an offer to be part of a new-look Executive Group on Doncaster Council, after sweeping the board at the recent party won 37 of the 55 seats on the council, while Labour retained just 12 of the 40 it had previously Ros Jones, who narrowly held on to her role as Mayor and leader of the authority, offered to work with Reform and the Conservatives, but declined to invite them to join her group leader Guy Aston said the proposed group had "no portfolio [and] no decision making" and he was "not prepared to get involved," saying the party would impact decision making through normal scrutiny processes instead. Speaking ahead of his first full council meeting, Aston described the 37 Reform councillors as a "citizens army"."We have cracked the two party system here more than anywhere else," he said."Our councillors are citizens first, they were not attached for years to political parties and they didn't attend branch meetings."These are concerned citizens now in power, they want the best for Doncaster not for their own political ideologies." Aston, who previously served in the Royal Navy, would not be drawn on specific policies but did say he wanted a "constructive relationship" with the Mayor and would scrutinise policies on a "piece by piece basis"."There is no point in us bringing the house down around our ears" he about the ongoing work to reopen Doncaster Airport he said while "nobody would not want an airport, it must not impact on the Doncaster council tax payer".In response to questions about councillor Mark Broadhurst, who came under fire for historic posts on Facebook, he said the matter was being "referred to the council"."It is not acceptable, the vetting was quite thorough, but something has gone wrong" he decision to reject Jones' offer came after the Conservative Group leader also turn down the invitation. In a letter to the Mayor, Steve Cox said he and deputy leader, Nick Allen, did not want to be part of "back room" discussions "with no scrutiny"."That's not how democratic decision making should work and you know it," he said. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Reform UK, power struggle and Doncaster's airport battle
On Friday, 37 Reform councillors will take their seats in the Doncaster Council chamber for the first time. Their new majority comes at a pivotal time for the city, where Labour mayor Ros Jones was re-elected on a ticket of promises to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Reform came from nowhere to become the council's biggest party, yet they don't control the council because the city's mayoral system means Jones still wields considerable recent election, which saw Labour slump from 40 councillors to 12, leaves a lot of questions. Why did people vote differently for the mayor and their councillors? Will the authority grind to a 'bureaucratic halt'? Will the airport actually open again?Reform's influence will be curtailed by the presence of the Labour mayor, who declined to invite their members to be part of her cabinet. She has instead extended a hand of friendship to the party through an Executive Group she has set will provide "opposition members with access, influence and opportunity to shape decisions".What that actually means in practice remains to be seen, as does whether Reform and other parties take up her invitation. Jones is going to need to bring other parties on board to an extent because although she can make a lot of decisions alone, there are some which need the approval of full authority's budget, the council's Corporate Plan, which sets out priorities, and any decision on the airport, which closed in 2022 when landowners and operators Peel Group said it was no longer viable, are chief among is where things will get interesting. The future of the airport might be the biggest decision Doncaster has to make for a generation. It is due to cost about £100m of public money to reopen the airport. It was the biggest talking point during the was, arguably, the only thing that got Jones across the line again – what had already been done to reopen the airport and her promises to make it clear many people in Doncaster were voting broadly for Reform as their councillors, but for a mayor they picked the person who had already been driving the airport the airport now becomes 'the big thing' for Jones – it got her elected and it will also be the thing that she will be held accountable has already gone so far down the runway, is there any real chance that they can change their minds about the project's value for money and decide not to take off after all?She'll need to convince an unconvinced Reform – but also her Labour colleague and Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver will ultimately decide whether the money can be spent because it would be coming from the county's devolution settlement, which his office says the deal "has to make sense" to be granted his not just politicians Jones needs to work on. Doncaster Council's own auditors also have "serious concerns" about the effective use of resources. Professional services firm Grant Thornton told the council in November that not being able to secure outside investment for the airport "would be a significant escalation in the project's risk profile and the council's financial exposure". Some businesses – as much as they want the airport to reopen – want to make sure it is done in the right Mason's office at Redline Assured Security looks out on to the empty terminal at what was once RAF Finningley, a key Cold War-era base before its conversion into a commercial airport 20 years company helped train security staff there and hopes to do it again if it he says legislation on scanners has changed even since the airport closed. They'd need new 3D-scanners and training needs to happen now if locals want the jobs that could be created."We do run the risk, unless it's well managed, of bringing people in from outside of the region and that would be a huge travesty. We'd like to see those jobs returned to the local community," he explains."There is a huge lead time to opening up an airport, particularly one that's been closed for a while. There is a lot of skill that needs to be brought in. We really need to think about training people now rather than having to bring people from outside of the region and taking jobs away from people in Doncaster." 'Lack of open conversation' One person quietly putting his hand up in the corner of this debate is Richard Sulley from the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of told me there are plenty of promises being made by politicians – but not enough questions asked."It's hard to justify reopening an airport in a time of a climate emergency. There do seem to be very few voices politically against the reopening of the airport and you can see why. "What's concerned us has there's not been much open conversation about the downsides of the airport."I think there are strong arguments that this is not a good use of public money even within the context of reopening an airport - let alone when you factor in the carbon emissions that will be generated by that airport." Doncaster Council has established a wholly-owned subsidiary called Fly Doncaster and secured Munich Airport International as its strategic partner to support the re-establishment of operations there over a number of years. The site would be leased from region needs the jobs that the airport could provide but what would the cost be, both financially and environmentally?That's a huge decision to take for Doncaster. And the city will be doing it at a time when the council is, perhaps, at its most mayoral system that Doncaster uses is meant to be getting scrapped by the government in the next few years. By then though, these decisions will be made. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Doncaster mayor appoints just four Labour councillors to top team
Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones has appointed just four Labour councillors to her leadership was voted in as Mayor of Doncaster for a fourth consecutive term on 1 May, beating Reform UK's Alexander losing the mayoral race, Reform UK took 37 of the 55 seats on City of Doncaster who has exactly the same powers as a council leader, said she would also invite Reform UK and Conservative councillors to be part of an "executive group". Jones confirmed that councillors Glyn Jones, Sue Farmer, James Church and David Nevett would become cabinet three Reform UK councillors – the leader, deputy leader and whip – and one or two Conservative councillors would also be invited to take part in private, behind-the-scenes discussions on decisions before they were rubber-stamped by Jones' cabinet, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Labour narrowly holds Doncaster mayoraltyWhat does the Mayor of Doncaster do? Jones said: "I am pragmatic, I get things done for Doncaster and that means working with all councillors who share that passion to deliver for Doncaster and I look to positively engage with all groups and councillors."It is for this reason that I have reached out to both the Reform and Conservative groups, offering them places on a newly-formed, informal and non-constituted executive group."However, the invitation provides no guarantees that Reform UK or Conservative councillors will have a final say in decision change dramatically reduces the number of elected representatives in the council who would have an official say on the majority of Doncaster Council's decisions. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor of Doncaster appoints first cabinet member
Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones has re-appointed her long-standing ally Glyn Jones as her deputy in the first cabinet appointment since being re-elected. Mr Jones served as deputy mayor and cabinet member for housing in Ros Jones' last term and before the elections on May 1, 2025. Ros Jones was voted in as Mayor of Doncaster for a fourth consecutive term last week, beating Reform UK's Alexander Jones. Despite losing the mayoral race, Reform UK took 37 of the 55 seats on City of Doncaster Council. Mr Jones was one of 12 Labour councillors elected last week, holding on to his seat in Hexthorpe and Balby North. Eight former Labour members of the cabinet lost their seats last week. Mr Jones and Sue Farmer were the only two re-elected. It means Mayor Jones' cabinet will see a significant shake-up, with a number of councillors set to take up positions for the first time. A number of councillors elected last week, including some who have served previously, will be attending introduction and training sessions in the coming days and weeks. A spokesperson for Mayor Ros Jones said: "Further cabinet announcements will be made in due course." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Doncaster Mayor Ros announces her new deputy
Mayor of Doncaster appoints first cabinet member Glyn Jones has been appointed as deputy to Mayor Ros Jones Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones has re-appointed her long-standing ally Glyn Jones as her deputy in the first cabinet appointment since being re-elected. Mr Jones served as deputy mayor and cabinet member for housing in Ros Jones' last term and before the elections on May 1, 2025. Ros Jones was voted in as Mayor of Doncaster for a fourth consecutive term last week, beating Reform UK's Alexander Jones. Despite losing the mayoral race, Reform UK took 37 of the 55 seats on City of Doncaster Council.
