Doncaster elections 2025: Ros Jones says she is “only one” who can get Doncaster Airport “over the line”

The LDRS has offered one-to-one interviews with every single candidate for Doncaster mayor – offering them the opportunity to sell themselves and their parties to voters and getting them to answer important questions.

Jones said: “I have a proven track record of delivering and driving our economy forward. It is all about delivery.

“I took over a dysfunctional council in 2014 and turned it around making difficult decisions. In our last peer review we were said to be becoming an exemplar authority.

“My number one priority is reopening our airport which will bring 5,000 jobs when fully functional… we had the big conversation in 2024 where over 8,000 responded with the airport being their number one priority.”

Jones said she was proud of the private investment she had secured for many city centre developments, including Waterfront East and the city centre gateway digital tech hub.

She said: “We want to be leading the charge in emerging sectors like AI, cyber and digital.

“I am about delivering. Being the mayor is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week commitment that requires someone who can make the difficult decisions when required, but also cares passionately about our people, place and planet.

“We need to get our airport open and it will be the gateway to the world for people in Doncaster. It is only me that is going to get it over the line and make it something that we are all proud of.

“We all want to be proud of where we come from, where we live and enjoy what the city is delivering.”

Jones told the LDRS her Labour Party colleagues running for council deserve support from voters as well.

“Our councillors are working out there, day in, day out, helping people with their difficult things they come across,” she said.

“The councillors work tirelessly to work for their community and deliver community events… These are people that are part of the community and care for the community.”

The estimated cost to the taxpayer to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport is well over £100million. The LDRS asked Ros Jones why she was willing to risk so much money on an airport deemed unviable by the Peel Group.

She said: “We know that over time that airport will make a return. We’ve got Munich International working with us… they are the people who know exactly how to run it.

“Peel were commercial developers, rather than airport runners. I believe we have the right people in on our side and over time it will be the economic jewel for Doncaster, South Yorkshire and the north.”

Having been Mayor of Doncaster for three terms, equalling 12 years, the LDRS asked Jones why she wasn’t passing on the baton and what else she felt she needed to achieve, outside of the airport.

She said: “I am energised by what we’ve got coming forward. I want to drive Doncaster forward and make sure we have continuity, someone with a track record of delivering with the people, for the people.

“Whilst ever I believe I can help Doncaster and drive it forward, I will ensure that I keep going.”

She said she was most looking forward to working with a Labour government who have given the city its best settlement “in years”, after £105m cut from council budgets over the last 14 years.

She added: “By profession, I’m an accountant. That’s why we’ve been able to keep our council tax the lowest that there is in Yorkshire.”

The current Labour government has seen its popularity fall due to cuts, like to the winter fuel payment, or proposed cuts to personal independence payments (PIP). The LDRS asked her what she would say to people who see her as a local representation of this government.

She said: “As a representative of Doncaster, I wrote to government when they went to take the winter fuel payment, but ensured we kept our household support fund so our pensioners most in need could benefit from that… I was not going to see anyone cold through the winter.”

She encouraged “everyone” to get involved in the consultation on PIP, adding: “At this moment in time, that is not through.

“I am the Doncaster Mayor. When I think government are not doing things that I believe benefits Doncaster, I write to them.”