Meet the candidates seeking your vote in Doncaster Council by-election

Voters will go to the polls in the Bentley ward on August 21 – and nominations for candidates to stand closed this afternoon.

The election has been sparked by the resignation of Reform UK councillor Sam Booth who stepped down from his new role for “personal reasons” on July 7 – just two months after being elected at May’s council elections.

New applications to register to vote must reach the electoral registration officer at Doncaster Council by midnight on August 5, 2025.

If you are already registered to vote at your address, you do not need to re-register.

On July 15, 2025, Doncaster Council’s elections and democratic structures committee heard that a potential by-election in Bentley could cost “£25,000 or more”.

Trina Barber, electoral service manager at the council, told the committee they suspect postage costs – for poll cards and postal votes – which have doubled in the last year, could make up £15,000 of the total by-election cost.

Reform UK won the seat from Labour at May’s poll in a contest that saw Nigel Farage’s party become the majority on Doncaster Council, winning 37 seats and reducing Labour to just 12.

BENTLEY BY-ELECTION CANDIDATES

Venessa Aradia (Green)

Andy Hiles (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)

Ahsan Jamil (Workers Party)

Matthew Jones (Labour)

Christine Lunney (Conservative)

Jane Nightingale (Independent)

Isaiah-John Reasbeck (Reform UK)

Giulia Savini (Liberal Democrats)

Full details of the candidates and voting proces are available HERE