Former Reform UK Doncaster deputy leader resigns as audit committee chair
Jason Charity was a prominent figure in Reform UK Doncaster in its first 12 months on the council.
The former deputy leader of Reform UK Doncaster has resigned as chair of the city council’s audit committee to avoid ‘perception of conflict’.
Councillor Jason Charity, who represents Conisbrough ward, stepped down from the committee entirely due to ‘unresolved’ matters between him and the City of Doncaster Council’s senior leadership.
He said in a statement: “The independence of that Committee, and public confidence in it, matter more than any individual member, and that includes me.
“The Committee should not carry even a perception of conflict, and the standard I have asked others to meet is one I apply to myself first. Its work is too important to be overshadowed.”
In April 2026, it was reported that lawyers acting on behalf of Damian Allen, the council’s chief executive, had sent legal letters to Coun Charity after he told the council chamber he would put forward a motion referring Mr Allen to the council’s chief officers investigatory sub-committee (COISC).
The move contravened the local authority’s procedure for such a referral, with internal policy stating it is important the fairness of the process is not undermined by, for example, “putting motions to full council”.
Mr Allen’s lawyers were acting on his personal instruction and not for Doncaster Council.
The saga thrust a growing crisis in trust within the council into the public eye for the first time.
It was later revealed in May 2026 that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had placed the council under ‘active monitoring’ amid concerns about the relationships between senior officials and opposition councillors.
Following the receipt of legal letters, Coun Charity has virtually disappeared from council life.
His last appearance at a council meeting was on May 11, 2026 – an extraordinary meeting he had called for another vote over a £57million loan the council was to draw down for the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
There have been two audit committee meetings and two full council meetings since then, none of which Coun Charity has attended.