Satirical song takes swipe at Reform leader's 'no Doncaster housing crisis' comment
It comes after the Doncaster Reform UK leader said there was no housing crisis in the city
A satirical song has taken a swipe at Doncaster Reform UK leader Howard Rimmer after he said ‘there is no housing crisis in the city.’
The track, entitled Streets of Doncaster and uploaded to YouTube, savages the politician’s recent remarks in a council meeting.
During a debate on houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs), Coun Rimmer told journalists after the meeting: “There is no housing crisis in Doncaster. There is an arrangement where the council have been told to produce so many houses.
“We are already building within our remit.”
His remarks come under fire in the song, recorded by an artist called Donny Cash - with the song similar in style to 1970s hit Streets of London by Ralph McTell, which told the story of homelessness in the capital city.
Lyrics in the country tinged song include: “Try telling someone homeless there’s no housing crisis there” and “It’s easier blaming strangers than admitting what went wrong.”
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Other lines include: “Blaming someone’s birthplace won’t build a single home round here,” and “So councillor, leave the chamber, leave the paperwork behind and walk beside the homeless man you might otherwise not find.”
The track, which you can listen to HERE concludes: “Don’t ask him where his parents come from, don’t ask him how he votes, just ask him where he’ll sleep tonight when he hasn’t got a home.”
Council documents from 2025 show there are 200 new homelessness assessments done in the city every month.
There are also 3,000 contacts to the Homes Options Service offered by St Leger Homes of Doncaster, which offers support to those that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
“New housing’s not going to affect them is it?” Coun Rimmer responded.
The Reform UK leader’s comments came during a debate over a motion from Coun Rimmer’s party colleagues.
It requested the council undertake an assessment on whether to introduce new rules requiring property owners to obtain planning permission in order to turn a home into a ‘small HMO’.