Fourth Nottinghamshire councillor jumps ship to join Reform UK

A second Nottinghamshire council now has a member of Nigel Farage's Reform UK on its benches after another local defection to the party. Councillor Dawn Justice, formerly a Conservative councillor who was first elected to represent Underwood on Ashfield District Council in 2023, has jumped ship to join Reform.

It means Ashfield District Council is now the only Nottinghamshire council without a single group of opposition councillors, given that the authority now has just one Reform UK, one Tory and one Labour councillor against 32 Ashfield Independents. The news comes just weeks after three Mansfield Independent councillors announced they were joining Reform UK.

Councillor Justice said: "I am greatly looking forward to working with Lee (Anderson MP) again and with the Reform Party. I see joining Reform UK as an exciting opportunity to make a real difference locally, where a fresh approach is needed to deliver the level of services local people deserve."

Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, deputy leader of Ashfield District Council and a member of the ruling Ashfield Independents, said: "We are not in the least surprised at Dawn Justice opting to join Reform. This is her fourth different political move in recent years.

“Reform are scraping underneath the bottom of the barrel with Dawn Justice because they are desperate for candidates for next year's county council elections. Everybody knows that in May, the fight for a better Selston Parish will be between popular Chairman of Selston Parish Council, David Martin, and Labour. The Ashfield Independents will continue to put residents first and will not lose a single wink of sleep over people who jump ship for what they believe is their own ends."

Councillor Justice said she did not want to expand on why she had joined Reform UK, saying: "At this early stage, it's better to be brief." Yet Councillor Justice rejected the idea this was her fourth political move in recent years and said the criticism from the Ashfield Independents "speaks volumes", adding: "I think the residents of Underwood are very pleased with the way I've represented them."

Local elections are taking place across the country in May 2025 and in Nottinghamshire, the county council is the only authority where voting will take place. Nigel Farage recently said he had written to every Conservative councillor seeking re-election in May, urging them to join Reform UK instead.

The defection of Councillor Justice means Reform will be heading into that election with four Nottinghamshire councillors and one Nottinghamshire MP in the form of Lee Anderson. Mr Anderson was re-elected as Ashfield's MP in July 2024. He joined Reform UK after being suspended by the Conservatives over comments about Sadiq Khan and "Islamists."

Mr Anderson: "I am absolutely thrilled that Dawn has joined the people's army. She represents her Underwood residents incredibly well and they are lucky to have someone who works so hard for them every day.

"Working for the people is exactly what we are about at Reform UK, so Dawn will feel right at home with us. The Conservatives are now all but extinct here in Ashfield, and we will replicate this across the country in May 2025."