Posted on the 15th April 2026 in PHTM News
DONCASTER COUNCILLOR'S FIRM CUTS SCHOOL TIES AFTER CONTROVERSIAL CLAIMS ABOUT PARENTS
A Doncaster councillor’s business will stop providing school transport for the city council following a backlash over his claims that parents "train" their children to "comply" with special education needs criteria.
Councillor David Knight, a Reform UK member and director of Ward Transportation Ltd, sparked outrage during a council meeting on March 26, 2026. He suggested that many children do not actually need special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support and that families are gaming the system to get extra money and services.
During a six-minute speech regarding budget overspends, Cllr Knight argued that the desire for financial aid has caused an "explosion" in SEND claims.
He told the committee: “Benefits have caused the explosion of SEN claims… benefits include a child being placed in a satellite school, with one-to-one tuition, transport provided complete with passenger assistance and the parent being awarded financial packages to assist.”
He further claimed that parents coach their children to meet specific medical benchmarks. “To achieve SEN status for the child, criteria have to be met. Once a parent knows the criteria, a child is often trained to comply,” he said.
The councillor also stated that schools intentionally push underperforming students into the SEND system to protect their own academic rankings, adding: “There is and always will be a small percentage of children in need of SEN genuinely.”
The comments stunned those in attendance, with another councillor later describing the speech as “utter madness.” At the time of the remarks, Cllr Knight’s company was one of 32 firms paid by the council to ferry SEND students to and from school.
A spokesperson for the Reform UK group said Cllr Knight has now decided to give up his council taxi contracts "following this matter."
The group defended him by saying his comments were based on "personal experiences and perceptions developed over many years" and were meant to highlight the high costs of social care.
The spokesperson added: “The views expressed by Cllr Knight were his own, but they were made in the context of raising concerns about system pressures, not to cause offence.”
This is not the first time Cllr Knight has faced scrutiny. He was briefly suspended from his party in 2025 after setting up a private company with a name nearly identical to the council’s official business for the Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Although he was later welcomed back into the party, his latest comments have led to the end of his business relationship with the council’s school services.
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