UKIP to contest only one of three Doncaster seats at General Election

UKIP will contest just one of Doncaster's three parliamentary seats at the General Election - just two years after claiming 28,000 votes in the town and hosting two party conferences here.
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage signs an autograph for a fan with a tattoo of the politician in Doncaster in 2015.Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage signs an autograph for a fan with a tattoo of the politician in Doncaster in 2015.
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage signs an autograph for a fan with a tattoo of the politician in Doncaster in 2015.

The party will not contest Dame Rose Winterton's Doncaster Central seat or stand against Caroline Flint in Don Valley.

Only Doncaster North will see the party putting forward a candidate, with Kim Parkinson on the ballot paper against Ed Miliband.

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The announcement is in stark contrast to just a few years ago when then party leader Nigel Farage announced he was "putting the tanks on Labour's lawns" by holding two successive party conferences at Doncaster Racecourse.

At the last General Election in 2015, UKIP polled more than 28,000 votes across Doncaster, finishing second in both Doncaster Central and Doncaster North and third in Don Valley.

Doncaster also had one of the highest leave votes in last year's EU Referendum, with 69% voting out.

The party lost its only seat on Doncaster Council at last week's council elections and the party's former offices in East Laith Gate, used during the 2015 election campaign, later re-opened as an advice centre for Polish people.