Reform UK sack £45,000-a-year special advisor after five months
The Reform UK group on Doncaster Council have ended the employment of their political assistant less than six months after they were hired.
Catherine Mullen was hired by the party in August 2025, tasked with supporting the Reform UK group as its councillors learnt the ropes of local government.
Following her hiring, the former Reform UK leader, Councillor Guy Aston, said: “Catherine was in Brussels and had lots of UKIP MEPs dumped on her and she had to teach them the ropes.”
A group spokesperson for the Reform UK group confirmed Ms Mullen was “no longer in post supporting the group”.
“The Reform UK Group has taken the decision to end the political assistant arrangement previously in place,” the spokesperson said.
“This was an organisational decision regarding the group’s political support structure,” they added.
Political assistants are positions paid for by the Doncaster Council and are available for every political group.
Following Ms Mullen’s departure, only one remains – Mayor Ros Jones’ executive political assistant, Robert Gibbon.
Ms Mullen, an experienced civil servant, has an extensive background in local, national and international government, including five years as a parliamentary assistant in Brussels, ending when the UK left the European Union.
Before working as the Reform UK political assistant in Doncaster, Ms Mullen was the clerk of Edlington Town Council.
The political assistant role Ms Mullen held was paid at least £45,000-per-annum. It means she would have been paid around £18,750, gross, by the authority before Reform UK ended the arrangement.
A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed the party would not be looking to replace Ms Mullen.
Catherine Mullen declined to comment when approached.