Doncaster is a large town in South Yorkshire, England. Together with its surrounding suburbs and settlements, the town forms part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, which had a mid-2017 est. population of 308, 900. The town itself has a population of 109, 805 The Doncaster Urban Area had a population of 158, 141 in 2011 and includes Doncaster and neighbouring small villages. Part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974, Doncaster is about 17 miles (30 km) north-east of Sheffield, with which it is served by an international airport, Doncaster Sheffield Airport in Finningley. Under the Local Government Act 1972, Doncaster was incorporated into a newly created metropolitan borough in 1974, itself incorporated with other nearby boroughs in the 1974 creation of the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire. Doncaster is represented in the House of Commons by three MPs; all three constituencies are currently held by Labour. Rosie Winterton represents Doncaster Central, former Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband represents Doncaster North, and Caroline Flint represents Don Valley. At a European level, Doncaster is part of the Yorkshire and the Humber constituency and is represented by six MEPs. Doncaster is one of only twelve UK boroughs to have a directly-elected mayor, a position currently held by Labour's Ros Jones. In September 2014, UKIP held its annual party conference at Doncaster Racecourse. UKIP party leader Nigel Farage claimed that by holding the conference in Doncaster, UKIP were "now parking our tanks on the Labour Party's lawn" referring to Labour leader Ed Miliband's Doncaster North constituency. Shortly afterwards in the seat, at the 2015 general election, UKIP won 8, 928 votes to Labour's 20, 708. In the 2016 EU Referendum, however, Doncaster voted 69% to leave the European Union
