Nick Fletcher: Doncaster needs faith, flag and family

Nick Fletcher is the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Doncaster. He is the former MP for Don Valley.

Doncaster is famous for many things: the oldest flat race in the world, the St Leger; one of only three mansion houses in the UK; the once-thriving Doncaster Market; and the birthplace of the Flying Scotsman, to name a few. The surrounding villages thrived with industry, making our town a place of opportunity. So, what happened?

The world has changed, but Doncaster has been left behind. Over-powerful unions, high energy prices, and relentless tax hikes have strangled industry. I remember when Wheatley Hall Road was full of factories, then came the car showrooms in their place. But with jobs disappearing, who was left to buy the cars? Now, even the showrooms are closing.

It’s not just the economy that’s suffered. Our streets tell a tale of neglect. The council house waiting list is at an all-time high, while private landlords, demonised at every turn, struggle under constant tax and regulation changes. Homes are split into HMOs, turning once proud streets into chaotic, bin-lined avenues. Back alleys are full of rubbish which attracts rats.

Drugs are everywhere, with cannabis growers overloading the grid and causing power cuts. One den raided by the police was literally yards away from the mayor’s own offices. Prostitution and crime plague our communities.

Unlicensed quad bikes and motorbikes tear through our roads and green spaces. Drunken feuds between rival gangs earned parts of Doncaster the unenviable title of the second-worst place for crime in the country.

In the town centre, empty shops are converted into flats, finished to a high standard, yet often filled with people who have given up, spending their days smoking weed out of first and second-floor windows. The streets are lined with beggars, while a council in denial refuses to acknowledge the true scale of homelessness. Shoppers have stopped coming, pushing footfall down further, accelerating the decline.

Some think avoiding the town centre means the problem won’t reach them. But rot like cancer spreads if unchecked. Large houses in leafy suburbs will be carved up into flats, then into HMOs. The warning signs are clear. You only need to look at the number of bins on the street to see where the next area is falling.

M&S is the latest high-profile store to leave the town centre, relocating to an out-of-town shopping area where parking is free and safe … for now. Meanwhile, Doncaster’s historic Mansion House is approached via paving slabs that have been dug up then “temporarily” patched with tarmac. Beggars hang around parking meters, waiting to “assist” people for a small fee. Council-run car parks are a nightmare, so private ones cash in by exploiting frustrated motorists.

Pubs open early, and by mid-morning, the streets are already filled with those who choose Special Brew instead of Special K for breakfast. A recent PR stunt by a desperate Labour mayor saw burgundy-coated enforcement officers patrolling the streets, but their targets weren’t drug dealers or aggressive beggars, they were ordinary people dropping cigarette ends. Doncaster’s leadership is failing.

The new council offices, an expensive, modern building, stands mostly empty, as the council pushes working from home to the limit. This same Labour Council replaced a thriving college that once brought thousands of young people into town every day. Instead that college was moved out of town, taking footfall with it.

The train station and bus interchange now navigate people out of Doncaster without them ever needing to set foot on the high street. Those who do enter the centre find pedestrianised areas and cycle lanes cutting off access, but the only cyclists are balaclava-clad drug dealers darting between derelict buildings.

Meanwhile, motorists already hit by extortionate parking fees and fines now must navigate bus lanes rigged with cameras to extract penalties from the unwary. Escaping the town centre means encountering fly-tipping on country roads and new 20mph speed limits designed more to catch drivers out than to improve safety. This isn’t just mismanagement. It’s a complete failure of leadership.

Some claim there’s a lack of investment, but the truth is there’s been plenty, just in the wrong places. Millions were poured into a railway college that wasn’t even built near a railway line. It closed. The airport was left to fail due to a lack of support. The once famous Doncaster Market was handed over to a private company with no interest in its legacy. Combined authority investments in “green” businesses have repeatedly ended in bankruptcy, burning through taxpayer money. At the same time, Doncaster is forced to subsidise the unprofitable and unloved Sheffield tram. £23 million so far lost to Sheffield and the promise of more to come.

The problem isn’t investment. It’s a lack of care. A lack of leadership. Labour has controlled Doncaster for generations, and what do we have to show for it? A failing town, rising crime, and a population that feels ignored and worse forgotten. Our Labour MPs seem more interested in their Westminster careers than the people who elected them. The Labour Mayor here has spent the last 12 years playing party politics rather than fixing the problems before her.

People are understandably fed up. Reform UK expect to make huge gains. But here’s the problem: swapping one party that claims to represent the working man for another making the same promises, while its leader flies in on private helicopters, isn’t the answer. Reform’s candidates might mean well, but they have no plan to fix Doncaster and no leader who cares. If they do, then they’ve kept that very quiet indeed.

There is hope.

So, what can I give? I can give hope. I know the problems. I know the people. The people know me. And I have a plan. Doncaster can be great again, but we must not squander this one chance to free our town from socialist control. My campaign is built on three core principles: Faith, Flag, and Family.

Faith. The values of Doncaster and its surrounding towns and villages should be built on shared Christian principles: courage, compassion, community, respect, honesty, and thankfulness. These are the values of all good citizens, and they will be at the heart of how I lead, how the council operates, and how we rebuild our city.

Flag. Our national flag symbolises unity and togetherness. We take pride in our country and use the flag as a beacon of hope. Together, we will restore equal opportunities for all and foster a sense of belonging within our community.

Family. Strong families are the foundation of a strong society. I will support and protect them, nurture our children to reach their full potential, and embrace the strength that comes from connected communities.

I was raised on the phrase: “I can, and I will.” Doncaster can be turned around. With the vote and support of the people of Doncaster, not only can I turn Doncaster around, but I will turn Doncaster around. Through Faith, Flag, and Family, I can, we can, ‘Make Doncaster Great Again.’