Airport campaigner attacks Doncaster MP as he tries to take credit for petition

Garage owner Mark Chadwick, who has been at the forefront of the public campaign to re-open the airport, was left fuming when a leaflet from Don Valley MP Mr Fletcher dropped through his door in which he wrote: “Thousands of people signed my petition to keep the airport open.”

Mr Chadwick, who runs Doncaster’s Stadium Garage was instrumental in sharing and promoting the petition, which has collected more than 100,000 signatures and has also set up a SaveDSA Facebook group to keep pressure on those involved in the airport’s re-opening.

He said: “Your petition?

"The change.org petition had well over 100,000 signatures, the GMB Union one had over 15,000 signatures, the paper one that you managed was distributed by members of the saveDSA Facebook group all over social media and posted in local businesses managed, was it 8,000?

"So hardly your petition fella. That’s the same as your comments in an email reply to me having the nerve to thank me for helping you with your campaign.”

It is not the first time Mr Chadwick has hit out at the Don Valley MP over Doncaster Sheffield Airport, attacking his stance against Doncaster mayor Ros Jones and South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard.

And accusing Mr Fletcher of once more playing party politics over the airport, Mr Chadwick added: “Unfortunately, all we see you doing is harrassing Ros Jones and Oliver Coppard, trying to score political points.

“It’s time to do what you were voted in for. I voted for you, you’re my MP. I won’t be doing that again I can assure you.

“Your total indifference to the people in Doncaster that are on the frontline with the campaign to #saveDSA is as bad as the lack of help that is coming from central government

“You don’t listen to people that politeluy offer constructive criticisism. You run rough shod over everyone else’s opinion, sticking to your own agenda and actually acheiving nothing.

“Stand up and be counted as a supporter for the airport, not a supporter for the Tory party and their indifference to our campaign.

“Enough is enough. Your job is to help this campaign

“I can’t see the continual blame game working here or actually achieving anything.”

In his latest update on the airport, Mr Fletcher once again used it as a chance to attack Mayors Jones and Coppard, writing: “There will be a time when an inquiry will look at why and how the two Mayors allowed our airport to be shut down. In the meantime I will continue to press and ensure that she does exactly what she has promised.”

Mr Chadwick has repeatedly called out Mr Fletcher, earlier this year calling his stance as “totally unacceptable and ridiculous” after the Tory MP was accused of ‘breaking ranks’ again to attack Labour politicians over the airport’s closure.