Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Mayor and MP clash over Liz Truss as row gets political

Oliver Coppard and Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher, who are both fighting to keep the airport open, exchanged words on Twitter after new Prime Minister Liz Truss gave her support to the airport fight in her first ever Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday.

In the House of Commons, Mr Fletcher urged the PM to put pressure on Mr Coppard by writing to him to remind him “of his powers, duties and responsibilities, to the people of South Yorkshire.”

The Don Valley MP has repeatedly called on Mr Coppard to use his devolved powers to help save the airport which opened to commercial flights in 2005.

But Mr Coppard accused Mr Fletcher of playing into the hands of airpor owners Peel by ‘seeking to divide our community.’

In a series of tweets, he said: “Using PMQs to create content for social media isn’t helpful in our efforts to keep DSA open and I’m sorry Nick Fletcher has chosen to again play into Peel’s hands by seeking to divide our community.

"The best way for us to win this fight is to work as a team.

"He might have better used his new found friendship with Liz Truss to ask the government to invite representatives from SY to their ‘private’ meeting with Peel next week. Why no-one from South Yorkshire has been invited to that meeting is beyond me.

"I welcome the new Prime Minister’s offer of support from the new Transport Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan. I can only hope those words are now translated into tangible actions and we will now have the full support of the government in our efforts to save DSA.”

In response to a tweet asking how the Government will help save the airport, Mr Fletcher replied: “How? By Oliver Coppard exercising his devolved powers. That is how.”

Both men have been seeking a meeting with Peel boss John Whittaker in recent weeks, with both currently having failed to sit down with the elusive millionaire.