Doncaster Tory MP launches blistering attack on airport campaigner after mayor's praise

Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher has stuck the boot in on garage owner Mark Chadwick who has been instrumental in the public fight to open the airport and who was singled out for praise by Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones as she revealed that budget airline operator TUI was in talks to return to DSA.

As part of her announcement, she said of the Stadium Garage owner: “I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Mark Chadwick for all his support in leading the #saveDSA campaign.

"Mark continues to be influential in maintaining public interest and optimism. He helped spread the message of hope far and wide and continues to keep people informed and thus his contribution cannot be understated.”

But Mr Fletcher, who yesterday faced calls to be suspsended by the Conservative Party after telling voters to back rival party Reform UK so his “good friend” Lee Anderson could be returned to Parliament has launched an astonishing attack on Mr Chadwick.

The MP wrote: “In her post she lavishes praise on a man who has blocked me from the Save DSA airport group on Facebook which he heads up and which I promoted daily to enable it to get its present membership.

"This post you are reading, like every other airport post I put out, will not be allowed by him to be seen in that group. Sad really.”

Mr Fletcher himself has repeatedly come in for criticism himself for blocking constituents from his Facebook page – with hundreds of people banned simply for asking questions or offering an alternative view, accusing one voter of “trolling” and telling her: “I hope you won’t do that again.”

He added: “The airport group she refers to now has in its rules a provision that no criticism is allowed of #TheTwoMayors and anyone who does so is banned.

"I myself am now unable to access this group. As a result it is sadly no more than a Labour mouthpiece. No free debate allowed. Overtones of Labour’s proposed hate speech laws.

“Nobody should be above criticism and scrutiny.”

We have contacted Mr Chadwick for comment.