Giving city status to Doncaster ‘was the right thing to do’ says Conservative MP Nick Fletcher

Doncaster, along with Milton Keynes, Wrexham, Dunfermline, Colchester, Bangor (NI), Douglas and Stanley in the Falkland Islands, were all awarded city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Fletcher said Doncaster was an obvious choice with the area having one of three Mansion Houses in the country, an award winning airport and St Leger holding the oldest classic horse race in the world.

He also noted the historic label the soon-to-be city has through its connection all the way back to the Roman-rule of Britain from 43 AD to 410 AD.

Doncaster is set to be officially awarded city status later this year through a Letters Patent.

The Platinum Jubilee civic honours competition required applicants to show their cultural heritage and royal links as well as how their local identity and communities meant they deserved to be granted city status.

Mr Fletcher said: “Doncaster has suffered in the past from a lack of belief. We had a culture of finding excuses why we couldn’t do things. I do not think like that. I have a very positive mental attitude to life. We can do things even if they are hard.

“Our local economy is getting stronger every week. We see new jobs and new businesses coming to Doncaster now. We don’t have an unemployment problem. In fact we have the reverse so we need to attract people to come here.

“We’ve got it all and we are within 60 minutes of Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham and even the seaside.

“I have never worked as hard in my life once I was elected. It literally is a seven day job.

“Yes, some people will still say that I do nothing. I believe in hard work and I know from leaving school at 16 to work at The Railway Plant in Doncaster that hard work can take you anywhere and this is what I say to our school children. You can be anyone you want to be if you aim high , stay focussed and work hard.

“I am really enthusiastic about Doncaster, for its future. Becoming a city is recognition of our people and what they can offer this country. It will stimulate further economic growth.”