Make Doncaster Great Again: Ex-MP unveils Donald Trump style slogan as he launches mayoral campaign

Nick Fletcher has ended months of speculation to confirm that he will be standing as the party’s candidate at next year’s mayoral election.

Mr Fletcher, who lost his seat to Labour’s Lee Pitcher at July’s General Election, has long hinted that he would stand at next May’s contest to select a new mayor of Doncaster.

At an event to officially launch his campaign, Mr Fletcher unveiled a banner with photos of himself with the slogan “Make Doncaster Great Again – Through Faith, Flag and Family.”

Mr Fletcher, a committed and practising Christian, has often made references to God and Jesus and the importance of prayer and worship in his speeches and campaign materials.

In a short message shared to his Facebook page, the former Don Valley MP said: “Well, I’m delighed to have been selected to be the Conservative Mayoral candidate for next year’s election.

"I’ll be out campaigning hard, it will be great to see you all and together, we can make Doncaster great again.”

Mr Fletcher, who represented the Don Valley constituency between 2019 and this summer’s poll, stood for the Tories in the newly created Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme seat, where Labour’s Mr Pitcher triumphed with a 2,311 majority.

Mr Fletcher had previously made a number of suggestions that he could stand against incumbent mayor Ros Jones at next May’s mayoral election in the city.

Last month he said: "The elections in Doncaster are one of the first of numerous challenges we need to overcome.

"The people of Doncaster have endured enough. It’s time to make Doncaster great again.”

His words echo those of incoming US president Donald Trump who has long used the slogan “Make America Great Again,” firstly in his successful bid to become President in 2016 and also for this year’s campaign which returned him to the White House.

The slogan - often shortened to MAGA – features widely on hats, t-shirts and flags of his supporters.