Mayoral hopeful invites King Charles and Angela Rayner to visit Hexthorpe

Ex-Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher issued the invite after the King gave Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and deputy PM Angela Rayner a guided tour of his environmentally friendly, sustainable housing project in Cornwall yesterday.

The former MP, who is hoping to replace Labour’s Ros Jones at the May election, shared a photo of the visit and added: “Be nice if they came to Hexthorpe. Doubt they will come but I will gladly show them around.” Earlier, Mr Fletcher shared a brief video of himself in Hexthorpe and told the camera: “I am in Hexthorpe talking to residents.

"There’s things going off here that are just not right. Something must be done,” without elaborating further.

The King as well as Labour’s two most senior politcians toured houses, a school and orchard in Nansledan.

The monarch showed them a project that brings together traditional building materials, sustainable living and training projects. But as monarch the King has to avoid getting drawn into party politics.

The King and prime minister meet for their weekly audiences and often attend the same public occasions - and are said to have developed a good relationship. There also seems to be a good rapport between the King and Angela Rayner.

But it's very unusual for them take part in an engagement like this together.

King Charles visited Doncaster in 2022 to confer city status alongside Queen Camilla and the pair returned for the St Leger in 2023.

Meanwhile, Angela Rayner made a number of visits to Doncaster during last year’s General Election campaign, while the PM, who has family in Doncaster, is also a regular visitor.

However, on a visit to last year’s St Leger at Doncaster Racecourse, he came in for abuse from groups of racegoers who booed and shouted insults at him as he made his way through the crowds alongside his wife, whose later mother lived in the city, a stone’s throw from Town Moor.