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{{short description|British Conservative politician}} |
{{short description|British Conservative politician}} |
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{{Use British English|date=August 2020}} |
{{Use British English|date=August 2020}} |
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{{2024 UK Commons}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} |
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{{Infobox officeholder |
{{Infobox officeholder |
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| name = Nick Fletcher |
| name = Nick Fletcher |
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| honorific-suffix = |
| honorific-suffix = |
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| image = Official portrait of Nick Fletcher MP crop 2.jpg |
| image = Official portrait of Nick Fletcher MP crop 2.jpg |
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| caption = Official portrait, 2020 |
| caption = Official portrait, 2020 |
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| spouse = Gail Fletcher<ref>{{cite web |title=Our People |url=https://www.analogueelectrics.co.uk/our-people/ |website=Analogue Electrics |access-date=20 May 2020 |archive-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929201819/https://www.analogueelectrics.co.uk/our-people/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
| spouse = Gail Fletcher<ref>{{cite web |title=Our People |url=https://www.analogueelectrics.co.uk/our-people/ |website=Analogue Electrics |access-date=20 May 2020 |archive-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929201819/https://www.analogueelectrics.co.uk/our-people/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| children = 2 |
| children = 2 |
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| residence = [[Bawtry]], [[South Yorkshire]], England |
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| website = {{URL|www.nickfletcher.org.uk}} |
| website = {{URL|www.nickfletcher.org.uk}} |
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}} |
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'''Nicholas Anthony Fletcher'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-12-18/debates/2E37F0BD-4DF0-40A6-B9F9-0607212DBFB1/MembersSworn|title=Members Sworn|website=Hansard.parliament.uk|date=18 December 2019|access-date=28 January 2020|archive-date=19 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219003923/https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-12-18/debates/2E37F0BD-4DF0-40A6-B9F9-0607212DBFB1/MembersSworn|url-status=live}}</ref> (born 15 July 1972)<ref>{{cite book|last=Brunskill|first=Ian|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1129682574|title=The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election|date=19 March 2020|isbn=978-0-00-839258-1|pages=171|oclc=1129682574|access-date=8 June 2021|archive-date=9 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109125548/https://www.worldcat.org/title/times-guide-to-the-house-of-commons-2019-the-definitive-record-of-britains-historic-2019-general-election/oclc/1129682574|url-status=live}}</ref> is a British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politician who is the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Don Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Don Valley]] since the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]].<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000667|title=Don Valley parliamentary constituency – Election 2019|website=BBC News|access-date=13 December 2019|archive-date=13 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613135720/https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000667|url-status=live}}</ref> He is the first Conservative |
'''Nicholas Anthony Fletcher'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-12-18/debates/2E37F0BD-4DF0-40A6-B9F9-0607212DBFB1/MembersSworn|title=Members Sworn|website=Hansard.parliament.uk|date=18 December 2019|access-date=28 January 2020|archive-date=19 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219003923/https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-12-18/debates/2E37F0BD-4DF0-40A6-B9F9-0607212DBFB1/MembersSworn|url-status=live}}</ref> (born 15 July 1972)<ref>{{cite book|last=Brunskill|first=Ian|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1129682574|title=The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election|date=19 March 2020|isbn=978-0-00-839258-1|pages=171|oclc=1129682574|access-date=8 June 2021|archive-date=9 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109125548/https://www.worldcat.org/title/times-guide-to-the-house-of-commons-2019-the-definitive-record-of-britains-historic-2019-general-election/oclc/1129682574|url-status=live}}</ref> is a British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politician who is the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Don Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Don Valley]] since the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]].<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000667|title=Don Valley parliamentary constituency – Election 2019|website=BBC News|access-date=13 December 2019|archive-date=13 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613135720/https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000667|url-status=live}}</ref> He is the first Conservative everto be elected for the seat. |
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== Early life and career == |
== Early life and career == |
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Fletcher is a [[landlord]], and he owns six houses and four flats in South Yorkshire; this is the highest number of residential, letting properties held by any MP.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Booth |first1=Robert |title=Hunt and Braverman among five in cabinet earning thousands as landlords |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/may/04/hunt-and-braverman-among-five-in-cabinet-earning-thousands-as-landlords |work=The Guardian |date=4 May 2023 |accessdate=17 October 2023}}</ref> |
Fletcher is a [[landlord]], and he owns six houses and four flats in South Yorkshire; this is the highest number of residential, letting properties held by any MP.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Booth |first1=Robert |title=Hunt and Braverman among five in cabinet earning thousands as landlords |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/may/04/hunt-and-braverman-among-five-in-cabinet-earning-thousands-as-landlords |work=The Guardian |date=4 May 2023 |accessdate=17 October 2023}}</ref> |
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== Political |
== Political positions== |
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===Gender equality=== |
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In his first notable media presence, as part of a debate in the UK Parliament's Westminster Hall, for [[International Men's Day]] 2021, Fletcher claimed that male role models in film and television were being replaced by women (namely [[Luke Skywalker]], [[The Equalizer (2021 TV series)|The Equalizer]], [[Doctor Who]], and The [[Ghostbusters]]), linking that to the number of young men turning to crime.<ref>{{cite news|title=Female Doctor Who robs boys of role models, claims Tory MP |work= BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59421259|date=25 November 2021|access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Chilton |first=Louis |title=Twelve men played Doctor Who before a woman – I think young boys will cope, Nick Fletcher|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/doctor-who-ghostbusters-nick-fletcher-b1964893.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/doctor-who-ghostbusters-nick-fletcher-b1964893.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The Independent |date=26 November 2021|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Walker |first=Peter |title=Recasting male heroes as women risks driving boys to crime, claims Tory MP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/25/bond-doctor-who-casting-women-risks-driving-boys-to-crime-mp|work=The Guardian |date=25 November 2021|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> His apparent opposition to women playing these roles was criticised by fellow MPs (including [[Luke Pollard]]), and also condemned by social media users as sexist and misogynistic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ball |first=Elliot |title=Luke Pollard slams MP Nick Fletcher's 'sexist' Doctor Who claim|url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/luke-pollard-slams-mp-nick-6261652|work=Plymouth Herald|date=25 November 2021|access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref> |
In his first notable media presence, as part of a debate in the UK Parliament's Westminster Hall, for [[International Men's Day]] 2021, Fletcher claimed that male role models in film and television were being replaced by women (namely [[Luke Skywalker]], [[The Equalizer (2021 TV series)|The Equalizer]], [[Doctor Who]], and The [[Ghostbusters]]), linking that to the number of young men turning to crime.<ref>{{cite news|title=Female Doctor Who robs boys of role models, claims Tory MP |work= BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59421259|date=25 November 2021|access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Chilton |first=Louis |title=Twelve men played Doctor Who before a woman – I think young boys will cope, Nick Fletcher|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/doctor-who-ghostbusters-nick-fletcher-b1964893.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/doctor-who-ghostbusters-nick-fletcher-b1964893.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The Independent |date=26 November 2021|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Walker |first=Peter |title=Recasting male heroes as women risks driving boys to crime, claims Tory MP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/25/bond-doctor-who-casting-women-risks-driving-boys-to-crime-mp|work=The Guardian |date=25 November 2021|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> His apparent opposition to women playing these roles was criticised by fellow MPs (including [[Luke Pollard]]), and also condemned by social media users as sexist and misogynistic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ball |first=Elliot |title=Luke Pollard slams MP Nick Fletcher's 'sexist' Doctor Who claim|url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/luke-pollard-slams-mp-nick-6261652|work=Plymouth Herald|date=25 November 2021|access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref> |
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In his defence, Fletcher claims this part of his speech was dealing with the wider issue of positive role-models for young men and that the controversy results from looking only at a short section. |
In his defence, Fletcher claims this part of his speech was dealing with the wider issue of positive role-models for young men and that the controversy results from looking only at a short section. |
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===Transgender issues=== |
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In June 2022, Fletcher sent letters to all schools in his constituency urging head teachers to "push back" against the "transgender lifestyle", arguing that allowing children to take hormone blockers is "affirming something that is nothing more than a phase". The letters were not well received by Doncaster Schools, with one school reporting that the letters were "neither helpful nor positively received" <ref>{{cite news |date=17 June 2022 |title=MP Nick Fletcher schools letter says trans 'nothing more than a phase' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-61842311 |access-date=19 June 2022}}</ref> |
In June 2022, Fletcher sent letters to all schools in his constituency urging head teachers to "push back" against the "transgender lifestyle", arguing that allowing children to take hormone blockers is "affirming something that is nothing more than a phase". The letters were not well received by Doncaster Schools, with one school reporting that the letters were "neither helpful nor positively received" <ref>{{cite news |date=17 June 2022 |title=MP Nick Fletcher schools letter says trans 'nothing more than a phase' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-61842311 |access-date=19 June 2022}}</ref> |
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===Immigration=== |
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In December 2023 Nick Fletcher was criticised for claiming that A&E waiting lists in his constituency of Don Valley were excessively long due to high levels of immigration. He said of his constituency "We are turning parts of our community into a ghetto... you have a 12 hour waiting list at A&E, & the reason why the waiting list is so long, is because people don't speak English in these places anymore”. The population in Don Valley is 94% UK-born and 96% |
In December 2023 Nick Fletcher was criticised for claiming that A&E waiting lists in his constituency of Don Valley were excessively long due to high levels of immigration. He said of his constituency "We are turning parts of our community into a ghetto... you have a 12 hour waiting list at A&E, & the reason why the waiting list is so long, is because people don't speak English in these places anymore”.<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web |last1=Schofield |first1=Kevin |title=Tory MP Criticised For Blaming A&E Delays On 'People Who Don't Speak English' |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tory-mp-criticised-blaming-e-102746106.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALorpCLpibfg5athfnCECVPZ1AE_OIQ8pKhaEVP3PdMoIx62XCFbCT-K-ZUiwAX7NS576UgVI6k8Di4dn0AFLBTT4N4JA7ek_Dvc43A__quOo_w84gMlghLBEs5iRrNEPDB-k8Nn3kZ6hv8GOu2rQjU73meFzZmlRupU0pIL1s25 |website=Yahoo News |access-date=17 January 2024}}</ref> The population in Don Valley is 94% UK-born and 96% White, while English is the mother tongue of 97% of his constituents.<ref>{{cite news |date=12 December 2023 |title=Office for National Statistics |url= https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/customprofiles/build/#E14000667 |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> He was said by opposition members to have been echoing Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood Speech”.<ref name="yahoo" /> |
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== Parliamentary career == |
== Parliamentary career == |
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Since 2 March 2020, Fletcher has been a member of the [[Petitions Committee]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Petitions Committee membership agreed – News from Parliament|url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/petitions-committee/news-parliament-2017/petitions-membership-agreed-19-21/|access-date=22 June 2020|website=UK Parliament|archive-date=25 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625200743/https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/petitions-committee/news-parliament-2017/petitions-membership-agreed-19-21/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
Since 2 March 2020, Fletcher has been a member of the [[Petitions Committee]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Petitions Committee membership agreed – News from Parliament|url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/petitions-committee/news-parliament-2017/petitions-membership-agreed-19-21/|access-date=22 June 2020|website=UK Parliament|archive-date=25 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625200743/https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/petitions-committee/news-parliament-2017/petitions-membership-agreed-19-21/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Following an interim report on the connections between [[colonialism]] and properties now in the care of the [[National Trust]], including links with [[Atlantic slave trade|historic slavery]], Fletcher was among the signatories of a letter to ''[[The Daily Telegraph| |
Following an interim report on the connections between [[colonialism]] and properties now in the care of the [[National Trust]], including links with [[Atlantic slave trade|historic slavery]], Fletcher was among the signatories of a letter to the ''[[The Daily Telegraph|Telegraph]]'' in November 2020 from the "[[Common Sense Group]]" of Conservative Parliamentarians. The letter accused the National Trust of being "coloured by [[cultural Marxist]] dogma, colloquially known as the '[[Woke#2019–present: as a pejorative|woke]] agenda'".<ref>{{cite letter |recipient=the ''Daily Telegraph'' |subject=Britain's heroes |date=9 November 2020 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2020/11/09/letterswill-police-break-armistice-day-ceremonies-wednesday/ |access-date=20 May 2022 }}</ref> |
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Fletcher endorsed [[Kemi Badenoch]] during the [[July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Torr |first1=George |title=Tory Doncaster MP Nick Fletcher backs Kemi Badenoch to become new Conservative party leader |url=https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politics/tory-doncaster-mp-nick-fletcher-backs-kemi-badenoch-to-become-new-conservative-party-leader-3766929 |access-date=13 July 2022 |work=Doncaster Free Press |date=13 July 2022}}</ref> After Badenoch was eliminated, Fletcher supported [[Liz Truss]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Next Tory Leader. Which MP is backing whom – the updated list. Truss on 149, Sunak on 132. The Foreign Secretary's lead amongst MPs grows. |url=https://conservativehome.com/2022/08/25/next-tory-leader-whos-backing-whom-our-working-list/ |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=ConservativeHome |date=25 August 2022}}</ref> |
Fletcher endorsed [[Kemi Badenoch]] during the [[July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Torr |first1=George |title=Tory Doncaster MP Nick Fletcher backs Kemi Badenoch to become new Conservative party leader |url=https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politics/tory-doncaster-mp-nick-fletcher-backs-kemi-badenoch-to-become-new-conservative-party-leader-3766929 |access-date=13 July 2022 |work=Doncaster Free Press |date=13 July 2022}}</ref> After Badenoch was eliminated, Fletcher supported [[Liz Truss]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Next Tory Leader. Which MP is backing whom – the updated list. Truss on 149, Sunak on 132. The Foreign Secretary's lead amongst MPs grows. |url=https://conservativehome.com/2022/08/25/next-tory-leader-whos-backing-whom-our-working-list/ |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=ConservativeHome |date=25 August 2022}}</ref> |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{commons category}} |
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*{{UK MP links |parliament=4832 |publicwhip=Nicholas_Fletcher |theywork=nicholas_fletcher}} |
*{{UK MP links |parliament=4832 |publicwhip=Nicholas_Fletcher |theywork=nicholas_fletcher}} |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]] |
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]] |
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[[Category:UK MPs |
[[Category:UK MPs 2019–2024]] |
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[[Category:People from Bawtry]] |
[[Category:People from Bawtry]] |
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[[Category:British real estate businesspeople]] |
[[Category:British real estate businesspeople]] |
This article's subject is standing for re-election to the UK's House of Commons on 4 July, and has not been an MP since Parliament's dissolution on 30 May. The article may be out of date during this period. Please improve it (updates without reliable references will be removed) or discuss changes on the talk page.
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Nick Fletcher
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Member of Parliament for Don Valley | |
Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
Preceded by | Caroline Flint |
Majority | 3,630 (8.0%) |
Personal details | |
Born | (1972-07-15) 15 July 1972 (age 51) Armthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
Political party | Conservative |
Spouse | Gail Fletcher[1] |
Children | 2 |
Residence(s) | Bawtry, South Yorkshire, England |
Website | www |
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Nicholas Anthony Fletcher[2] (born 15 July 1972)[3] is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Don Valley since the 2019 general election.[4] He is the first Conservative ever to be elected for the seat.
Fletcher grew up in Armthorpe, Doncaster, and attended Armthorpe Comprehensive before gaining a HNC in electronic engineering in 1992. In 1994, after being made redundant, he took a business course and established Analogue Electrics in Doncaster.[5][6] Fletcher also owns a property portfolio consisting of ten residential properties.[7]
Before being elected to Parliament, Fletcher served as the director of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce (Doncaster Chamber) from 19 December 2018 to 13 December 2019.[8] He also served as the chairman of the Doncaster Conservative Federation.[9]
Fletcher is a landlord, and he owns six houses and four flats in South Yorkshire; this is the highest number of residential, letting properties held by any MP.[10]
In his first notable media presence, as part of a debate in the UK Parliament's Westminster Hall, for International Men's Day 2021, Fletcher claimed that male role models in film and television were being replaced by women (namely Luke Skywalker, The Equalizer, Doctor Who, and The Ghostbusters), linking that to the number of young men turning to crime.[11][12][13] His apparent opposition to women playing these roles was criticised by fellow MPs (including Luke Pollard), and also condemned by social media users as sexist and misogynistic.[14]
In his defence, Fletcher claims this part of his speech was dealing with the wider issue of positive role-models for young men and that the controversy results from looking only at a short section.
In June 2022, Fletcher sent letters to all schools in his constituency urging head teachers to "push back" against the "transgender lifestyle", arguing that allowing children to take hormone blockers is "affirming something that is nothing more than a phase". The letters were not well received by Doncaster Schools, with one school reporting that the letters were "neither helpful nor positively received" [15]
In December 2023 Nick Fletcher was criticised for claiming that A&E waiting lists in his constituency of Don Valley were excessively long due to high levels of immigration. He said of his constituency "We are turning parts of our community into a ghetto... you have a 12 hour waiting list at A&E, & the reason why the waiting list is so long, is because people don't speak English in these places anymore”.[16] The population in Don Valley is 94% UK-born and 96% White, while English is the mother tongue of 97% of his constituents.[17] He was said by opposition members to have been echoing Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood Speech”.[16]
Fletcher won the seat of Don Valley from Labour incumbent Caroline Flint in 2019, with a majority of 8%, representing a swing of 8.1%. In doing so, he was the first Conservative to be elected for the seat, with the constituency having been held by Labour since 1922.[18]
Fletcher delivered his maiden speech on 16 March 2020,[19] where he spoke about the importance of role models for young people.
Since 2 March 2020, Fletcher has been a member of the Petitions Committee.[20]
Following an interim report on the connections between colonialism and properties now in the care of the National Trust, including links with historic slavery, Fletcher was among the signatories of a letter to the Telegraph in November 2020 from the "Common Sense Group" of Conservative Parliamentarians. The letter accused the National Trust of being "coloured by cultural Marxist dogma, colloquially known as the 'woke agenda'".[21]
Fletcher endorsed Kemi Badenoch during the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[22] After Badenoch was eliminated, Fletcher supported Liz Truss.[23]
In February 2023 Fletcher raised conspiracy theories around the urban design concept of the "15-minute city" in the House of Commons, requesting time to discuss the matter he referred to as an "international socialist concept".[24]
In June 2023, he was one of six Conservative MPs to vote against censuring Boris Johnson following the Commons Privileges Committee investigation.[25]
Fletcher sits as a Vice Chair or Officer for several All-Party Parliamentary Groups, including:
He is also chair of APPG on Issues Affecting Men and Boys
Fletcher is a member of the Northern Research Group, a group founded by Conservative MPs who represent constituencies in northern England, Wales and the Scottish Borders.[27][28] He is also a member of the Common Sense Group, a Parliamentary organisation which represents the socially conservative wing of the Conservative Party.[29]
Fletcher resides in Bawtry and is married to Gail. They have two children, James and Lucy.[30][31] He says he is a practising Christian. He described his election win as miracle performed by God, and has said publicly that "Christ is the greatest role model anyone can have."[32]
He has been a long-time runner. He ran the London Marathon in October 2021, raising over £2,000 for his chosen charity, the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group.[33]
{{cite press release}}
: CS1 maint: others (link)
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Don Valley 2019–present |
Incumbent |