The Social Democratic Party has announced David Bettney as the party’s candidate for Doncaster Mayor.

Full statement

David served in the Army for 22 years, completing tours in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, and rising to the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major. Since leaving the Army, David has built and run several construction, logistics and storage businesses, and is now manager of a group of five companies employing over 350 people across the Middle East.

Born in Mexborough, David’s campaign priorities are to champion British and Yorkshire industry, to provide better opportunities for young people, to work rapidly to end homelessness, and to crack down on crime and antisocial behavior.

Dave sets out his message to voters below.

An all action Mayor: Things I will do in my first 100 days:

Assemble an audit task force to assess the true extent of Doncaster Council’s Debt, then make cuts, distribute to the neediest, and start paying the debt back!

Visit every primary and secondary school and hear the concerns of parents about Doncaster Council’s performance…I’ll get ground-truth!

Set up a voluntary pensioner check-in service where we as communities help to look after those who are most lonely and vulnerable. ANY pensioner that wants me to visit, to hear their concerns, I’ll meet at the local town hall. If they are disabled, I’m happy to visit their homes…I care because you matter.

Meet with businesses, for them to give their concerns, and for me to help them tailor bespoke solutions for their growth. It’s in all our interests to get Doncaster businesses thriving…The velocity of the “local” pound!

My Policies on the Things That Matter Most

Crime

To address anti-social behavior, I will give talks at schools and sports clubs, to ensure that the teenagers are told that they are worth something, that they can go on to achieve great things, but how their behavior can directly affect their community (as they say…”Kids in sport stay out of court”) I grew up on a council estate and many of my soldiers came from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds, but with the right leadership, they became amazing people. If we start to fix societal behavior from the ground-up, then we will have a far better society.

We do have a drug problem in South Yorkshire, and I will assemble a task force of volunteers, including those who worked in the military, to help the police in all areas to catch the gang members. The police are under resourced, and the government is almost bankrupt, so we must do what we can off our own backs to fill this gap.

On theft, I shall campaign for harsher sentences, for anybody who steals tools from a van or work-site. This is stealing a worker’s ability to work and put food on the table. Motorbike theft is another area of real concern. Cars and bikes are transport, but motorcycle riders (in particular) are a different breed. For many of them, it is a freeing experience just riding their bikes, and it is a way to deal with, and to reduce and release stress, as many of my veteran friends have found. Thieves aren’t nicking a bike, they are stealing a life-saver!

I have written about Grooming Gangs many times, and I have also worked with and helped adult survivors of the grooming gangs in South Yorkshire. I don’t care which communities get embarrassed/upset about what I’d have to say, as I want our children protected, and political correctness will go out of the window, as I will go to the nth degree to expose any perpetrators !

Investment

I shall look at Doncaster as if it were a team in the premiership. I will be asking monthly, how we can get companies to invest in Doncaster, and judging ourselves at the side of other cities. I will keep pushing for the title, and do not want to see Donny floundering at the bottom of the league. I will sit with businesses, both big and small, to work together to see how I can personally help them to grow their business, and cut as much red-tape as humanly possible. I will be speaking to international companies to get them interested in bringing their businesses to Doncaster. I intend to create jobs! I’ll make sure that wherever possible, the Council use local firms to supply products and services

Free Speech

I am fearful of the lack of free speech we now find in the UK. Doncaster will be a free speech city. We can agree to disagree, which was always the correct and British way. We must must rise above this “I’m offended at everything” mind-set, that has swept our politics and ruined good honest healthy debate.

Environment

I’m a member of the Woodland Trust, and as a qualified scuba diver, a keen oceanic environmentalist. I often take part in underwater “litter picks” around the world, to help protect marine life.

But…we have to stop scaring ourselves and our kids with environmental net zero catastrophe madness. We should help our youngsters live alongside nature, by offering more “Forest School” places, and teaching them conservation and not “Eco-Communism” that has infected all the main parties.

The current “Green Movement” that the establishment wants to push, is, as many have said now anti-human, and its supporters are water melons…Green on the outside but red on the inside!

There are definitely better ways we can look after our planet, but the Net Zero con will bankrupt countries and achieve nothing.

If you want a mayor that will deal with ALL of Doncaster’s problems, then vote for me David Bettney, and let’s end this current night-mayor!