Emma Hoddinott, the Wickersley Borough Councillor, Labour Group Press Officer and Unison North Yorkshire County Council ‘Pilgrim’, lately at the Olympics, knows a thing or two about upsetting people does Emma!
Emma Hoddinott was elected to RMBC this May and was therefore the surprise choice as Labour Group Press Officer, a position normally reserved for someone more experienced.
Masterful inactivity usually characterises the role of this post holder and the twin mantras of Labour Group are there to guide them, they are of course “stay out of the Advertiser!” and “say nowt!”
Would she be an improvement, more open and transparent, maybe? There were some early encouraging signs that she would be a refreshing change and indeed an improvement on the past.
Our hopes were dashed when it transpired Emma Hoddinott was emailing the entire Labour Group membership, instructing them to seek prior approval from herself, before making any public utterances!
This did not go down well with certain members, not at all well! In fact she has single handedly ensured that Labour Group is so leaky right now, it resembles a colander! Thanks for that Emma.
Don’t miss: Emma Hoddinott – Taken To Task!
Rotherham Politics 
A sure fire way of the children misbehaving is to tell them can’t do something. Looks like it works with councillor’s too. Now don’t spit your dummy out will you Emma?
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If I was a councillor, the last thing I would need is some sixth former wanting to control what the hell I wanted to say or do on behalf of those I serve – ‘those’ being the people who pay their hard earned money to the council in the form of the council-tax.
But then, the last thing we’d expect from Laybah councillors is representation of the residents of their respective wards – note how I refer to these people as ‘residents’ and not this odious term that the sixth former and her cohorts would use “customers”.
So, business as usual then – the sixth former is still in charge, er formerly Edgell, now Hodinott.
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If you thought Ms Hoddinott was making waves with Members its nothing to the growing tension between the Corporate Communications Department and Ms Hoddinott.
Emma thinks herself above the staff in the dept, especially given her internship with one of the big Pharama companies in their marketing section, this makes the claim by one member of staff of having worked for the Worksop Guardian seem very low brow.
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Thanks for the tip off Peter. I will make it my business to include the Corporate Communications Department, especially when Ms Hoddinott is present, in my regular ‘flight path’ around the Council Offices, Town Hall and the Eric Manns Building.
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Cllr Hoddinotts attempt to gag Councillors has far reaching repercussions other than just mitigating the risk of embarrassing gaffs from the great unwashed.
By supporting Stone, Wright and Kimber to keep a tight lid of the issues of grooming and abuse of vulnerable children in the Borough Hoddinott has effectively provided a fertile ground for the perpetrators to carry on as normal.
Councils across the country have provided information to the public on how to keep their children safe, what to look out for and how to report concerns, as a consequence parents and carers are aware of the gravity of the issue and the perpetrators face a community that is on its guard and informed on how to combat their actions.
Hoddinott only cares about her climb up the greasy party pole and secure that plum MP/MEP post, however the stain of what she has contributed to here in Rotherham will come back to haunt her.
I thought that individuals working for Unison had some backbone, wrong; Unison must also have a policy on keeping silent on the exploitation of children.
I fully expect that the next thing that we will see is Stone, Wright, Kimber, Unison and Hoddinott burning books about the issue in front of THT.
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Cerberus, you have left one important name from your list of the guilty by silence, the current Cabinet Member responsible, Paul Lakin!
The same Paul Lakin, who is said to be, ‘pretender to the Council Leadership’!
His continued silence, is perhaps, the most difficult to explain?
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I have been informed that there are a few issues with her in North Yorkshire. One of their councillors is looking into it – they didn’t even know she had been elected a councillor here anyway
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You raise a very important issue here Cass, to whom is Emma Hoddinott actually accountable?
North Yorkshire CC, with whom she has a contract of employment?
Unison the Trades Union, she is seconded to as a full time ‘Pilgrim’?
The Labour Party?
Rotherham Labour Group?
Her Wickersley constituents?
Emma Might like to ponder this, as she appears now to be ‘tossing it off at the Olympics’?
Looks like she will have some interesting questions to answer when she returns?
North Yorkshire County Council is Conservative run after all!
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No one has mentioned Emma’s partner, Chris Read! Doesn’t he work for York Labour Party?
Emma and Chris seem to be making plenty of money at this game? Both of them with ‘two jobs’!
Maybe we should all have a go?
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Er, who are Emma Hoddinott and Chris Read?
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The next Leader and Deputy after one, if Emma doesn’t get herself into Parliament first that is, or on another lucrative ‘gravy train’ or two!
Apollyon
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Apollyon, thanks for your first comment. We like your name, how appropriate!
We have heard that particular rumour too! Seems an incredible thought, but no more so than contemplating the so called ‘Dream Team’, of Paul Lakin and Mahroof Hussain!
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A good point Rothpol, Cllr Paul Lakin should be on the list, the only reason he is not at the moment is that my sources inform me that he is unhappy with the decision to keep quiet and may use it against Stone in the future leadership battle to come.
Cllr Wright the Police Commissioner designate should have the guts to go public and stop whispering about the matter in closed meetings.
And just what has happened to Cllr Jahangir Akthar?
Absent from the blog, he clearly is under the thumb of Cllr Hoddinott and what’s with all this on his Twitter account, the article from Joseph Harkin in the Guardian, it did not address the issue in question on how to prevent grooming, just a diatribe of politically correct excuses and the latest about the white woman selling a child into abuse.
what about news on what RMBC intend to do to educate the public or are the above articles just a smoke screen?
Cllr Akhtar time to grow those Kahoonas you seem to mention to other bloggers!
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Yes! Jahangir Akhtar and Adam Khan, both disappeared once the issues became difficult?
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Pray tell what difficult issues you are referring to ?
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Nice to know that Jahangir reads Rotherham Politics! Hi and welcome back.
What is your opinion on the issues being explored in this post, that might do for starters?
Don’t worry about Emma, she’s down at the Olympics, so you are free to speak your mind.
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Good evening Cerberus
With respect I tweet in a personal capacity and tweet / RT anything I think that would interest the people who follow me. I RT the story about a woman who sold a child in to abuse to highlight a terrible case of child abuse, it wasn’t because the perp was White.
As I have stated on numerous occasions child exploitation is carried out by sick monsters who should be locked up and the keys thrown away but they come from all backgrounds and ethnicity and not as you seem to stipulate from any one particular community.
Since you obviously pay close attention to my twitter account you should also have seen my RT about Shabir Ahmed the ring leader of the Rochdale grooming gang being sentenced to a further 22 years for 30 counts of rape.
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There can be nothing more repugnant than an Authority ‘covering up’ over such an odious crime, but if one was to point a finger at an Authority that could possibly stoop to such a discomforting level, then the finger would point so precisely at Rotherham Borough Council.
That crew should hang their heads in shame.
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Rothpol
You will of course know its midway through the holy month of Ramadan and it’s a time of reflection and being thankful to god for everything he has bestowed on us and to think about all those people in the world who suffer daily with lack of food and clean water. Things we take for granted.
So I wish everyone on here a very peaceful month.
I am happy to answer or clarify anything in my area of responsibility and my responsibilities as a ward Cllr but I feel I must refrain from making any comments on some of the tittle tattle about other colleagues either in the party or outside.
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Jahangir, Much appreciate the reminder of the true meaning of Ramadan.
Be glad if you would clarify your areas of responsibility, for the benefit of readers?
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And think about all those people who see such problems and do something concrete to try and solve them. One such person is worth a thousand preening politicians.
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“Tittle tattle”? Nice display of condescension.
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Trying to dismiss the content of the blog as tittle tattle is wishful thinking especially when it’s set in the context of the siege mentality of THT.
Rothpol is the only effective voice of opposition to the conduct of the Rotherham Labour Group.
From what I see and hear on a daily basis THT leaks like a sieve, the Cabinet briefs against each other, outside of Cabinet Members are in well defined cliques also briefing against each other.
Running to the Leader with gossip, tales and rumour seems to preoccupy the time of certain new and old Members.
The counter briefings are corrosive and childish; the texts you see belong in the playground.
Conversations at LGA events and other junkets come back via the Officer network which serve to reinforce the dysfunctional culture of the Council.
Members attend meetings with community stakeholders and they exploit the opportunity to undermine each other.
The name calling is pathetic, it’s like a pantomime.
Keep up the good work Rothpol, and the latest betting on the new Leader and Deputy from all of the books remains Lakin and Hussain.
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Been of the web for a bit but i’m back on now and this blog is so entertaining. Bloody brilliant!!!
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Peter and Terry, thanks for the plaudits!
The credit though, goes to the contributors and commenters, that make this blog so entertaining and so well read.
Rothpol does little more than editing and posting the work of others these days, even if they are not credited. A big thank you goes to all them!
You might consider a piece suitable for a post on Rotherham Politics yourselves?
Thanks also go to readers, 234 of whom have already clicked on this particular post!
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What a truly prosaic quote from the apprentice Leedah “… think about all those people in the world who suffer daily with lack of food … “.
Does he mean the pensioners in Rotherham who have had their social services cut, whilst the likes of his party go swanning off on expenses swilling greedfests at the expense of us all?
I think the last thing we need, is lectures from the apprentice.
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Trambuster
You’re comments about being lectured are quite pathetic in response to Jahangir’s apparent explanation of the virtues of Ramadan.
I for one thought it was enlightening to read about the rationale behind why so many people do the annual Ramadan.
So please don’t purport to speak for everyone on here cause you don’t.
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Everyday life for some individuals in the Borough is now so bad that Rotherham now has its own charity emergency Food Bank operated by the Hope Church.
If you were in any doubt to the level Elected Members will stoop to for a cheap headline at the expense of others take a look at Cllr Dave Pickering.
On 1st May 2012 Pickering then Deputy Mayor opens the Food Banks new operating centre on Coke Hill Rotherham, the invitations for the Mayors banquet had been agreed and on 16th May 2012 Pickering is Mayor.
Having visited the Food Bank did Pickering search his conscience, cancel the slap up meal and donate the funding to the charity?
No.
The photo opportunity at the Food Bank currently tops the league table run by Officers for this year’s most hypocritical and cynical PR stunt by an Elected Member.
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