Rotherham Politics brings you news of a second Trades Union ‘Pilgrim’, serving as a Councillor on Rotherham MBC.
This time it involves Barnsley MBC Unison Convener, Brian Steele. Who famously replaced Richard Russell as Labour Councillor representing Hoober Ward.
A typical silly season story, might be the usual groaning response from readers, but you would be wrong.
The issue of ratepayer funded Trades Union lay officials ‘tossing it off on the rates’ is important enough to merit attention, but when coupled with service as a Councillor on an adjacent Authority, it starts to raise the most fundamental of questions, involving the potential for conflicts of interests of a variety of kinds? Some are especially acute when neighbouring Authorities are involved.
Pilgrim’s Progress?
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 … Continue reading →
Rotherham Politics 
These ‘convenient’ arrangements whereby one Laybah controlled Authority provides safe harbour in the form of ’employment’ for a member of an adjacent Laybah controlled Authority, is indeed a very well established practice.
By any other name, it is nothing but nepotism – yer know, the sort of thing that is so frowned upon by the ‘socialists’.
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Lets all face it, this lot care only for themselves, and their greed is boundless. The Labour party is full of stooges top to bottom, poor little rich boys on the front bench, back bench Mps sponsored by corrupt trades unions, councillors who seriously don’t give a toss. Makes me wnt to leave the country
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I though today was as good a day as any to harangue Miss 2 Jobs Hodinott. You will find the entertainment on Twitter. I now note she is twittering about the Rotherham Foodbank. Perhaps she and the rest of the RMBC scroungers, sorry councillors, might donate a percentage of their grossly inflated allowances and expenses to such a worthy cause. (if any of them do I apologise here and now) Scroll down to the page and it’s there in the right hand column
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Can someone explain if the individuals mentioned above are doing anything illegal ? if they are then we should be calling in the police but if not whats the fuss about ? And the 2 jobs jibe is so old and Prescotty !!!!
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It worked though, in the way that a fly fisherman dreams of when casting to a wary old trout and getting a take, only to find that an inexperienced stockie beat the old trout to it!
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Legal yes, but at the same time morally bankrupt!
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Der, wasn’t that two Jags, or was that another form of hypocrisy?
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Funny how Adam pops up whenever anyone in the great and glorious brotherhood known as Rotherham Labour Party are criticised.
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Cass you are so predictable, you automatically assume that if someone has an opposing view you immediately assume they must be just doing it to defend the labour party. bless your cotton socks.
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It is obvious that Adam has no conception of what moral standards are and so he must fit in well with his Labour party friends.
Dave Smith
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with respect ( not that you deserve any due to your snap judgement on my moral compass ) what makes you an expert on moral standards ? perhaps you could enlighten us on any public service you have done.
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Ethics, morality, professional standards, honesty, righteousness, virtue, honour – such reasonable expectations and yet so much disappointment!
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Eyup!!! “public service” – does he mean stuffing the rate payers with cuts and then swanning off on junket trips.
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Adam, your puerile remarks are so like the other childish posters who turn up on here that i wonder if it is the same person, hten I remembered that Dennis Mcshane had 7 laptops paid for , so there could be a few more to turn up. Are you working from home or out of his garage?
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Yep this post of yours sums you up quite well. When you don’t have anything sensible or pertinent to say on the debate you revert to stupid and unfounded allegations and then to top it off you throw in personal insults!!! And you have the cheek to call other posters on here as “childish” because they have the audacity to give a different perspective. You should calm down dear.
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Myself, I think I prefer the other Labour apologist Jules, they were much more fun than Adam.
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I think you are right there Fly on the Wall. Given what’s coming from that cess pit called RMBC it is going to be more and more difficult for anybody to defend. I must admit I miss the Conisbrough Canary and Factchecker (for entertainment purposes only)
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For the record.
The Conisborough Canary, Community Champion or PJ Cawkwell as he is variously known, had privileges withdrawn for unacceptable views quite some time ago. This was after much provocation and when the rest of the blog users were in agreement, we took this action reluctantly, in view of our commitment to free speech.
Factchecker, is a disappointment, as we were just beginning to have some fun with them, hey ho!
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Good riddance to bad rubbish then – as the old adage goes.
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I have been looking on the Barnsley MBC website and their members interests don’t appear to be posted. Can somebody else check please before I jump in and point out the error of their ways.
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Hi casstrickland, The register is open for inspection by the public at the members services office, Yorkshire House, Shambles Street, Barnsley during normal office hours. To arrange to inspect the register or for further information please emailalanmaher@barnsley.gov.ukor telephone 01226 773004.
But you are correct, they’re not available online.
So only those souls who live near to Barnsley THT can in reality check these interests, others would have to make a journey, and a phone call, in order to scrutinise what should be freely and easily available online.
http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/about/how-we-work/councillors-declaration-of-interest/
P.S. If it were me, I’d whack an FOI to em, and demand an electronic copy of whichever clown it is that you’re interested in.
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Barnsley Council is every bit as secretive as Rotherham Council and it will keep its skeletons in the cupboard until they are dragged out by members of the public.
I guess that the residents of Barnsley are not as fortunate as those of Rotherham, in that they don’t have a troop of active and empowered members of the public and they don’t have a ‘Rotherham Politics’ website – believe me, that is the only reason why RMBC has put its members’ interests on its website.
Putting the ‘interests’ info on the website requires minimal effort and resources, but Barnsley Council won’t do it until it is dragged kicking and screaming into the IT age and the only way you can get to see the info is by emailing alanmaher@barnsley.gov.uk and arranging to go in and inspect it. Click on this link http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/about/how-we-work/councillors-declaration-of-interest/
You could always request a copy (in electronic format) under the Freedom of Information Act!!
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Barnsley MBC’s failure to publish Declarations of Interests on their website, is now an offence newly created by the Localism Act! As is failure to declare a new interest within 28 days. Dominic Beck, please take note!
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Thanks everybody, I have now sent the email pointing out the error of their ways. Incidentally dear old Dom does not appear to have updated his Declaration on the Parish Council Websire, in that he does not declare his director/trusteeship of Rush House Can you have a look please Rothpol
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Well Well, who’d ‘a’ thought it?
Members Declarations of Interest
Maher , Alan TO:’Carole Ann Strickland’ Message flagged Tuesday, 28 August 2012, 8:41
Dear Ms Strickland, thanks for your email. I am pleased to say that Barnsley Council is in the process of placing its register of members’ interests on to its website (www.barnsley.gov.uk). This should be available to view by the early part of next week. I will send you the go live date once it has been confirmed.
I hope this is of help
Regards
Alan Maher
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Well twang my bra strap, what an awesome mighty coincidence!!!!!!!!!!!
Just goes to show you the value of keeping on the backs of the secretive, junketing, overpaid, out-of-touch Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns of any MBC.
They will no doubt argue that they were doing it anyway. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Jackanory, Jackanory, Jackanory.
Well done casstrickland, keep it up em cos they sure don’t like it, LMFAO 🙂
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Wow, what a coincidence that BMBC should be working on the publication project at exactly the same time that RP was making noises about it!!!
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I thought it was strange as well!
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