To my fellow armchair warriors, angry and frustrated from the safety and comfort of our lounges and living rooms. I have a message to you all. A message that I myself have wrestled with for too long…
What are we doing?…
Ooh, corruption.
Ooh, child abuse.
Ooh, Eastwood.
Ooh, (insert whatever today’s Rothpol’s angry post is here.)
We are all apparently VERY angry about ‘stuff’.
Grrrr.
But we’re not. Not really. We hide behind the safety and anonymity of the interweb, and particularly this blog. We vent. We curse. We swear that if we had a chance, we’d show them… we’d make a difference… If it was down to us….
Then we give our solution – vote differently. Apparently, that’s the answer. Because as we all know, the tories are better than labour, or lib dems are better than ukip, or… you get the idea. They all piss in the same pot and we know that. (At least those of us without an ingrained political ideology know that.)
You are all right to be angry. The system hates you. It doesn’t care about you. It doesn’t care about your children or their education or their future. It cares about it’s own self-fulfillment. And anyone that comes on this site and claims that voting for a different party will change the system is your enemy. That’s right, your enemy.
Because you know that Labour won’t change things. You know that the Tories won’t change things. You know that UKIP won’t change things. You know that the Lib Dems won’t change things or Respect won’t change things….etc. (No more parties but I include them all.)
One thing, and one thing only WILL change things…. YOU.
How does that work Warren? Easy. You make them KNOW that you’ve had enough. They answer to you. You’re the boss of them. You get angry in a way that they understand. You stop the corruption. It’s not that hard. We all know that the current leadership of the SYP is bought and paid for (if it’s not, why no arrests on CSE at the town hall?) So ignore the SYP! If they are paid to protect the ‘powerful’, show them in your numbers where the real power lies! Most coppers are just like you and me, it’s their bosses that are corrupt. Sooner or later, the rank and file will get the picture – hopefully before it’s too late and they’re too militarised… And without action now, it will be too late. Rik won’t last forever. Sites like this won’t last forever, so the time is now, not tomorrow.
How many times do you have to be told that certain councillors are corrupt to the core? One more time? Two more times? Infinity more times? What is wrong with us? Seriously, what is wrong with us? Let’s take Barry Dodson as an example. I choose him so a) I can’t be accused of racism (yes, it’s a concern thanks to political correctness), and b) he’s not my councillor. If half of what is said on here is true, how the heck is he still in office? What is so mental about the electorate that we allow it? If Barry knew that he’d be dragged kicking and screaming from office because of his shennanigans, maybe, just maybe there wouldn’t be so much of the shennanigans.
The point is this. We hold the power. It’s not so much that we’ve forgotten it, it’s that we’ve been brainwashed, or ‘nudged,’ into thinking that we never had it. Well, we did. It was called pitchforks and torches in ye olde days and it’s about time that we remembered.
Feel free to comment if you want to organise that march on the town hall. I don’t care if you’re left, right, centre, green, purple, christian, muslim, jewish, buddhist, atheist, gay, straight, lesbian, transgendered… whatever. And apologies if anyone feels victimised beacause they’re not on that list…
Do you know what I care about?
I want something simple.
A human being.
A person with a sense of common decency to represent ME in the town hall. That’s all. A decent human being. But most of all, I want someone who understands that if they abuse that position of trust that I give them… they’re in deep, deep trouble. The opposite of what we have now.
Warren Vale.
Rotherham Politics 
UKIP may not be perfect, however in order to resolve issues in this country, we need to shut the floodgates and deal with the social issues. If all UKIP achieve is us leaving the EU and introducing legally binding national referendums I will be a very happy person.
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Tim,
‘Floodgates’? Remind me again how much money Europe pays MEPs. Maybe Brussels should close the ‘floodgates’ to a bunch of thatcherite gravy train riders. Of course I refer to all the ‘others’, because obviously UKIP wouldn’t tarnish themselves with dirty euro cash, would they.
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Warren.I think you will find that they put a lot of this money into funding UKIP. So you are going to carry on voting Liberal, Labour or Conservative who are quite happy to trade their soul for the EU, because as an Independent it is virtually impossible to get in at this level. UKIP isn’t the final answer, however like the 2nd world war, we have to win the battle before we see real democracy. But a vote on the EU will be the first rung of the level and then binding referendums. Cheers Tim
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Warren, I hope, when your refer to the leadership of SYP, you only mean the PCC and not serving officers. If you are referring to serving officers, you are totally wrong. The current leadership in Rotherham is very strong and I am satisfied totally non-corruptible.
The problem is, those idiots who voted in Shaun Wright as PCC have absolutely no idea what they have done. They have landed us with one of the power corrupted scum from Rotherham Labour Group who is decimating our police service. Don’t blame the police, blame the voters and our current government for creating this political control over the police service.
Don’t forget, it was the Council who created the cover up of CSE in Rotherham, and who was behind that, the PCC.
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Anon,
CSE is a crime. Agreed? Covering up a crime is a crime. Agreed? I think that’s what you just wrote?… That the council covered up CSE in Rottenham? So I look forward to your strong current leadership sending those serving officers to make some arrests. If you read above, you’ll notice that I pointed out that the rank and file are just like us. The faults in SYP lie at the top of the food chain, not the bottom – and yes, I include Shaun Wrong in that… And don’t blame voters when any one single officer can ignore ‘political’ pressure and make an arrest. That officer may choose not to, but that’s the officer – not the voter.
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And you may have missed this recent offering Anon:
Not sure Rosie would be as ‘satisfied’ as you.
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It;s simple why Barry Dodson and other dubious people are on the council – two thirds of the electorate in this town can’t be bothered to vote! With this being the case, Labour know if they can get their core vote out(something they failed to do in Rawmarsh) then they have a very good chance of winning. I for one have called for compulsory voting, as many people gave their lives for us to be able to vote, it should be a legal requirement for all to do so.
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Mal, totally agree with you. Failing to vote should result in a very hefty fine.
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Good article Warren and well expressed sentiments. I have to agree ‘armchair warriors’ are the people who feel most frustrated with the lack of leadership and integrity in our town hall/council chamber.
malcontent raises a common issue; The sheeple who are not politically aware,not politically motivated or even interested in local politics.. How often on this forum have we complained about the residents in Rotherham who only take an interest in politics at election times and then tick the box for the candidate who represented their grandfathers, fathers and other family members? If you want to vote for a candidate who represents ‘your’ political party then fine do it, but for heavens sake knowing what the party represents and its policies is equally just as important IMV.
Lack of wider publicity about wrongdoings by local government in Rotherham suits the controlling Labour party so people like me-who attends every parish council meeting in Anston and asks pertinent questions-are left trying to spread the word there is an alternative to Labour councillors.
It is damned hard work talking to people and encouraging them to talk openly about their political beliefs/persuasions.
Who said “You can’t educate pork”? He/she was right.
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Don’t blame the electorate for not turning out to vote blame the politicians, what incentive have people got to turn out to vote? All the parties are the same, UKIP are no different to any of the others, that is why they have defectors from the other parties they find it easy to fit in. When you have Neil Hamilton, he of the cash for question scandal of 1997 as a Tory M.P, as your vice chairman; as UkIP do, you have a problem proving that you are different and a credible alternative. I will be standing in Dinnington as a true independent candidate it is the only way forward to show people that there is a real alternative to party politics. I agree Warren we should organize a protest march on the town hall and I will be willing to help organize it, we do not protest enough in this country.
Dave Smith
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Dave let me know when and where. I have no organisational skills but others on here definitely do. Some posts talk about engaging the non-voting electorate – but that’s not my debate here. I’m talking about us, the so-called engaged minority. But let me make this clear, I’m not talking about a protest march, I’m talking about arrests. Someone on this blog must have knowledge of our rights concerning making a citizen’s arrest? Rik must have dossiers of evidence by now that are so thick you could beat elephants to death with them.
I will gladly walk into the town hall with a Colin Tawn from the right, yourself (from the left?), Regular Reader, Tim, Malcontent or countless others who could step out from behind our computer screens. Maybe even Yvonne Ridley. What about George Galloway? Nice photo op. I include myself in the armchair warrior bracket btw. I have been cowardly and hoped that someone would sort it all out for us, but haven’t we all realised yet that no-one will?
So let’s open the citizens’ arrest pandora’s box. A gentle stroll to the town hall for what would be a non-violent act of civil disobediance. Disobediant to our ‘betters’ who would rather let things be. And no, I don’t trust the SYP to investigate the town hall. Others might, but I don’t… and know this – WE would be called the criminals. WE would be arrested. So no-one agree lightly. But I know groups like RAC have put their money where their mouth is on the streets, and like him or not a Farage from the right doesn’t shy away from confrontation.
I’m sure Rik won’t mind putting anyone interested in at least discussing this further in touch with me.
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It is not that easy Warren………………
There are no rules explaining the exact way to go about making a citizen’s arrest, but if you decide to make one, bear in mind the following points:
•you must inform the person what you are doing as soon as is reasonably possible;
•you must tell them why you are arresting them as soon as is reasonably possible;
•you must tell the person what offence you believe they have committed;
•you may only use reasonable force when arresting the person in question.
For your citizen’s arrest to be legally valid, you must, once you have arrested the person, immediately take them to a police station or to a magistrate. In practice, you should make sure you alert a police officer at the earliest opportunity. After you have brought your suspect to the police, you’ll be required to make a full statement. You may also have to go to court to act as a witness, should the case come to trial.
When making an arrest, it is permitted to use ‘reasonable force’ to restrain your suspect. However, ‘reasonable force’ isn’t clearly defined anywhere and so being a vigilante and attacking people you suspect of committing crimes could result in you being prosecuted instead. The circumstances of the arrest will define what sort of force is considered reasonable and, if the case comes to trial, the use of ‘reasonable force’ will be determined there.
It is possible for a person to be sued for unlawful arrest or face civil litigation if a citizen’s arrest goes wrong or does not comply with the law. Consequently, you should think carefully before you make a citizen’s arrest, particularly as the legal issues involved are very complicated and may involve a lot of discussion in court.
Remember the poor guy who tried to make a citizens arrest on Warmonger Blair last week? He was stopped by Blair’s security people. End of Citizens Arrest attempt.
I’m all for confronting Kimber, Stone,Collins,Moofy,Akhtar and Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh as well if need be but you know as well as anyone the key word is ‘Evidence’. Strong irrefutable facts supported by verifiable documents and photgraphs plus witness statements.
Provide all that and I’m with you 100%.
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Just found this;
A “citizen’s arrest” is no longer the term applicable, the Serious Organised Crime &
Police Act 2005 abolished the statutory concept of the “arrestable offence”. A
constable may now arrest for any offence in appropriate circumstances.
This Act inserted section 24A into the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984 allowing a
person other than a constable to arrest without a warrant in certain circumstances.
The offence nust be indictable (bilking, or refusing to pay, is indictable.
Causing damange of less than £5000 in value is NOT an indictable offence.
The Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984:
24A Arrest without warrant: other persons
(1) A person other than a constable may arrest without a warrant—
(a) anyone who is in the act of committing an indictable offence;
(b) anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing an
indictable offence.
(2) Where an indictable offence has been committed, a person other than a
constable may arrest without a warrant—
(a) anyone who is guilty of the offence;
(b) anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be guilty of it.
(3) But the power of summary arrest conferred by subsection (1) or (2) is exercisable
only if—
(a) the person making the arrest has reasonable grounds for believing that for any of
the reasons mentioned in subsection (4) it is necessary to arrest the person in
question; and
(b ) it appears to the person making the arrest that it is not reasonably practicable for
a constable to make it instead.
(4) The reasons are to prevent the person in question—
(a) causing physical injury to himself or any other person;
(b) suffering physical injury;
(c) causing loss of or damage to property; or
(d) making off before a constable can assume responsibility for him.”
In relation to England and Wales, the expression “indictable offence” means an offence which, if committed by an adult, is triable on indictment, whether it is
exclusively so triable or triable “either way”; and the term “indictable”, in its
application to offences, is to be construed accordingly. There is no simple definition.
An either way offence allows the defendant to elect between trial by jury on
indictment in the Crown Court and summary trial in the Magistrates’ Court. However,
the election may be overruled by the Magistrates’ Court if the facts suggest that the
sentencing powers of a Magistrates’ Court would be inadequate to reflect the
seriousness of the offence. These offences can be the subject of an arrest.
Click to access Citizen%20Power%20of%20arrest.pdf
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I am certainly up for protest march’s, I did three against the Iraq war in Sheffield. I would like to see protests march’s in all our towns against our participation in the EU, I don’t think voting UKIP is enough and quick enough. I like much of what UKIP says, but I am not with them on the Monarchy or Grammar schools. I believe as a country we need to have binding legal referendums as in Switzerland, which takes an awful lot of power away from the government. Count me in for any protests against the EU or for binding legal referendums. What Lech Wałęsa did was against the law and risked his own personal safety. I am all for Evolution.
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Labour governance, cronyism, corruption and Common Purpose! See If you can watch this without feeling angry, let down and sick to the stomach!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3AKoYH82whk
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IMRfSDw06cs
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X-3tdlxnYP8
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I think you only have to look at the debacle with Sheffield city airport. But closer to home when I first became involved with DART (Dinnington Area Regeneration Trust), I was asked to audit their accounts with somebody else, before they were sent to the accountants. Bearing in mind DART was responsible for the building of the resource centre, you would expect to see about a million pounds going through their accounts, there was about 3K. It wasn’t possible to see which businesses were paid to build the resource centre and how much?
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Re the links on whistle blowing: I understand exactly how whistle blowers are treated by RMBC (Especially the unelected officials and HR).
RMBC clsoe ranks, ignore evidence and then the bullying begins. They get rid of you and spread the word via their networks so you then struggle to find employment. When you complain they begin the procedure again, set up meaningless meetings and then simply stop replying when the damning evidence is produced. When you go to a third independent party they then use the RMBC legal team and threaten to sue the complainant under very tenuous clauses further delaying the process saying ”RMBC have decided it wasn’t illegal so it isn’t’. (This even when they admit it was and they did it)
My particular complaint as so far taken 4 years – I wish I could detail it but if I do I will compromise the process and apparently be sued for ‘everything you have’. Believe me you need a strong will and willingness to sacrifice your whole career (not just locally) to stick it out. I am doing so. Outside this process some involved slyly abuse you in the street. You are mocked and insulted. Councillors ignore you saying its part of a process now so they can’t help. Meanwhile RMBC treat you as an inconvenience they can crush and you’d surprised some of things (false) you hear about yourself. .
So my lesson regarding this don’t expect RMBC and the HR top take you seriously no matter how serious, Go straight to a third party..The RMBC complaint procedures are meaningless. They exist to cover up and bully.
RMBC claim Every Child Matters. All I can say is I know they don’t as far as RMBC are concerned.
SKT xxxx
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I understand that Bernard Froggatt has come public that he will be standing for UKIP. I won’t necessarily vote for him, as I want to know what he will do for Anston. I have posted an open letter to him, which will hopefully appear in the Worksop Guardian.
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Our party politics is not good but until we do change things it is what it is – corrupt! Why not show your support for the 6 demands of the Harrogate Agenda at: http://harrogateagenda.org.uk/
Meanwhile I believe through UKIP we can show the LIB/LAB/CON up for what they truly are.
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John. I understand that UKIP will be introducing legally binding referendums as per Switzerland. Does that mean we can have a referendum on getting rid of the Monarchy? I believe the Monarchy are the cherry on top of the corrupt establishment, I don’t see them through rose tinted spectacles. I think removing the ruling by birth right would do more to improve social mobility than Grammar schools. When you consider all the leaders etc in the main parties have had private education, it doesn’t say a lot for bringing back Grammar schools. Stream lined education, within a public school education would be far better. Everybody deserves a decent education dependent on their current ability. All the best Tim
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Tim,
I hope you mean:
“Stream-lined education, within a STATE school education would be far better.
Everybody deserves a decent education IN-dependent on their current ability. ”
… and it’s even the basis of the excellent Swiss education system,
(but absurdly, Swiss schools don’t have canteens – the kids have to come home for lunch. Nothing’s perfect. 🙂 )
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From my days at school, coming home for lunch was far superior to school meals in Dinnington Comprehensive school. Have you proof that all schools in Switzerland don’t provide schools lunches? The Swiss are pretty switched on, so if this is the case, there must be a good reason. Perhaps it is because children live more local to where they school and their mothers are at home!
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Anon
It was certainly true in the Swiss State school system some years back when my kid was at school there – and a couple of years back I was in contact with a current school teacher in CH asking how much had changed since then; and it was still the same – except that it was now increasingly common for some of the stay-at-home mothers to set up “lunch clubs” to feed other peoples kids – allowing more mums to go out to work.
But yes, certainly at primary level, the schools are much smaller than here (circa 20 kids per class) and there are more of them, which allows them to be located much closer to where the kids live. All kids can walk to school, and do.
There is a lot I liked about the system, particularly how it was organised.
The primary schools, were simply a group of classrooms with class teachers and a caretaker – but no head teachers or other hierarchical structure; whilst in the town hall there were a admin team looking after all of of the schools.
I like Switzerland and its peoples and it works, but I’d never describe it as “switched on”, and some cantons, particularly the Appenzell half-cantons, are just the opposite.
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I have been reading Rotherham Politics for a good while now and feel, following Warren Vale’s timely comment, that it may indeed be time to actually do something. I am not so sure that marching on the Town Hall should be the first step but doing something has many opportunities and avenues which can be explored.
I have been taking soundings from political and business colleagues and there is a desire (possibly a limited one) to form some sort of group which will comment on, ask questions of and generally hold Rotherham Councillors and Officers to account. This group should include individuals from all parties, business, public, and voluntary sectors who have a common held view that this corruption of representation can no longer be tolerated and that effort should be made to balance the system.
I have been involved with the Tories for the last five years and have come to the conclusion they are totally ineffectual as an opposition and are probably no different from the other political parties we know of. There are no strategic objectives to tackle obviously important issues and deficiencies within the Local Authority and therefore I would like to be involved in setting up something a little different.
The group should organise itself to be the opposition voice – ask questions from the public gallery in Council meetings which are pertinent and to the point and not merely posed for political furtherance. Relationships with the local media should be developed and a strategic rather than knee jerk plans made to set about this problem from a common sense point of view. When the Council does a good job the group should support it unlike most political parties which criticise everything the Council does. A balanced view in monitoring will strengthen the groups voice so when it does criticise it carries more weight and represents a broad spectrum of views.
A colleague even came up with a possible name for the group – “You Work For Me”. Not set in stone of course but it gets the point across.
The way forward?
Has someone got a large enough meeting place for a face to face discussion?
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Thanks for this thought provoking comment Digweed.
You seem to be reinventing the wheel!
If it’s Independent politics you are after pursuing? Rothpol can put you in touch with like minded people who are getting organized across Rotherham?
Rothpol is a web only operation. We can bring folk together on occasion, but they operate entirely independently of Rotherham Politics.
Your proposal has been tried before, last time it was called Rotherham Council Watch.
Should any new political force emerge, then I would very much hope for cordial relations with them.
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