There was one contested by-election yesterday in Maltby, click on image to download a .pdf of the full declaration:
Congratulations to the victors and a huge lot of gratitude to everyone who made this exercise in democracy possible.
A win for labour.
This is the formal declaration for the uncontested East Ward:
Rotherham Politics 
17.4% turnout! Or 82.6% let someone else decide for them!
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Are people oblivious to the half a billion debt Rotherham Labour has created or do they still believe in the tooth fairy.
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165 people voted against Labour. The problem seems to be too many standing, splitting the opposition vote thus allowing the staus quo to continue. Until people begin to get cleverer about working together this will continue!
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When the last Labour government was ruling and ruining our country one of the objectives they achieved was introducing widespread voter apathy. The result in Maltby, and to a certain extent in Rawmarsh last year confirms most local electors would rather stay at home, probably watching TV programmes designed to turn their brains to mush. 319 residents of Maltby exercised their democratic right to vote and, as previously posted the remaining 83% of Maltby residents could not care less.
It should be drummed into everyone who is registered to vote;
Don’t vote? Don’t complain.
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Colin,I disagree with your last point; it should be: don’t vote without a bona fide excuse then you get a fine!
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Colin, you presume a little too much I think. Since when did not voting equate with watching TV of any description ? I tend to believe that voter apathy comes about when years of the same families and cronies of the same party continue to stand for election. Many Maltby people think “What’s the point in voting when we almost always know what the result will be ?” There does come a point when it’s easier not to bother than to suffer the bullying and unscrupulous behaviour of certain members of MTC.
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MB you may not have got the same vote if the opposition vote had not been split!
In Rotherham West in order not to split the anti-Labour vote, and give UKIP, a better chance of winning (I haven’t forgotten Respect)the BNP have said they will not be contesting this ward. Whatever you think of them if this helps to get rid of the odious Akhtar we should be thankful!
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I did say “probably watching TV programmes”.
I agree with your statement ‘What’s the point in voting when we almost always know what the result will be’. This is part and parcel of voter apathy and is endemic in Labour controlled wards.
If bullying and unscrupulous behaviour is seen and witnessed at MTC meetings then do what we do in Anston; bombard Jacqui Collins and Martin Kimber with letters of complaint and sooner rather than later action will be taken. (Anston Parish Council is in ‘Special Measures’ simply because the ruling Labour clique insulted, abused and rode roughshod over the electorate)
All councillors have to operate in the ethical zone ie: They not only have to do what is right, they also have to be seen to be doing right.
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I believe that voting should be mandatory. All those entitled to vote should be made to, unless it is proved there are physically or mentally incapable. However, I do not believe the age for voting entitlement should be lowered (as in the Scottish Referendum) in fact I believe it should go back to the age of 21. It was noticeable yesterday seeing Milliband brainwashing schoolchildren who are almost of voting age. I think the reduction in the voting age is one of the causes of the “tribal” voting we now see, particularly in Rotherham.
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I do not agree voting should be compulsory. One of the freedoms we (still) have is freedom of choice therefore a registered elector can choose to exercise the right to vote or abstain from voting.
This link: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0020/16157/ECCompVotingfinal_22225-16484__E__N__S__W__.pdf
explains in detail the pros and cons of compulsory voting.
My own view is we have enough laws that control what a resident must or must not do, criminalising a basic freedom is IMV a step too far.
It is apparent the Labour party in South Yorkshire can get their supporters to vote for them at election times so the remedies to combat low voter turnout are, for example education and publicity (Or propaganda if you’re a spin doctor). How to achieve these is another debate for another time.
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Colin, I fully accept your view on compulsory voting but seeing as it happens within the Asian community in Rotherham and many parts of the Country, disadvantaging the rest of the voting community, what do you do to counter it? Also, I would be very interested in your views re the age of voters.
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Colin: You call failing to vote “a right”, and a “basic freedom,” and you rightly say that people who don’t vote have no right to complain! They may have no right, but that doesn’t stop them complaining does it. Some of the biggest belly-achers are people who never vote!
As for it being a right and a freedom not to vote, I would say voting is more of a debt, a “blood debt” we owe to the people who gave their lives for us to be able to vote and I truly believe that hitting people in the pocket for failing to pay that debt would increase the turnout! The EC state they have not made any recommendation either for or against compulsion.
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Thanks for the reply, Colin. Regarding letters of complaint – ‘been there, done that ‘ springs to mind. MTC was supposedly scrutinised and the problems solved a number of years back (5 actually) during and after the Town Clerk / Labour members V Ben Slade and the Independants farce, which cost Maltby a great deal of money that could and should have been spent on the community. Yet some of those very same councillors continue to rule the council and make the decisions. Tactical voting, where certain cllrs attend a meeting or not is commonplace. Many would give up in despair, (many have done ! ) if it wasn’t that we know Maltby needs and deserves better.
Maybe the tide is turning slightly, but while the Labour majority dictate the rules, there is little chance of the change that has been needed for so long.
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Colin isn’t far wrong with TV watching, the average person watches more than 4 hours of TV. The trouble is most TV is brainwashing people into a covert agenda. Rotherham politics said it was wrong for me to push for us all to support the same Independent in Anston, but anything has to be better than Labour in Anston. Each community needs to get behind an Independent who will push their community above the Rotherham Labour agenda. Cheers Tim
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It was nice to see Kevin Barron in this week’s Advertiser singing the praises of his sister in law who he has employed with public money for 28 years! The man has no shame! That is his sister inlaw and his new wife on the payroll, himself and his brother and his daughter all living off the public purse!
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So much for equal opportunities under Labour.
Nepotism is the party mantra. Why doesn’t Sir Kev offer the jobs
instead to some of the unemployed residents he keeps bleating about?
He is now as useful to Rotherham as condoms are in a convent.
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