A new report on Child Sexual Exploitation, from Sarah Champion:
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Rotherham Politics
Robust scrutiny of all things political around Rotherham and beyond. Speaking truth to power since 2008
A new report on Child Sexual Exploitation, from Sarah Champion:
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Rotherham Politics 
Where was she when the kids of Rotherham needed her?
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Wasn’t she earning about 60K a year as the chief executive of Bluebellwood hospice.
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… and that’s a tough enough task in itself.
Her salary (between £60 and 70K – according to the published accounts) would have been in-line with what one would expect for a CEO of a charity of that size outside London.
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Regular reader. Tough is being on a minimum wage, working a shift system and having to use the bus to get to work. I have seen first hand what happens at Bluebell wood as my ex partners son was one of the first to use it. I actually visited a day centre, in Doncaster and I have seen things that really upset me. Bluebell wood shouldn’t be a charity, its an absolute necessity. It should be provided by the NHS, it wouldn’t have needed the likes of Sarah Champion and all the other fundraisers. These so called charities sprang up under the likes of Blair, while he could afford billions to spend on illegal wars. Cheers Tim
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TIm
Tough is not having any job.
But then there are tough (in the sense of difficult and challenging) jobs at every level.
Yes it is wrong that Bluebell Woods gets no government statutory support, particularly when similar centres for adults do. (Ms Champion has been campaigning on that every since she entered HoC, she first spoke about it in her Maiden Speech. ) .
I could be wrong but I seem to recollect your saying that whilst you want to see the NHS to (as it does) provide it’s service free at the point of delivery, you would wish the service itself to be privatised. Would Bluebell Wood then be expected to tender for the contract that it now performs so well via public donations?
(If I have misunderstood your thinking , I apologise.)
Sarah Champion was not a fund raiser – she was CEO. The fundraisers would be one of several specialist teams within the organisation – they even have their own institute – the Institute of Fundraising .
I don’t know where you get the idea that they are “so called” charities. Provision of some medical services were one of the original charitable objectives of the Charitable Uses Act of 1601; and it’s revision in 1888 encompassed them all within the “public benefit test”. Blair doesn’t come into it. (Though both he and Brown run some of their activities through charitable structures.)
(My ex- had been director or CEO of not-unrelated health charities since the 1970’s until her retirement).
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Regular reader. UKIP talk about free point of entry and private provision of services where possible. I am a believer that tax’s should be lowered and I pay my own medical bills, as I would food from a supermarket or restaurant. I ran Dinnington business club and used to donate the profits to Bluebell wood hospice, but I was so disappointed when a speaker came from Bluebell wood hospice and wouldn’t even bring up the issue about child hospices getting so little funding compared with adults, I specifically asked him to go into detail about it. Provision of public services through charitable enterprises seemed to go into over drive under Blair. Having being involved with a number of charities since 2000 and knowing what goes off behind closed doors, I keep my distance from them. Charity was about giving time or money for free and not using it to push your street credibility. I think the word charity has become abused. If it is an essential service, the government should provide through our tax’s, a charity shouldn’t be used for obscene salaries. Cheers Tim
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Tim, this is not the first time you have stated much of this; I clearly remember your story of the meeting with a representative of Bluebell Wood. As I told you at the time all Charities have real difficulty when speaking/campaigning against government policy, ‘cos it’s not a Charitable Objective.
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Dave:
The answer to your question, Bolt. Horse. Stable door.
This report might be necessary but it is full of management speak and generalisations. Like most reports it tells us nothing we were not already aware of but it does raise the profile of an ineffective MP.
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Colin,
From my reading of the report it wasn’t written for you, Dave or me, it was written for the other members of the HoC to make them aware of the situation and to argue for several much needed changes in the current law and court procedures.
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@rr
If that is the case it presumes MP’s of all parties have no knowledge of CSE which I think is unlikely.
If the law and court procedures need changing then surely Champion will not only lobby the Justice Secretary but also introduce a Private Members bill when she has secured agreement from a significant number of MP’s from all parties. I do not disagree the scandal of CSE needs highlighting and wider publicity but this report does not fill these criteria IMHO. It has not been given wide publicity, consequently Mr. and Mrs. Joe & Josephine Public remain largely unaware of the true scale of these horrendous crimes against young and vulnerable people.
I have not heard any MP-including Champion-raise this matter in the HoC in recent weeks hence my comment about her ineffectiveness.
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Hi Colin
Perhaps you were not listening last Thursday, March 27 when she tabled new clauses (Clause 9 and 10) of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/pbc/2013-14/Criminal_Justice_and_Courts_Bill/12-0_2014-03-27a.11.0?id=12-0_2014-03-27a.11.0
and where she says ” Over the past few months, I have had the pleasure of chairing a cross-party inquiry into the effectiveness of legislation for tackling child sexual exploitation and trafficking within the UK. The new clauses tabled today were developed after analysis of the written and oral evidence from the inquiry panel. Submissions came from a wide range of organisations with expertise in the topic, including the police, legal experts, local government, charities and, most importantly, young people who had been affected by sexual exploitation … “.
Perhaps you were not listening to Today on Radio 4, or watching the news on BBC tv yesterday.
This is also worth a read: http://www.sarahchampionmp.com/sarah-champion-mp-and-barnardos-call-for-tougher-laws-to-protect-children-from-being-groomed-by-sex-offenders/ .
“If that is the case it presumes MP’s of all parties have no knowledge of CSE which I think is unlikely.” Come on Colin, you can’t be serious!
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Ms Champion should be asking RMBC why they have recruited Clair Pyper?
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http://www.talesfromthetownhall.co.uk/pyper-called-to-retune-councils-team.html refers.
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@rr.
In spite of her good intentions she did not think this through. I do not want to disparage her motives but she ended the debate by saying; “Thank you. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion”
‘Nuff said.
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Good one Colin!
Clause 9 – withdrawn after government spokesman says:
“… With all that in mind, I hope that the hon. Member for Rotherham will accept that it is sensible for me to go away and reflect on what she has said, and to work out what we can sensibly do next. I do not want to make promises to her that I cannot keep, but I will certainly consider carefully her argument and what other members of the Committee have said. Given that, I hope she will withdraw the new clause.”
Clause 10 – withdrawn after discussion of legal implications.
Ms Champion had tried to remove an inconsistency in current law – the argument against her clause was that it could introduce other greater inconsistencies. (In my understanding – but I’m not a lawyer).
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I think we are at cross purposes here.
SC has introduced changes to the law to protect children. Good.
However, if you asked 100 people in Rotherham the following questions:
Has your Council Tax risen.
Do you get value for money from RMBC
Is the Ch. Exec. paid too much
Has your rent increased.
Is litter and fly tipping a problem in Rotherham
Is CSE a concern for you.
I’d be willing to bet £10.00 CSE is low on the priority list.
SC refused to answer Dave Smith’s question.
She is not overly concerned about housing conditions and the environment in Eastwood.
She had nothing to contribute when the LDP was published.
She was elected as one of the MP’s for Rotherham the CSE capital of Europe and while I think her proposal to protect children is worthwhile what has she done for Rotherham? What is her input to attract new business to Rotherham? Why hasn’t she made representations to ensure more affordable homes are being built in our area?
Champion might have made her mark by introducing these new clauses but it will all be forgotten by the electorate before Christmas.
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Yup, I also would be happy if she turned some criticism on to RMBC, but heck I have Sir Barron for MP – the guy would chaired the committee that gave M.MillerMP a gentle tap on the hand.
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Then we are blood brothers! Sir Kev of Fence Riding is also my MP.
Agreed he made sure Maria Miller was forced to refund some of the money she gained but strangely enough Sir Kev was not forced to pay back any of the profit he made on Maltby Towers.
I wonder why??
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Colin,
it all stinks from Westminster to S. Yorkshire and beyond.
Go to this page: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/standards/ , scroll down and click on the “written evidence” link.
I was born into the Labour movement*, voted Labour all my life, then in 2002 came to live in Rotherham where I’ve never felt able to vote Labour. But, you know, when I go and stay with my son in Lewisham SE London, and see what Labour is doing there, all my old loyalties come right back. Makes me want to move back to London.
I can still remember Barron defending the previous speaker (Martin) of the Commons on TV, I was utterly disgusted.
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* My first practical maths lesson was, aged 3, adding up Union Dues in my local Trade Union Hall on Thursday nights, sitting next to my granddad -the Union Treasurer. (I still remember it all so well – 68 years on).
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