These are the Councillors who attended the seminar in 2005, from which time those present can hardly make a convincing denial that they knew. Seems incredible that a total lack of curiosity means that no further questions were raised by Councillors in the nine years since they knew.
They were given all the information of what was going on and did nothing about it:
Those still on the Council
Cllr Stone
Cllr Ali
Cllr Atkin
Cllr Ellis
Cllr Gosling
Cllr Havenhand
Cllr McNeely
Cllr Swift
Cllr Turner
Cllr Whelbourn
Cllr Wooton
Cllr Wyatt
Those no longer on the Council
Cllr Austen
Cllr Barron
Cllr Boyes
Cllr Burke
Cllr Darby
Cllr Davies
Cllr Hall
Cllr Hodgkiss
Cllr Jack
Cllr Nightingale
Cllr Pickering
Cllr Robinson
Cllr Russell
Cllr StJohn
Cllr Senior
Cllr Thirlwall
Cllr Wardle
Have they anything to say to readers directly.
Rothpol will publish any responses received.
From Wil’s comment. It appears, all serving Councillors were invited to this meeting.
This is the full list of serving Councillors for 2005 as provided by Robin Symonds:
Councillor Hilda Jack
Councillor Alan Atkin
Councillor Shaukat Ali
Councillor Jane Austen
Councillor Colin Barron
Councillor Karl Sam Barton
Councillor Lynda Binnie
Councillor Timothy Bowmar
Councillor Georgina Boyes
Councillor Patrick Burke
Councillor Josephine Burton
Councillor John Michael Clarke
Councillor Brian Cutts
Councillor Pauline Darby
Councillor David Davies
Councillor Barry Dodson
Councillor John Doyle
Councillor Sue Ellis
Councillor John Gilding
Councillor Alan Gosling
Councillor David Hall
Councillor Jane Hamilton
Councillor Neil Hamilton
Councillor Jane Havenhand
Councillor Frank Hodgkiss
Councillor Mahroof Hussain
The Mayor (Allan Jackson)
Councillor Lindsay Johnston
Councillor Barry Kaye
Councillor Maurice Kirk
Councillor Paul Lakin
Councillor Patricia Lee
Councillor Neil License
Councillor Reg Littleboy
Councillor Rose McNeely
Councillor Geb Nightingale
Councillor David Nuttall
Councillor Susan Nuttall
Councillor Dave Pickering
Councillor Glyn Robinson
Councillor Amy Rushforth
Councillor Gwendoline Ann Russell
Councillor Patricia Anne Russell
Councillor Richard S. Russell
Councillor Iain St. John
Councillor Alex Sangster
Councillor Aubrey Senior
Councillor Terry Sharman
Councillor Benjamin Slade
Councillor Gerald Smith
Councillor Roger Stone
Councillor Robin Stonebridge
Councillor John Swift
Councillor Peter Thirlwall
Councillor John Turner
Councillor Caven Vines
Councillor Sheila Walker
Councillor Philip Wardle
Councillor Glyn Whelbourn
Councillor Peter Wootton
Councillor Fred Wright
Councillor Shaun Wright
Councillor Ken Wyatt
Those who did not attend, have some questions to answer, too. Rothpol.
Rotherham Politics 
I know UKIP want all those who attended to stand, but have a problem with that.
Every Councillor was invited to attend, would have known the subject and it would have been talked about in Labour Group.
So what about those who knew the subject of the seminar, but couldn’t be bothered to attend?
Next year and probably for several years Labour will be struggling to win a ward. So why not take the opportunity to clean out the stables properly….insist all Labour Councillors offer themselves to the Party for re selection, and get one of the cleaner LP groups to oversee.
Wil
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Or those who were unable to attend (for whatever reason). And what about Cllr Turner; will UKIP be asking him to stand down or withdrawing the whip from him?
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And more pertinently, I’ve just realised Caven Vines was a councillor throughout 2005. Why didn’t he attend the seminar? Does he have a valid reason or is he one of the ‘couldn’t be bothereds’? Perhaps he should stand down.
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Oh dear oh dear…. tut tut tut …. Why do you persist in attacking UKIP and Mr Vines at every opportunity ? Hardly the place this … I would have thought at this moment in time you could pick a more appropriate Cllr to target from the bunch of lame, lying, conniving and overpaid excuses of men / women that call themselves our representatives .. was it Mr Vines who was in charge of children’s services …. No . Was it Mr Vines who allegedly organised the handover of a child at a service station to secure the non action against a friend .. hmm let me see ….NO . Change the record Mr Symonds your becoming a bit boring .
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1st time user, the point I was trying to make was that political point scoring is inappropriate considering the magnitude of the issue. UKIP has called for anyone who attended the seminar to stand down and in my opinion that is ludicrous. I am not for one minute suggesting that Cllr Turner should stand down because he attended (UKIP seem to be suggesting that though). I just think it’s a bit rich that the 30 cllrs who could be bothered to attend a seminar on such an important issue should be called to resign yet the 33 who couldn’t be bothered to attend are beyond reproach. I agree that Shaun Wright’s position is untenable and as the former cabinet member for CYPS he should have had a more detailed knowledge of the extent of the problem than back bench cllrs. I do not go along with the calls for all and sundry to resign and I am in the process of writing to my MEP to ask her to stop the ‘shoot from the hip’ opportunism of calling for mass resignations. I see and hear little mention of bringing the perpetrators to justice. In my opinion the first priority should be to ensure that the victims are receiving adequate and appropriate support and the second priority should be to remove the culprits from our streets. Ms Collins’ “categorical call for the resignation of everyone directly or indirectly involved with this case” is a distraction and an utter nonsense. Let’s just ponder for a minute what that would mean – presumably the resignation of each and every CYPS Safeguarding social worker who has worked for RMBC between 1997 and 2013. Can you imagine how that would affect the safety of children in Rotherham? Ms Collins has a history of demanding that heads should roll without specifying which heads they should be or considering the implications of what she is demanding. I’m sorry to be boring (not the first time that’s been levelled at me on here) but I’m sick and tired of political opportunism. Let’s focus on bringing the perpetrators to justice and implementing the action plan to ensure our children are kept safe in the future.
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Robin you have just reminded me that I have not provided the list you were kind enough to provide, thanks.
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Robin,
you are far less boring than many of those that criticise you here.
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Thanks for posting this Wil – all those listed should consider their position/provide an explanation of their inaction. Hope Labour’s NEC withdraws the whip from those who are still Labour Councillors. UKIP should do the same with theirs.
Would be interesting to know why the other 36 (I think there were 66 councillors back in 2005) couldn’t ne bothered to turn up to the seminar.
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Apologies , of course I meant ‘stand down.’
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I can tell you now, not one Labour councillor is willing to stand down. My guess is that their answer will be to put forward a motion at the next full council meeting to accept the findings of the report, say sorry to the victims again, condemn the perpetrators again, say lessons will be learnt and hope all this will simply go away!
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Apparently this list has been given to the national Labour group for them to investigate, don;t hold your breath. Dinnington has two on this list Havenhand and Wardle. Havenhand is involved with Safe at Last a Dinnington based charity helping run away children.
Dave Smith
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Im not in Ukip but even I know that they do not have a whip at local level. They believe the councillors can serve the community better by listening.to the views of the electorate rather than having to toe a party line,
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The labour nec and leadership have been inundated with complaints over Rotherham covering up the wrongdoing and demanding swift action
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Not true. It is possible for any political party to withdraw the whip in that they can declare a councillor no longer represents them.
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Who were the 3 councillors who used council computers to download and view porn?
What action was taken?
Are they still on council?
Were they involved in coverup of the child abuse?
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Two are still serving Councillors, who should be also be considering their positions tonight? Especially the ‘old goat’ whose ‘boob’, cost us dear in financial terms and covered-up, like everything else in Rotherham!!!
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Thar would be Alan Atkin and Gerald Smith then!
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Mubeen hussain been tramping all radio and tv studios. Interviewed on bbc1religious programme today. Refered as head of youth council.
Is this body bona fide or made up?
When was he elected?
why did he and his uncles not know what was going on?
Was it look duck and scarper or not to upset voting fodder?
Trying to talk over others and was slapped down as being macho.
only 3% in rotherham but segregated to a small concentration around town centre.
Need to look at segregation and treatment towards pakistani women and treated as 2nd class rather than equal.
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‘Need to look at segregation and treatment towards pakistani women and treated as 2nd class rather than equal’
yes, I agree with anon on that. A meeting was held at the Orient Express the other day. Many from the Pakistani community turned up to discuss the issue with Sara Champion, not one was a woman.
No one can say how many Pakistani women and girls get raped by members of their community. Many 2nd generation asian women can’t speak English, deliberately kept ignorant to stop them turning to the authorities for help. Not that would do much good the way the police and council have behaved.
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Do the kashmir leaders and followers believe in equality and diversity?
What are their attitudes to east european migrants?
On equality for women and gay/lesbian?
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attitude towards eu migrants ….push drugs on them , slovkas have reported this times many to police .
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Interesting tweet from ms Champion this morning! We didn’t know but they did….it wasn’t us it was them!
@SarahChampionMP: We need to draw a line between staff/police/councillors culpable in report for neglecting victims and those now fighting to achieve justice
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I think it’s a valid point. Scapegoating benefits noone.
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Sounds like the attitude that got us here in first place with the coverup.
So we just let the people in authority paid to do a job not be held accountable.
Working eople in workplace wud get summarily dismissed for much less.
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Not at all Anon, SC is merely saying some people are culpable and some aren’t and those that aren’t shouldn’t be blamed. It seems perfectly reasonable doesn’t it? I’ve read where people are calling for ALL councillors to have to stand for re-election. That’s just daft; how can someone who was elected in 2014 for example be held responsible for abuse that occurred between 1997 and 2013? Someone else suggested that Sarah Champion shouldn’t be our MP (despite her being instrumental in achieving a significant change in the law regarding CSE). Again, that’s just daft. There’s a danger of taking the ‘guilt by association’ thing too far.
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Are you seriously suggesting that Sarah Champion was complicit in any “cover-up” ?
Where is your evidence?
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Robin
collective responsibility works both ways rather than just a cop out.
why did they never warn their constituents,?
Failed to defend children and families?
or act on any of the earlier reports not to mention the seminar info that all 66 cllrs were aware of the content and findings?
Are you telling your members that their should be no duty of care?
That their kids should not have been safeguarded over the last 16 years?
That the cheif execs, police, senior directors past and present should not be held to account and face the appropriate sanctions?
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Robin answer each of the questions
Then ask each of those charged with safeguarding people to answer and put their names to it.
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I fully agree Tony .
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Which Eastwood councillor has been promising women he has been shagging with jobs at Rotherham council?
I think we should be told.
Do Councillors have authority to do so?
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Anon and Tony, I don’t understand what you’re asking. My understanding of collective responsibility is that you are bound by a majority decision even if you personally didn’t support it. Are you suggesting that because you belong to a particular political party you share responsibility for their actions or inactions that predate your being in a position to influence those actions? I don’t think you can really be suggesting that so I’m afraid you’ve lost me.
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Obviously robin qualities of being a cllr.
We talking about collective responsibility of being aware of large scale criminal wrong doing.
That every decent individual should av been willing to expose.but if not in the public intrest.
meanwhile 100s more continued to be abused, raped and molested.
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What Robin Symonds fails to take in to account when resignations of councillors are being called for is the report findings. Anyone who attended the 2005 seminar could not say they did not know what was going on, bearing this in mind not one Labour councillor spoke out. So why should we trust these people and the rest of the Labour councillors to make sure the victims are properly looked after now when they failed them before; and how can we trust them to make sure the perpetrators are caught and prosecuted when they covered up for them? How does he think we in Dinnington feel, one of our councillors who attended the seminar is involved with a childrens charity helping runaway children. She is also involved in helping another young peoples charity set up home in Dinnington. Does Robin Symonds think that we should do what she obviously did and turn a blind eye, I don’t think so. I believe we in Dinnington have the right to call for the resignation of Councillors Havenhand and Wardle. Also we have a councillor, along with Havenhand who was involved with Rotherham council childrens committees, councillor Falvey, this was when Shaun Wright was chairman. Taking Robin Symonds spin on this I suppose we should leave her alone as well. All I can say Robin is don’t hold your breath or Rotherham could be looking for another union official, and where could they find one like you.
Dave Smith
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Fully agree with you dave
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It is regrettable that people like Dave Smith let their obvious antipathy towards trade unions jaundice their views on such serious matters. For the avoidance of doubt I feel privileged and proud to represent public service workers as my occupation after many years of doing so as an elected lay representative. However, I post on this forum in a personal capacity as a Rotherham resident. My interest in the CSE issue and desire to avoid the victims being used as political pawns is two-fold: – a) as the parent of a teenage daughter I am obviously concerned that the problems are tackled effectively and the perpetrators of such crimes are brought to justice and removed from our streets, and b) the victims have been used and abused by those who exploited them. It is a gross indecency IMO that some people are now using the victims to obtain political capital.
I, as much as anybody, wish to see justice achieved for the victims. I have absolutely no desire to see any councillors protected or absolved from their responsibilities. It is regrettable that people like Dave Smith seek to put their own spin on my comments. if you read my comments for what they are you will see that I have not sought to absolve anyone from blame; I merely said that those who aren’t culpable shouldn’t be blamed. I don’t know who is and who isn’t culpable. I have no way of knowing if attendance at a seminar in 2005 makes the attendees culpable as I have no idea what information was imparted to those present at the seminar. All I know is what I have read in the Advertiser. I do remain of the view that it seems a bit unfair to damn the 30 cllrs who could at least be bothered to attend yet level absolutely no criticism of the 33 who couldn’t be bothered to attend a seminar on such an important issue.
I live in hope that people will stop using this issue to score political points and concentrate on gaining justice for the victims. On the scale of culpability I’d be interested to hear what people on here who watched Panorama this evening think about the police officers who lost the rape victim’s clothes and therefore the rapist’s DNA?
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Robin
For evil to triumph is for people to look the other way and say nowt.
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Robin
For evil to triumph is for people to look the other way and say nowt.
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Was Vines an independent or a Tory in 2005? I didn’t know he had been a Councillor before?
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Independent, serving one year won at a by-election. Pat Lee was also elected as an Independent at the same time.
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Andrew,
it is my intention to respond to your criticism in due course.
You will have noticed that I blog, write letters and campaign in my own name which allows you to criticize me freely and whenever you feel like it. Perhaps you would be prepared to let me know your name so I can establish where your grudge for me comes from. I have obviously pissed you off in the past, so give me the chance to know what I have supposed to have done.
If this issue on CSE was so widely talked about as far back as 2005 I presume you will have heard about it, so tell us all Andrew what did you do about it?
I do get annoyed with the likes of you, who sit back, do nowt and moan about those that do.
I seem to have been fighting injustice, nearly full time, for the past forty years, only to be criticized by some upstart like you. Tell us all Andrew, when have you fought against injustice?
Oh and by the way, don’t worry about me standing for election again. I gave up my future in politics by blotting my copy book, fighting the campaigns you criticize me for. (Copied from a previous blog)
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Peter, firstly, you’ll have seen from my posts on this that I am questioning the position of all of those who were councillors at the time of the 2005 seminar – not just you. I did specifically mentioned three names (Barron, Thirwall and Turner) to illustrate that it isn’t just sitting Labour councillors who have questions to answer. So, don’t think it’s just about you.
I don’t have a grudge against you, but I am pissed off (to use your parlance) that there is a bus load of current and ex-Councillors in Rotherham (of all parties and none) who haven’t spoken out on this issue (I’ll apologise and exclude you from my list if you post up any articles, letters, blogs that you’ve written on this issue).
As a insignificant member of the great unwashed I haven’t done anything on this issue, as a) I wasn’t aware of the scale of this issue until last week, b) I don’t have any power to hold the Council to account. Correct me if I’m wrong, but a) you were aware, as you attended the seminar, and b) you held a position of power for a number of years.
So you might be annoyed by an upstart like me. But you’re not half as annoyed as those who could have been prevented from coming to harm, if those who knew something did something. As someone posted above, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to say nowt.
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For once vines is quiet like rest of the
town hall goons.
Lord baron is also claiming the police and councillors informed him despitecthe reports and seminar that cllrs received…..unless they can’t read or understand rape or just binned it.
Bye bye to you all
Turn the light off on the way out.
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“For once vines is quiet like rest of the
town hall goons.”
Er, which rock have you been hiding under?
Cavan has given interviews to newspapers and tonight he was interviewed on Look North.
It probably is the best thing if you say bye bye.
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The problem with collective responsibility is that everyone is to blame so nobody is. Hence only one half resignation and one non-resignation so far (and the honourable exception of the PCC’s Deputy). Everyone else is so far saying either nothing, “I knew nothing” or “I am part of the solution” when the problem went on for a long time and is clearly not going away soon. I am not interested in blaming folk who are trying to do something or genuinely didn’t know anything but something seems badly wrong here and will go on looking wrong until light shines on the whole scenario. One aspect of this situation is that we seem to have an elite made up of politicians, officers and police who all seemed to have messed up but are now falling over themselves to excuse each other and themselves, more interested in protecting their elite positions than about the victims (or the rest of us who will bear the brunt, in terms of social and community breakdown, for their policies that seem to have been totally misguided). That’s what it looks like. Is it a case of an elite against the rest of us ordinary people? Is that one aspect of conflict here that we are overlooking? It seems so unless we get real answers. Maybe they think it will go away so it’s up to us to make sure the issue stays alive and we get answers. Suspicion and uncertainty will thrive until people are humble and honest. I for one won’t condemn individuals for it. But to make a proper judgement I need full explanation: to know what exactly happened or didn’t happen and who was in what meeting and knew exactly what. What could they have done? What did they do? What didn’t they do? I think as a Rotherham resident, voter and council tax payer, that is the least I, and anyone else in Rotherham, should expect…
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Fair comment Rev
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Andrew, it appears you are not going to give me your name and continue to hide your criticisms behind a pseudonym.
As I have said, I will publish an account of what was said at the seminar in 2005 but before doing so I was waiting for both my own and everyone else’s understandable anger to settle down and the media frenzy to subside.
Given my record of publicly criticising the Labour leadership in Rotherham over many years, I had hoped that, at least, I might have been given the benefit of the doubt until the details of what had been said at the seminar came out. Sadly that has not been the case and it does make me question whether all the aggravation I have suffered over the years has been worthwhile.
What I can tell you is that if you think that the seminar imparted all the sorry details of this case before then deciding to cover it all up then you really are barking up the wrong tree.
By the way, perhaps you can tell me, under the cabinet system in Rotherham Council, what powers you believe I had as a Councillor?
I doubt that any other councillors or ex councillors will have the courage to respond on this blog and the call to be held to account. I expect however that when I have accounted for myself that the likes of you will use it as a stick with which to beat me regardless of what I tell you. How unfair is that?
Please be patient and I will, as promised, give you my account in the near future.
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Dave Smith – I agree AND How do we, who watch these matters, feel in Anston – We have Jo Burton Vice Chair of the Children’s Safeguarding Board 2007/8 Member 2009 She is a complete disgrace “I knew nothing about it” she simpers.
Iain St,John, he of the over loud voice and shocking attitude – Attended the 2005 seminar, so what did he do? I expect the usual – zilch – THEY SHOULD BOTH GO – NOW.
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From what I have seen and read I must say I have to agree with you , hestradahaigh
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South Yorkshire Police is to start an independent investigation into its handling of the Rotherham child abuse scandal.
The inquiry will “examine the role of both the police and council… and address any wrongdoings or failings,” Chief Constable David Crompton said.
Meanwhile, Labour has suspended four members in the town, three of them councillors.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-29027733
It looks like B&Q will see increased sales of whitewash..
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It’s hardly independent though is it. So, another police force will investigate our police force. I have no confidence in the police full stop. I have only negative experiences whether it be SYP’s behaviour at Orgreave, Hillsborough or in this CSE scandal or the behaviour and inglorious histories of other forces such as the Met. Who’s to say that whichever force is brought in won’t be the next to be found to be complicit in aiding sex offenders? We need a truly independent inquiry IMO.
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Which is essentially what the HoC home affairs select committee were saying today.
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Robin Symonds does his usual rant that because I disagree with his position I have to be anti trade union what pathetic Stalinist rubbish. My position remains the same how can we trust the people who covered all this up to remain in office and when faced with the same situation not to do the same. The only way forward is to clear them out and put people in place who care about the people and not the money. Just as an instance of the thinking of Labour councillors when Jacquie Falvey was unseated by UKIP as she was leaving the count she was heard by several people to say “looks like I will have to get a proper job now”. This is the attitude that has let down the people of Rotherham and carries on doing so. That Robin Symonds is why we needs these people out this is not anti Labour or anti trade unions it is anti career politicians.
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But aren’t UKIP the future career politicians? (Ex Tory’s, Independents, ex Labour if the guy at Maltby town council has gone). This seems to be the nature of the beast in local govt. UKIP will now attract a right motley bunch who will get elected on the anyone but Labour ticket. There are too few genuinely altruistic politicians of any party and I think that is why turn out is so low. I used to think that the big parties had the infrastructure to deal with the bad eggs but on this evidence have failed greatly. What confuses me is that as a result a traditional left wing town is likely to elect a growing (arguably more out if touch than the Tories) party on the far right. I wonder if we had more independents like you Dave would UKIP be in such a stron position?
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To Symonds who from his rants seams to fully endorse his labour Councillor freinds actions.
Answer to his Questions
I was not in attendance at this meeting because as he well knows I travelled extesivly with my work
and at that time i was project manager and Cheif Engineer on a Job in Hengelo In Holland and I spent on average 2 days per week on the site so I was most likely in Holland at the time.
And as fare as Cllr Turner if he read the report he would have seen that a conservative councillor went to Stone with information of suspected CSE after that meeting and was told not to report it as it would damage an investigation. He was the only councillor at that meeting wo tried to do any thing that Cllr was Cllr John Turner
So Symonds stop trying the smoke screen tactics to protect your labour mates they Knew and did nothing
Shame on you for supporting and defending them
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Dear Cllr Vines, I’m sorry that you clearly haven’t read my posts before replying. For your convenience I will repeat what I said above – “I, as much as anybody, wish to see justice achieved for the victims. I have absolutely no desire to see any councillors protected or absolved from their responsibilities… if you read my comments for what they are you will see that I have not sought to absolve anyone from blame; I merely said that those who aren’t culpable shouldn’t be blamed”.
Thanks for confirming that a job in Holland was more important than attendance at a seminar on CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION in Rotherham. I now understand why you don’t think you’re worth £13,000 as a (part-time) councillor.
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Robin:
I take exception to your statement ” a job in Holland was more important than attendance at a seminar on CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION in Rotherham.”
i think you are being unrealistic for this reason; if you are a full-time employee and you are committed to a job for your company in another country as the Project Engineer how can you possibly attend a council meeting?
If you have ever worked in the private sector you would realise the successful conclusion and commissioning of a project is vital to a company’s survival.
Are you seriously suggesting Cavan should have jeopardised his livelyhood to attend a council meeting irrespective of the importance and/or agenda of the meeting?
I find it difficult to believe you criticised a man who worked to provide for his family.
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I have not been quiet I have been doing my job not spending 24/7 on the internet any one wants to ask me or talk to me get in touch I will respond on this blog as and when I can
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Gerald Smith was one of the councillors who accessed pornographic material on the council computer and he is still in office. Were any charges made against him or what punishment was dealt out. Should he still hold a senior post on council? Was the matter referred to the police?Still he manages to keep his position in cabinet wonder why.
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Colin Tawn, I think it is quite simple…if you work abroad 2-3 days per week you really shouldn’t stand for election to the Council. As I said Caven is a part-time councillor (or at least he was in 2005). I can only imagine the outcry there would be if any of the Labour councillors admitted they were abroad 2-3 days per week (and rightly so).
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Robin, Your tenacity maybe lauded in certain Labour quarters but your pursuit of an opposition Councillor, to take it out on, and maybe divert peoples attention from the reality, that it is exclusively Labour Councillors who should shoulder the blame, yet your comments seem to pass that fact by.
Those suspended today must not be the only ones requiring membership suspension, such as Mahroof Hussain, the long time Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion and now exposed as an abject failure, for example.
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I don’t want to divert this thread but I will finish this particular debate by saying to you Robin if you are really concerned about councillors working part time perhaps you’d like to direct your comments at Cllr.Dalton who appeared in print openly saying she is a part timer. Or perhaps part time Labour councillors don’t appear on your radar?
There is no mention that the councillors who have been suspended by the Labour party will be suspended from their jobs nor that they will they forfeit any of their basic £12k plus whatever else they take from us.
In any private company the behaviour of the persons named so far would be classed as gross misconduct and they would be receiving a gift wrapped P45.
It is a travesty that people suspended by their political masters continue to carry on draining the public purse.
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Colin, when you say “there is no mention that the councillors who have been suspended by the Labour party will be suspended from their jobs…” do you mean suspended from their councillor positions? Who do you think has the power to do that? This is a genuine question as I don’t know the answer since the Standards Board for England was scrapped. There must be a mechanism but I don’t know what it is.
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Old age has it’s advantages…. Reflection being one of them. We are able to trace the choices we made in the past ( believing at the time there would be no consequences ) only to find an avalanche of trouble, sometimes decades later, wash over subsequent generations with disastrous consequences. Britain has for the past 50 or so years been entrenched with erotica….
Who can deny it? Anybody watching tele can witness it nightly. Even children’s programmes have subtle sexuality brainwashing our kids so they eventually have no discernment to pick something or someone that may be dangerous to them. Yes we can blame the council and the police and anybody else who knew and didn’t do anything. They are accountable. But so is Britain , so is everyone who saw laws of decency eroded and ridiculed and slandered anyone who tried to point out the awful consequences.
Do we not wonder why some immigrants find it easy to call our daughters ( and sons) white trash. Our double standards have given them silent permission to do so. What has happened in Rotherham is only the tip of the iceberg . The Jimmy Saville saga, Rolph Harris, Gary Glitter show that in general people know and say nothing. I live in New Zealand. My home was in South Yorkshire. Whilst NZ is behind in the narcissitic eroticized culture of Britain; it creeps in here at such a pace that we are rapidly catching up. Guess what happens to people who point it out ?. Linda Wheeler NZ
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Rothpol, do you think it’s ok for a councillor to be absent abroad for 2-3 days per week? When that prevents said cllr from attending a seminar on such an important issue isn’t that a cause for concern? And you fail to mention that I criticised all 33 cllrs who couldn’t be bothered to attend the seminar (the majority of whom were Labour). Caven Vines took it personally, as he has a tendency to do. I suspect we haven’t seen the last of Labour suspensions yet.
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All Councillors are part-time! Don’t you understand our governance system?
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Yes I do but there’s a difference between being part-time and being abroad for 40% of the time (and therefore presumably inaccessible to constituents).
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Robin Symonds
in 2004,/5 the council allowance would not have paid my mortgage so please tel me how I would have fed my kids and you advocate that I should have been discriminated against for standing as a councillor because I worked full time
How much did you forfeit to become a union official or was you discriminated against because you may be at the time worked and was given time off to be a union official and no doubt paid for the union time by your employer like most at that time
And as far as knowing what the seminar was about I don’t think I can remember it being I referred CSE but I am sure you will correct me if I wrong
I make no apology for working and standing in the community
What about present Councillors who are union officials but are also Councillors and every one claims extra special responsibility allowance do the attend every council meeting I very much doubt it
But for your information
I now have put my business on hold and concentrate full time on hey duties as opposition leader
And yes my wife ism an councillor and works hard for her community
But even you with your limited ability to live in the real world can work out but our combined income is far less than I would be earning in my capacity as a engineering consultant
So don’t lecture me on what I should have done or should have attended
Or ember you had something much more important to attend than the cabinet meeting to speak up for children’s centres
Symonds
You are a sound bite and a hypocrite
So let’s hear from you
Do you call for Wrights and Labour Councillors resignations who was in the know
Because I do unreservedly
Over to you Symonds
Shows us all ware you stand on all this
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Unfortunately Cllr Vines Rothpol refuses to post my comments (again)!
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Patience Robin is a virtue you do not seem to possess?
I am very busy at the moment.
Readers would appreciate your views on fixing the problem, not the kind of inane prattle you often repeat ad nauseam
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How just remembered
A council meeting had to be cancelled because the chair was a union official and went on strike
So Symonds did he lose a days Councillors pay I very doubt it he was happy to claim his full allowances but did not put in the appearance at this meeting
I rest my case
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Mary Whitehouse for example? Pilloried by everyone as a dowdy old do gooder when I was a lad – a laughing stock to the clever people. But a culture of sexualisation was, and still is, rife within broadcasting and the media and the consequences are spewing out with a vengeance. No one is laughing at Mary Whitehouse now. How times change? I made the point in my blog during the by election campaign that its up to all of us to put sexuality into a proper context if we are going to really deal with CSE. Perhaps we need the wider debate on child protection, dodgy advertising,programming, pornography etc etc. A tough challenge to us all not just politicians and media…
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Thank you sir for getting to the heart of the matter….No changes can or will happen until this toxic plant is destroyed at the root.
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2 Timothy 3:1-5 (Full scripture below for anyone interested.)
The problem is encapsulated in these few verses. Even though they’re from the Christian bible (KJV), they apply throughout society whatever a person’s beliefs – religious or secular. We have lost our sense of moral law – or put another way, common decency and basic humanity. Whatever the denomination or faith, our so-called spiritual leaders are cowardly. Our political leaders submit to an authority higher than the electorate – mammon. As parents we hand our children over to youtube to educate morally. And this week, the systematic rape of AT LEAST 1400 children has had to fight for airtime with the story of some foolishly taken and badly stored smutty ‘celebrity’ pics!
And take this as ‘myth’ or literal truth – that’s your choice – but I imagine Sodom and Gomorrah felt very much like this just before… well, even the non-believers know how well that ended for the inhabitants.
(2 Tim 3:1-5…..
1: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2: For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3: Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4: Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: From such turn away.)
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Thank YOU – Odd that people often sneer at “do gooders”. Well, imho there are not enough folk doing good….What are the alternatives? “do bad” or “do nothing”?
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“No one is laughing at Mary Whitehouse now” Really?
Probably only because she has been totally consigned to history.
I still remember laughing at her complete misunderstanding of what was portrayed in Pinter’s memorable TV Drama “the Lovers”.
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Thanks to webcast I was able to attend RMBC council meeting from the other side of the world. Interesting viewing indeed.
As a lay person I think I can say with confidence that if council hoped to allay peoples fears and renew their trust in RMBC they will be disappointed. Their body language gave them away.
1. Saying sorry now and hoping it will renew trust while clinging to their well paid jobs as one clings to a plank and refuses to let go when the ship has gone down will not, in my view, restore confidence.
2. Trying to restore public confidence by telling the people of Rotherham that safeguards are now in place to secure children’s safety I am afraid is not believable. Why? because there were supposed safeguards before and it takes committed public servants to ensure they are fully functional and operate with people who care.
3.Finaly councilors gave themselves away when asked why they did nothing with the knowledge they were given years ago. Their responses were all similar. They agreed they knew but gave bona fide reasons for not doing anything about it. Then when asked if they would respond differently today all said ‘yes’… Well, it’s having a ‘bob each way ‘ isn’t it.
Not one councilor said what they would do different and why. I respectfully ask they do so on this or any other forum. All of them…..
I am a volunteer worker and I work with volunteers who are committed to serve individuals and communities for no other reason than they care. You may laugh if you wish but I am convinced that committed volunteers would do a far better job than your highly paid present councilors .
I won’t respond to “A Regular reader” There are more important things in discussion than poking fun at the now deceased Mary Whitehouse or watching his Pinter TV drama. Respectfully yours Linda Wheeler NZ
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To Warren Vale, I say Amen sir!
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Jacqui Collins is missing!
I sent an email to her yesterday evening and I’ve had a reply from one of her minions telling me JC is on holiday until next Monday. Yes, she is entitled to her holiday but…………………….in the private sector when a crisis blows up holidays and time off are usually rearranged at short notice so that key people can respond and get things back on track.
How strange then our esteemed Legal and Monitoring Officer should go on holiday as if nothing has happened. She should have been at her desk this week IMV particularly as the soft brown stuff is hitting the whirly thing with force. She has not left a competent and capable person to deputise for her in her absence, I kid you not, no Jacqui Collins and her department is more than rudderless, it’s adrift cut off from reality.
She has failed again to provide the council with the advice her title demands she should.
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