How desperate are Labour? (Or is Kevin Barron trying to tell me he really likes me)
When we got our post this morning we were blessed with receiving not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 leaflets from Sir Kev! That now makes a total of 7 leaflets our household has received in the last few weeks inviting me and my family to vote for Labour.
Its tempting to scoff at the ineptitude of sending the same 4 leaflets to the same house and the waste of money involved (just like the way they manage the council or run Government really) but it is well known that this type of aggressive marketing can be effective. In effect, if you tell people a story enough times they will eventually believe it.
Having lived in Anston for quite a long time I have never seen Labour put this much effort into an election, they must be getting desperate and have finally realised that not everyone in Rotherham is automatically going to vote for them as they have done in the past.
If Labour has to flood my house with leaflets, they must be really desperate.
I Machin
Rotherham Politics 
I hope our mr Lewis gets the same amount
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When in Thurcroft last week a woman told me, some years before,
Sir Barron popped his head in [to her shop] but refused to talk/answer questions –
he was too busy!
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Baron’s slagged the miners, the NUM, he’s a Blairite, supports cuts, supported the Iraq war, tuition fees, now he’s advocating immigration controls. Why doesn’t he join the Tories or UKIP where he belongs?
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A sign of a disorganised and ineffective campaign, at the very least! Are the wheels coming off Kevin’s campaign?
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In one of those leaflets there’s a post man in full royal mail uniform endorsing Barron. Would royal mail be happy to be seen as if they’re endorsing a particular candidate ?
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What does not mentioning the grooming gangs say about Labour’s attitude to the problem?
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What is interesting about Sir Nutkins campaign is that as I go around Dinnington delivering my own leaflets I have not seen one Labour poster. Even Sinjin who usually has them plastered all over his windows has not got one; no Labour or should I say ex-Labour councillor has one. Mallinder is doing no campaigning of her own, it seems to be all aimed at getting Sir Nutkin back into animal farm. You can tell he does not do his own mailing list because I received one addressed directly to me; this is now stupid over kill with leaflets from him. I get the feeling as I go round that it is actually working against him.
Dave Smith
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Have had some anecdotal evidence, the Labour campaigning effort, is having the opposite effect to that intended.
Especially so, in parts of the Wentworth & Dearne Constituency!
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Having just got back from 3 weeks away, my intention had been to wait until tomorrow to check what was in my mail box, But then I read the above, and realised that I had to find out how many missives I have received from our Kev.
In fact I had received exactly none.
I have just one leaflet from a PPC – a Mr Ian Whitehouse of TUSC – who says he is standing in Sheffield South East. Perhaps he got lost, or just didn’t notice that he had crossed the border into Rotherham, Rother Valley constituency..
No communication at all from:
Kevin Barron – Labour Party
Allen Cowles – UK Independence Party
Sharon Pilling – English Democrats
Gareth Streeter – Conservative Party
Robert Teal – Liberal Democrats
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I have just been informed that there will be a hustings involving Sir Nutkins n UKIP PPC at the Wesley Centre in Maltby. Anyone know anything?
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Found this… http://www.wesleycentremaltby.co.uk/elections-2015-debate-the-wesley/
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Yes anonymous fri.24th starts at 8pm tickets from the wesley centre £1 no direct questions to the participants all questions to be e mailed to wesley centre at reception@maltbycdt.org.uk
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Thank you, will be booking a seat tomorrow! Should be interesting.
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The leaflet in question is Kevin Barron’s election address. It is the Royal Mail, using the electoral register, that decides who candidates’ election addresses are sent to and not the candidate’s campaign team.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCoQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parliament.uk%2Fbriefing-papers%2FSN06434.pdf&ei=ISYwVf_GJcvtaPGQgKAE&usg=AFQjCNEehhMId9L5pa-eGr38n7vOLPuIYQ
The document in the link explains the process.and section 1.1 says “The candidate may choose whether to send one unaddressed communication to every postal address in the constituency or one addressed communication to each elector”. If Barron chose the latter option and there are 4 voters in the Machin household it would explain why they received 4 copies. Otherwise it looks like a Royal Mail cock up!
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Ah right then, its Royal Mails fault and never, ever could it be the Labour party’s fault! How much longer can you keep defending these clowns!
It still doesn’t explain the other 3 leaflets we’ve had through our letter box does it?
And as of yet, I still haven’t had anyone knocking on my door trying to hand me yet another leaflet. I can’t wait for that.
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I’m not defending anyone. Just explaining who has responsibility for the distribution of the leaflets you received.
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He is certainly panicking, I got two through my post box. Its a bit surprising really, in that he likes me just as much as he likes Dave Smith ( well Dave might just have the edge).But then he is not paying for the leaflet or posting. The 7 % of your tax money that all Labour Cllrs pass on from their “expenses” at RMBC, to the Party, paid.
Another thing I noticed, not one mention of all those who have been out working for him delivering his leaflets. Thanks guys, but its the kev show.
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Why should councillors pass our money on to any political party the council tax is supposed to be used for OUR benifit
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Robin, The lights on but nobody’s in.
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fiferalfa
When Labour Party members sign up, they have to agree to pass on 7% of any “expenses” (read wages from RMBC) to the Party. So they give 7% of the £12,000 plus they get (our Council Tax) in the form of 4% to the Rotherham Labour Group, and 3% to Central office.
So when you local Labour Cllr sends you a leaflet, you actually pay for it, unlike any Independent Candidate who has to dig into his own pocket.
I don’t know if the other parties do this, can anyone enlighten please.
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So that’s why they are so keen to give each other Advisor or committee rolls, its so they can claim more of the Special Responsibility Allowances on top of their councillors allowance of £12,100 e.g.
panel or committee chair = extra £10,700
panel or committee vice chair = extra £1,200
cabinet member = extra £16,000
cabinet advisor = extra £1,200
In short, the more they can screw of out the allowance system they more they can donate to the Labour party for them to spend on fighting elections.
That probably explains why we they are able to flood us with red leaflets. They’ve been collecting money for years for a rainy day, that rainy day is now here and its our council tax money that’s filled up the local party war chest.
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I have just read Sir Kev’s five pledges to us Rother Valley dwellers on the back of the leaflet. They are:
a) continue to fight for local people
b) hold regular surgeries – presumably that goes with doing a), above
c) continue to support local charities – really comes under a) again, methinks
d) protect NHS with more staff – now that is more specific but it’s really hard to see how KB can do that all by himself
e) put Rother Valley first, doing the best for us – again, a repetition of a), above
So apart from turning up to vote on NHS issues, I am left asking myself exactly what Sir Kev is going to do for us? Nothing more than any sitting Labour MP would be expected to do. Perhaps on the NHS, his contribution to Labour policy could be a private members bill to introduce strict pricing controls on pharmaceuticals so that the NHS doesn’t pay over the odds to the big drugs companies for these? That would be something interesting to see…
No pledges about cse at all – i shall simply be writing 1400 in the box next to KBs name on May 7th.
PS and Nb: FYI any UKIP border liners (no pun intended), his thoughts on immigration make it seem Labour is toughening up on this. What he actually says is they are going to toughen up on ILLEGAL immigration, something we should expect any Government to do without asking. The issue of immigration overall doesn’t bother me but if it bothers you, don’t be fooled by KB’s leaflet headlines – read the small print… All part of my scrutineering services, my lovelies.
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