Some reflections on the latest machinations of Rotherham Council.
They have still left the appointments of Cabinet members to the Leaders patronage. I did think that after Rodger the Dodger they might have
learned some lessons but apparently not.
Power in one persons hands is a dangerous thing.
This time Chris Read has ‘appointed’ two of the members who had to resign back onto the Cabinet.
Dominic Beck and Emma Hoddinott had to resign so Chris Read re-appoints them!
Worse still is that Hoddinott is Chris Reads partner! Grace and favour is still alive and thriving in Rotherham Town Hall it would seem.
I wonder just what the Commissioners are doing in Rotherham.
Just another ignored constituent
Rotherham Politics 
You surely do NOT expect anything else from this council it proves that they care NOTHING for the problems of the victims all caused by a still UNFIT for purpose council. Those who had to resign should never even been considered for re-election at ANY cost this would have shown they were bothered about the borough and it’s residents but that will never happen, as only one third of the residents voted it shows the apathy there is around the borough until this changes there will not be any change in Rotherham you reap what you sew
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Are Hoddinott & Read career politicians using Rotherham as a stepping stone towards Westminster and having MP after their name? Or, are they really concerned ‘Rotherhamers’ who want the best for the Borough?
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It’s all to do with patronage.
Read re-appoints Hoddinott and Beck and gets unswerving loyalty from them in return while at the same time defusing any possible leadership bids from these two.
(Good grief! Imagine the Boy Blunder holding the reins of power. Unthinkable)
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Colin.
I’d call it “people Read feels safe with” rather than “patronage” – I’ve seen it only to often in promotions in the commercial world.
The possibility of either of “these two” mounting a leadership bid I just can’t imagine.
Debby
Read could well be selected to stand for parliament in the future, he is articulate on his feet, has a sense of humour, and presentable.
Hoddinott has none of those characteristics.
Beck, for a very young man, has too long a back-story to ever be taken seriously by the electorate outside Rotherham.
You will find him here, if you scroll down:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11395191
“Making money is the aim of the game,” he says candidly.”
“For now, he is trying to get £500 grant from a fund run by UK Steel “
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Will everyone, myself included, at the council meeting after today’s, please enter a question as to why he had done this and does he not realise that this will only send us backwards.
Shouting on here will have little effect, let’s get it into the council chamber, Let’s get it into the advertiser, let’s get people aware of what’s going on in Rotherham.
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We do not shout as you say, nor are we as ineffective as you suggest, just keep on believing that. Most of Rotherham’s citizens cannot possibly attend in person at the appointed time, that is where the webcasts come in.
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Matthew,
Did anyone from your party UKIP turn up for today’s meeting ?
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I turned up like I do to almost all the council meetings, if I can’t make town hall I watch the webcast,
there was not much to see today apart from the usual you Cratch my back I’ll scratch yours theatre, with the new mayor (chairman) sworn in and Maggie sworn out ceremony. The deputy mayor ex Cllr and conservative leader Chris Middleton was there sat right at the front while all this went on around him. He then was asked to give a speech while he got Retired as Deputy mayor, he said that he had not written one because he wasnt consulted about today’s theatre, but put a brave face on anyway. The usual thanks from the ex mayor and leader Reed pursued with gifts and flowers exchanged.
Public questions couldn’t be asked so again will have to wait for a written response.
Leader Reed then announced his new-look Advisory Cabinet – with (two) new figures joining the senior political leadership Both of which stepped down from their cabinet roles following the publication of a damning independent report into the child sexual exploitation.
Cllr Dominic Beck has been appointed to lead on Housing, and Cllr Emma Hoddinott will take on the portfolio of Waste, Roads and Community Safety – taking up roles vacated by the former Cllr Kath Sims and former Cllr Emma Wallis.
Same old same old.
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Maybe, but someone has to have the role, I looked for a suitable alternative amongst all the other Councillors including UKIP but no one fitted the bill, not even the two appointees have much experience in either role, so unless we appoint someone from outside the town with the right qualifications we’re stuck with these two.
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Am I right in thinking basicly Read has given Hoddinott a pay rise . Leaders little helper
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Is the Boy Blunder still Chairman of the Standards and Ethics (snigger) Committee?
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The Commissioners were sent in to sort it out what we have got 12 months on is the very same cabinet system that failed and was basically the main cause of what happened to Rotherham
The Scrutiny is still in the hands of the Ruling party so what scrutiny
All they have done is replaced one set of local government officers with a set of more expensive ones
So just what is different in this council
Still at least 6 councillors in place who knew and kept quiet
2 who had to resigne for not being fit to do the job now put bAck in place so what have they done to have improved
So to date it has cost the tax payer well over £1 million to get to where we started 12 months ago
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