By-election – press reaction

Rare Lib Dem victory in Rotherham

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS are celebrating an unexpected victory in Rotherham.

The party secured its first victory in the town this century as candidate Adam Carter won the Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward seat from Labour.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: “It would be fair to say that Rotherham has not been an area where we have excelled electorally in the past, so to win by such a massive margin here shows that something is changing in British politics.

Read on… http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/rare-lib-dem-victory-in-rotherham-1-8370929

Lib Dems win first seat on Rotherham Borough Council

LIBERAL Democrat Adam Carter has won the party’s first seat on Rotherham Borough Council.

Dr Carter was elected in the Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward by-election with 2,000 votes — a 50 per cent swing.

Read on… http://www.rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk/news/view,lib-dems-win-first-seat-on-rotherham-borough-council_21452.htm

Disgraced Rotherham councillor replaced in by-election

A disgraced councillor who resigned after he was found guilty of sexual assault has been replaced in a by-election.

Andrew Roddison, aged 41, who was elected as a Labour councillor for Brinsworth and Catcliffe in Rotherham in 2011, stood down after he was convicted of the offence last year.

The married father-of-two, from Flatts Lane, Treeton, was accused of squeezing a council colleague’s bottom at a council function.

He denied the accusation, claiming that he had hugged the woman, but he was given a restraining order, sentenced to a community order, electronically tagged and made the subject of a six month 7pm-7am curfew.

Read on… http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/disgraced-rotherham-councillor-replaced-in-by-election-1-8369336

21 thoughts on “By-election – press reaction

  1. Let’s hope he performs better than the last two lib-dem Councillors they had elected on Rotherham Council
    1, Barry Ross Thurcroft/ Dinnington got removed from Council for non attendance of Council meetings
    2 Micheal Sylvester The Now Keppel Ward, resigned after a few months couldn’t hack it!
    So I really hope he does not let the people of Brinsworth and Catcliffe down, their track record to date with Rotherham Councillors. is not one to be proud of.
    Reply

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      • Sounds like sour grapes, perhaps you should be asking why aren’t you making the progress you should’ve in this town, with such a discredited potential Councillor and Labour Party. If you can’t beat them in Rotherham, what chance do you really have in other Labour heartlands in the North?

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  2. Congratulations to Dr. Adam Carter I did not vote for him the campaign he fought left the others way behind. someone put a lot of money into this constant A3 flyers, preseasonally addressed letters twice doorstepped. even a supporter at the polling station asking for your electoral card number.One to watch for in the Future in the Lib/Dems.

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  3. Congratulations to Dr. Adam Carter I did not vote for him the campaign he fought left the others way behind. someone put a lot of money into this constant A3 flyers, personally addressed letters twice doorstepped. even a supporter at the polling station asking for your electoral card number.One to watch for in the Future in the Lib/Dems.

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  4. There are 2 major problems the Lib-Dems have to take on if they wish to become electable once again :-
    1) Get rid of Clegg, who prostituted himself to Cameron and broke his promise re student loans simply to taste power.
    2) Get rid of Farron, the odious cretin who cannot understand the meaning of Democracy!

    Problem solved. “Simples” !!

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    • I have some real sympathy with your views on Clegg and Student Loans.

      I got a £330 grant and fees paid to go to Uni in the 1960’s – and I could live on that, my 33-year-old son paid £3000 or so a year – except when he was on an Erasmus year in Germany where he got an EU grant,
      … and now my elder granddaughter is paying over £9000 a year,

      I was the first member of my family ever to go to university, and here in Rotherham I still see many really bright kids in families where they too would be the first to go to university, who should go to university, yet the potential debt burden makes it impossible; and
      whilst several countries in the EU do still have very cheap universities where the teaching language in English and take UK students, it is a step far too far for those kids, and in any case that route is soon going to be cut off.
      https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/oct/03/british-university-students-who-study-abroad-europe

      Whilst you may think that Farron is an “odious cretin” – his national favorability rating is relatively high.
      http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2017/02/04/theresa-may-is-still-the-only-politician-with-a-net-favourable-rating-with-the-voters-yougov-finds/
      …and with 48% of the population voting to Remain in the Referendum, he’s got himself a really sizable potential constituency – as we definitely saw in the recent Richmond Park by-election and which may have a factor in Brinsworth and Catcliffe.
      … and 44,000 voted to Remain in Rotherham, more than enough to have an impact in any local election.

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  5. If memory of the time serves correctly, the issue of Barry Ross was contentious if not contrived, as Barry Ross did attend the meetings, so should have been registered as having attended, but he left the meetings, so the record incorrectly showed an absence. Also, Barry Ross would not cow-tow to the LibDem elite, especially one person who did not get elected whereas Barry Ross did, which was an embarrassment, so they expelled him and Barry Ross continued as an Independent. In any case, to be fair to Barry Ross, perhaps he should be given the opportunity to answer for himself to the accusation made against him that he did not perform well.

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  6. I did not say anything about his performance it is a matter of record that they removed him and the reason given was none attendance of meetings in the time scale prescribed I know Barry Ross contested this with legal advice from a out of town solicitor but the fact is he was removed from being a Councillor for the reasons given

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    • Cavan Vines You should go with that Barry Ross story when Paul Nut[t]all rings up and asks how you managed to lose to Labour and the Liberals in one day in one of his solid UKIP regions. I’m sure he will be impressed.

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  7. So if I was a journalist I could go with…
    “UKIP Rotherham Branch Chairman* takes no responsibilty for double election defeat for UKIP in Rotherham”

    You would just put the blame firmly on the shoulders of your two candidates then ?
    …and there I was thinking you were on Mr Nuttall’s speed dial.

    * I’m assuming you are still the Chairman, it says so on the UKIP website.

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  8. Yes you got me all my fault same as all other things in politics in Rotherham is all my fault
    Broad shoulders water of a ducks back but keep smiling we live to fight another day
    ‘O’ and thank you for following us much appreciated

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  9. Caven Vines
    I’m not in UKIP Rotherham but looking from the outside it seems to me that this is one of the problems with the party.

    Its very good at making a noise and throwing dirt at Labour but poor at actually fighting elections relying far too much on national press and Nigel to get the votes.

    Following a defeat, its not unreasonable to expect (on a political forum that UKIP uses a lot) to take a bit of stick and be asked questions about why the campaign failed, and lets be honest Thursday was a mega failure. The response from the top has been sour grapes and obscure references to some bloke Barry from god knows when.

    Its not good enough. You (ukip rotherham) let your supporters down badly
    and childish comments on the lines of its not my fault i wasnt a candidate capped off with a kind of ‘well everyone blames me for everything’ statement doesnt help.

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  10. If UKIP want to do well they need to pick candidates who live in the community and are on a regular basis doing good work in that community. I may support UKIP when it comes to a constituency vote, but won’t vote for a candidate outside the area or somebody who hasn’t contributed in my community during the last year.

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  11. Pingback: The Week That Was – Last Weeks Top Ten 11th February 2017 | Rotherham Politics

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