22 in Labour rout as it cuts ties with Rotherham’s past

22 in Labour rout as it cuts ties with Rotherham’s past TROUBLED Rotherham Council is aiming for a fresh start as Labour sift through their local election candidate list – ditching those with links to previous regimes. Government commissioners intervened … Continue reading →

Election Snippet 2 – David Roche and Hoober Ward

Election Snippet 2 – David Roche and Hoober Ward Getting candidates and councillors but not fit for Public Office? Given the lack of scrutiny regarding Labour’s recent selection and the eleventh hour departure of Shakoor Adalat, Labour councillor candidate for … Continue reading →

First from Mike Hookem and two local citizen UKIP candidates

This gallery contains 4 photos.

Thought readers might be interested in these two leaflets as they are the first from Mike Hookem and two local citizen UKIP candidates from the Wentworth & Dearne Constituency; I only have them as .pdf’ files at the moment I … Continue reading →

Rotherham Labour selection news

The Wath result comes as no surprise, Jane Elliot was selected. There has been a surprise at Hoober though, when none of those shortlisted actually turned up! This leaves Hoober Labour Party, still in need of a candidate? Oh dear! … Continue reading →

2014 elections – first look at the battleground

The 2014 Battleground, first look. These are the incumbent Councillors who’s Term of Office, expires May 2014.

Ward	Incumbent	Party
Anston & Woodsetts Ward	Jo Burton	Lab
Boston Castle Ward	Rose McNeeley	Lab
Brinsworth & Catcliffe Ward	Alan Buckley	Lab
Dinnington Ward	Jackie Falvey	Lab
Hellaby Ward	Lynda Donaldson	Con
Holderness Ward	Gerald Smith	Lab
Hoober Ward	Brian Steele	Lab
Keppel Ward	Ian Barron	Lab
Maltby Ward	Amy Rushforth	Lab
Rawmarsh Ward	Shaun Wright	Lab
Rother Vale Ward	Richard Russell	Lab
Rotherham East	Shaukut Ali	Lab
Rotherham West	Jahangir Akhtar	Lab
Silverwood Ward	Pat Russell	Lab
Sitwell Ward	Tony Mannion	Con
Swinton Ward	Neil License	Lab
Valley Ward	Dave Pickering	Lab
Wales Ward	Jennifer Whysall	Lab
Wath Ward	Alan Atkin	Lab
Wickersley Ward	Sue Ellis	Lab
Wingfield Ward	Keith Goulty	Lab

Borough Council Elections 2010 Results

Hoober Ward could be next to dump a dinosaur?

Reports that Frank Hodgkiss, Labour Member for Hoober Ward, is in serious difficulties support wise. It is rumoured, he may be the next to want more time with their families?

More news always wanted. Maurice Kirk? Alan Gosling? Anyone?

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Who Is The Greediest Of Them All?…..

Let the figures speak for themselves!

Greed by Individual Councillor 2009-10
Rank	Name	2009-10		Ward	Up Next Year
1	Roger Stone	£45,407.72		Silverwood	Yes
2	Terry Sharman	£34,062.38		Wingfield	Yes
3	Richard Russell	£29,127.27		Hoober	No
4	Gerald Smith	£28,730.15		Holderness	No
5	Mahroof Hussain	£28,670.90		Boston Castle	No
6	Glyn Whelbourn	£28,662.08		Rawmarsh	No
7	Shaun Wright	£28,624.15		Rawmarsh	No
8	Jahangir Akhtar	£28,622.08		Rotherham West	No
9	Ken Wyatt	£28,597.44		Swinton	No
10	Iain StJohn	£26,707.84		Anston & Woodsetts	Yes
11	John Doyle	£26,608.20		Swinton	Yes
12	Dave Pickering	£23,292.72		Valley	No
13	Ann Russell	£23,268.91		Silverwood	No
14	Rose McNeely	£23,186.91		Boston Castle	No
15	Jane Austen	£23,183.41		Holderness	Yes
	Georgina Boyes	£23,183.41		Rother Vale	No
17	Alex Sangster	£23,182.96		Wath	Yes
	John Gilding	£23,182.96		Sitwell	Yes
19	Hilda Jack	£23,180.04		Holderness	No
	Peter Wooton	£23,180.04		Boston Castle	Yes
21	Barry Dodson	£17,821.29		Rotherham East	Yes
22	John Swift	£17,746.45		Rother Vale	Yes
23	Lindsay Johnston	£17,734.79		Wingfield	No
	Paul Lakin	£17,734.79		Valley	Yes
	Jennifer Whysall	£17,734.79		Wales	No
26	Alan Atkin	£17,064.05		Wath	No
	JRA Turner	£17,064.05		Hellaby	No
28	Maurice Kirk	£14,366.66		Rotherham East	No
	Amy Rushforth	£14,366.66		Maltby	No
30	Frank Hodgkiss	£14,191.06		Hoober	No
31	Josephine Burton	£13,974.74		Anston & Woodsetts	No
32	Reg Littleboy	£13,882.84		Brinsworth & Catcliffe	Yes
33	Shaukat Ali	£13,735.60		Rotherham East	No
34	Pat Russell	£13,640.64		Silverwood	No
35	Ian Barron	£13,596.78		Keppel	No
36	Sheila Walker	£13,588.84		Keppel	No
37	Barry Kaye	£13,570.24		Keppel	Yes
38	Jacqueline Falvey	£13,558.84		Dinnington	No
	Alan Gosling	£13,558.84		Wath	No
	Jane Hamilton	£13,558.84		Hoober	Yes
	Jane Havenhand	£13,558.84		Dinnington	Yes
42	Fred Wright	£13,558.40		Brinsworth & Catcliffe	No
43	Simon Currie	£13,404.13		Valley	No
	Keith Goulty	£13,404.13		Wingfield	No
45	Simon Tweed	£13,400.75		Dinnington	No
46	Chris McMahon	£12,952.16		Wickersley	No
47	Neil License	£12,772.58		Swinton	No
48	Kath Sims	£12,457.87		Rotherham West	No
49	T Fenoughty	£12,412.54		Wales	No
50	Michael Clarke	£12,306.98		Sitwell	Dec
	Brian Cutts	£12,306.98		Hellaby	Yes
	Lynda Donaldson	£12,306.98		Hellaby	No
	John Foden	£12,306.98		Rotherham West	Yes
	Neil Hamilton	£12,306.98		Rawmarsh	Yes
	Tony Mannion	£12,306.98		Sitwell	No
	G Nightingale	£12,306.98		Rother Vale	No
	G Sharp	£12,306.98		Wales	Yes
	Ben Slade	£12,306.98		Maltby	Yes
	Peter Thirlwall	£12,306.98		Wickersley	Yes
60	Will Blair	£12,303.59		Maltby	No
	John Gamble	£12,303.59		Brinsworth & Catcliffe	No
	Darren Hughes	£12,303.59		Anston & Woodsetts	No
	Martyn Parker	£12,303.59		Boston Castle	No

–

Councillor Greed by Ward 2009-2010.
Ward totals in descending order.
Ward	Total	Rank
Silverwood	£82,317.27	1
Holderness	£75,093.60	2
Boston Castle	£75,037.85	3
Rawmarsh	£69,593.21	4
Swinton	£67,978.22	5
Wingfield	£65,201.13	6
Hoober	£56,877.17	7
Valley	£54,431.64	8
Wath	£53,804.30	9
Rotherham West	£53,386.93	10
Rother Vale	£53,236.84	11
Anston & Woodsetts	£52,986.17	12
Sitwell	£47,796.88	13
Rotherham East	£45,923.55	14
Wales	£42,454.31	15
Hellaby	£41,681.01	16
Keppel	£40,755.86	17
Dinnington	£40,518.43	18
Brinsworth & Catcliffe	£39,744.83	19
Maltby	£38,977.23	20
Wickersley	£37,562.73	21

Extracted from: http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/download/3675/members_allowances_and_expenses_2009-10

Fresh Dearne Valley Pollution Alert!

Nearly twenty years ago the Dearne Valley was under threat of a Toxic Waste Incinerator that was slated for the old Dale & Brown Site in Swinton under cover of claimed ‘glass making’.

Swinton residents and many others throughout the Dearne Valley formed a campaign group when we were told by our then local Councillor, Michael Eagleton, now deceased and the then Chair of the Planning Committee, that it was a done deal and ‘nothing could be done’ to stop it.

Swinton Against Toxic Waste was eventually successful after much campaigning that involved large numbers of local people, determined to stop more toxic pollution being generated in this already heavily contaminated area.

Now all the residents of the Dearne Valley are under even greater threat to their environment with the proposed incineration of waste and waste processing on behalf of all three local Councils that make up the waste partnership BDR. (Barnsley, Doncaster & Rotherham)

The site chosen is in fact less than a mile from the Dale & Brown site in Swinton and would affect exactly the same people that campaigned successfully previously, to prevent waste incineration in the already heavily polluted Dearne Valley area.

The political oversight for this project is headed by the Rotherham Cabinet Member for Streetpride one Richard Russell.

Until the recent local elections, he was a Councillor for the Hoober Ward. Deselected by Labour members there, because of a complete lack of faith in him to continue serving the Hoober Ward as a Labour member and I am informed also for his overweening arrogance towards fellow members and the electorate at large.

Undaunted, he hawked himself around the Rotherham Borough until he found a seat with members even more gullible than those of  Hoober Ward, finally achieving success in Rother Vale Ward at the other end of town where his reputation was less well known.

His victory this year was somewhat diminished by the fact that he would have lost the seat to the Rotherham Independent, Rob Foulds, on any other year since 1974, if the General Election had not  ensured the turnout of many voters who had no real idea of the local Labour Candidate foisted upon them by a handful of amazingly stupid local Labour members.

The task of overseeing such a complex project is a job for someone who is capable of understanding the processes involved and the potential for dangers both in the short and the long term. They must be capable of ensuring that all information made public is balanced and reasonable while at the same time  responding to local concerns in ways that inspire confidence.

Is is vital therefore, that this task is performed by one of the ablest of councillors, not by such a frankly piss poor one, such as Richard Russell. The mere fact that Roger Stone*, or anyone else for that matter, has confidence in him to perform this task is breathtakingly arrogant and shows the basic inadequacy of Rotherham Labour Group and it’s overall level of competence to oversee the running of our Town.

A local campaign, Dearne Valley AIM’s (Against Incineration at Manvers) has formed already and are busily engaged in fighting these proposals that will burden all in the local area with further pollution to add to the already unacceptably high levels accrued in the area because of the heavily polluting industries of the past.

If you live anywhere in the Dearne Valley you should join them to stop this catastrophic proposal. They can be contacted by email by using this address, mickmarsden@talktalk.net.

Please do so without delay, this ill-conceived proposal will not stop itself!

People Power is the only way! Get involved and have your say!

Rik

* Roger Stone OBE, Leader of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, What? No Knighthood! like Jack Layden? Understandable really, because he is definitely not in the same league as Jack once was.