Backroom Deal… Good Idea?

Some food for thought from Rothpol’s email inbox:

So… a by-election for Rawmarsh in May.

Is this the time for a Respect/TUSC ‘agreement’? A ‘Granita’ moment? As we know, a depressingly large number of voters will always vote for the mainstream parties (in which we now have to include ukip and bnp) so the Respect and TUSC vote comes from a reduced pool. In conversation with ordinary voters during the recent parliamentary by-election (see note at end for a declaration of interest here), the non-partisan voters told me that they could vote for either Respect or TUSC, so is it now time for Respect and TUSC to stand side by side instead of in opposition? Because of Labour mind control (what else could it be? Landslide for Sarah Champion? Seriously?), clear second is the initial goal in these elections. When you are clear second, otherwise politically steadfast voters may turn to you at the next election because you then have the appearence of a viable alternative.

With a pooling of resources, second place is achievable now in 2013, and who knows? First place in 2014 locally? An MP in 2015? I say second place now because it’s realistic. Of course you would be striving for first, but even with Rotherham Labour’s poor record, we know how long it takes to gain a shift in voter loyalty.

I have the feeling that Respect already get this, hence the invite for TUSC people to attend the Respect public meeting early in May, but I worry that if individuals on both sides of the Respect/TUSC fence start to worry about being ‘subsumed’, or not being picked as a candidate, or focussing on the differences between the parties rather than the similarities, then we continue to hand victory, neatly gift wrapped, to the status quo. We should learn from the example of SYRIZA in Greece who terrified the Troika by putting aside their differences and forming a left coalition that the public could support. How did they do this? By focussing on the policies that were shared by all and agreeing to differ on the others.

Personally, I will always look first at an independent candidate’s policies and views because I want an elected representative who answers to me and my neighbours, not to a party hierarchy, or an entrenched ideology (of the left OR right). However, time is short for us now – unnecessary genocidal austerity measures from successive governments compliant to the wishes of the financial elite of the City of London, down to the sometimes bizarre and infuriating council decisions which shock and outrage many of us – and we will have to do whatever it takes to change things quickly.

Which brings me back to my main point; although I would class myself as tending towards an independent candidate, I would now vote for the Respect or TUSC candidate in Rawmarsh… But which one? There are issues and policies from both that I support but I can’t vote for both. If this confusion is repeated amongst the disaffected left (who will never vote labour again) and voters looking for an alternative to the mainstream parties, a split vote between Respect and TUSC is inevitable.

Perhaps George should light up a cigar in a back room somewhere so a deal can be reached?

(On the conflict of interest mentioned in the first paragraph, it’s only fair to say that I got the feedback on Respect and TUSC whilst informally canvassing for Simon Copley, the independent candidate. Simon more than doubled the TUSC vote with no resources and no public awareness – just the ability to make sense to those who talked to him, but just think… a coalition of Copley, Respect and TUSC would have received 2641 votes… That would have been a very healthy third, and an outstanding foundation for elections to follow.)

Warren Vale
http://www.youtube.com/user/WarrenVale?feature=watch

Rotherham By-Election Full Result

Rotherham By-Election 29th November Full Results:

Name	Description	Vote	% Vote Share
M Beckett	LibDem	451	2.1
C Bristow	EDL	29	0.1
S Champion	Lab	9966	46.5
J Collins	UKIP	4648	21.7
S Copley	Ind	582	2.7
P Dickson	Ind	51	0.2
R Dyson	TUSC	281	1.3
M Guest	BNP	1804	8.4
Y Ridley	Respect	1778	8.3
D Wildgoose	ED	703	3.3
S Wilson	Con	1157	5.4
Total		21450
Turnout		34.0%
Ballot papers issued		21496
Spoilt Papers		46
Electorate		63420

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Rotherham By-Election – Polling Stations now closed!

Something to keep you entertained while we wait.

The last vote has been cast. The Polling Stations are now closed! The candidates and their agents along with their counting agents are assembling at Magna for the count. The ballot boxes are on their way to be opened, verified and counted.

The result is expected around midnight to one am. Shouldn’t take long, turnout is reported to be very low. There could well be recounts on the cards, most likely to confirm deposits lost, rather that the result itself. But you never know! Result should appear on this page of the councils website: UK Parliamentary By-Election for Rotherham Constituency. BBC news channel will have the declaration live, that will be fun.

Many thanks to all of you who have popped into Rotherham Politics, contributed or commented, during recent weeks, hope you pass by this way again.

Whom so ever is elected tonight, Rotherham Politics and it’s readers, will be there to scrutinise what they do, or not do, in the ‘name of the people’. As an example, the recent readership figures, show hits have now exceeded by far, the number of voters that make up the entire electorate of Rotherham constituency, during this short campaign. Politics is going on line, even in Rotherham it would appear?

We believe that the labour party must deal decisively with it’s own internal problems now and clean it up! At the moment, cesspit would be an apt word to describe the murky world of labour politics in Rotherham! I know Jahangir Akhtar doesn’t like the term, but when Michael Elmer first coined the term ‘scum labour’, to sum up the labour party in Rotherham it seemed, so appropriate!

Some news just in, that perhaps presages the future, for some senior council employees:

“Council Gossip – Corporate Management Team (CMT) has already lost Andrew Bedford and do not want to loose Joyce Thacker.  They are waiting to see the outcome
of today’s election – if Labour do well (even a win by 13 votes – well a win is a win) she will stay but if the rosette stops fluttering she and others will go. The politicians will sacrifice her to cover their own backs, so nothing new there.”

Results supplied by Anonymous:

Sarah Champion (Labour) 9866
Jane Collins (UKIP) 4648
Marlene Guest (BNP) 1804
Yvonne Ridley (Respect) 1778
Simon Wilson (Con) 1157
David Wildgoose (Eng Dem) 703
Simon Copley (Ind) 582
Michael Beckett (Lib Dem) 451
Ralph Dyson (TUSC) 261
Paul Dickson (Ind) 51
Clint Bristow (no descripton) 29

Rotherham By-Election Day!

Excitement at last! Heard that UKIP has been involved in an altercation, labour says they are not involved! Continues in comments.

The Rotherham Star has this today, By-election candidate’s criminal past, oh dear!

Guido Fawkes, the notorious right wing blogger, has tried to talk up UKIP’s chances from London! UKIP are not a party Rotherham voters will vote for in large numbers! Doubling their vote would put them on 12-14%, no where enough to pose a significant challenge to labour’s hapless and hopeless candidate, whose sole selling point is Bluebell Wood and that’s all!

UKIP also seem to have a supporter determined to have their say:

“Whilst you are all fretting over the Rotherham election result tens if not hundreds of thousands of Rumanians and Bulgarians are busy booking their tickets to the UK in 2013. Where they will be instantly entitled to FREE health care , education housing benefit family allowance and unemployment benefits all paid for by you the tax payer.
So think before you vote LIBLABCON why you should pay for all this and consider voting UKIP”

Rotherham voters will not be seduced in to voting for these petty ‘little Englanders’!

Neither will they have forgotten this:

Rotherham Politics – BNP & UKIP Two sides of the same coin?

Posted on May 10, 2012 by rothpol

During election periods Rotherham Politics is remarkably free of mentions of the BNP and BNP-Light, known to local voters as UKIP. This is to ensure that we don’t assist them by giving them publicity, all be it, of a negative … Continue reading →

Full candidate list:

Michael Beckett Liberal Democrat
Clint Bristow Independent (EDL)
Sara Champion Labour
Jane Collins UKIP
Simon Copley Independent
Paul Dickson Independent
Ralph Dyson TUSC
Marlene Guest BNP
Yvonne Ridley Respect
David Wildgoose English Democrats
Simon Wilson Conservatives

If you haven’t voted for your chosen candidate yet, advise you vote soon it’s already getting very cold out there!

The Rotherham labour selection omnishambles makes in into Private Eye, bring it to readers as soon as I get the scanner out!

Labour – falling apart as we look on?

A RikiLeaks source has provide this interesting insight into the disarray at the heart of Rotherham labour, it begins:

Here is the latest desperate begging letter from Rotherham Labour’s
John Healey.

This has obviously fallen on deaf ears as did the last six sent by
other party big wigs. They can get on the ground and do the dirty
work themselves. The strange thing is he still sounds as though the
media have got it all wrong and his Labour Party has no
relationship with the Labour Council! Desperate, deluded and
hopefully defeated.

“Dear friend

Tomorrow’s polling day – for Rotherham’s new MP

This has been a short and intense campaign, after a very difficult
selection process and with negative media coverage about Rotherham.
Everyone involved in the campaign has worked really hard to make
sure we keep Rotherham Labour and stop the other parties from
creating divisions within our town. I’ve spent almost all of the
last two weeks out on the campaign trail with Sarah, and she’s
worked harder than anyone to take people with her.

We need one last push to get out Labour’s vote. And I’m emailing
tonight to ask for your help tomorrow.

We’ve got four different campaign centres operating tomorrow
covering all the wards of the constituency – they’ll all be open
from 7am till 10pm, so please head to your most local one and lend
a hand for as little or as much time as you can.

From John Healey”

Election Day Coverage Starts Early

Rotherham Politics readers will be interested in this insightful piece, which we hope the source intended for publication, we are grateful to you.

“As a Rotherham resident I am appalled that my taxes contribute towards paying some council workers/politicians who have no moral compass. I have had the unfortunate pleasure of working for some of these unscrupulous characters who collude in a joint pact of turning a blind eye. It’ s why we have some of the highest paid politicians and senior council officers even though we are one of the most deprived boroughs in the country.

The foster-gate scandal from my experience will lead to no insightful investigation; the very senior teams and politicians are specialists in cover-up. They will cover their tracks without morally flinching about the impact they have had on three young children and their foster parents.

I used to call them Orwellian Wizards – they develop a myth, they find and twist the evidence which supports their myth and shockingly in unison they spout out a version of reality that never happened. Amazingly they believe their own lie which becomes the evident truth – in trying to convince others they convinced themselves.  

This ability is only matched by their desperate desire to collect awards, which completes the circle – outside adulation proves they are the best, never mind the experience of local people. There are many examples I could share but one that comes to mind (and most relevant to multiculturalism) is their eagerness to be the first Council to gain Excellent in equalities (yes the irony) and guess what, these overpaid corrupt Orwellian Wizards achieved this.

I am only attacking some of the higher levels of leadership; huge amounts of the council’s workforce are decent and committed to the people of Rotherham. I urge those workers to join us and share what you know; it is a rare and overdue opportunity to get rid of the arrogant, corrupt, delusional bullies that are running our town.”

Rotherham By-Election – Logic of numbers?

Rotherham Politics has always tried to keep as neutral a position as possible, none more so than when covering elections.

With labour in dire trouble with their campaign, mainly due to the apparent boycott by locals, at all levels of party organisation, and their intention to vote against their party for the first time ever! This is quite simply, an unprecedented development!

Labour voters who haven’t even voted for years, are energised by the chance to punish the party, that they had trusted for years and are absolutely sick of it! This trust has been stretched beyond breaking point. They are now intent on punishing the party for their evident failings.

The voters of all the parties know, that this by-election, is crucial to our common future. If labour does scrape home with the trainee candidate nothing will be done to rid our town of the corrupt and fundamentally undemocratic, control freak ways, that have so characterised by RMBC and the recent fostering row.

UKIP have made a lot of noise, but have actually gained few votes. The 2010 result, may still prove, to have been the high-watermark of their electoral support in Rotherham constituency.

I am afraid that most of the eleven candidates are destined to lose their deposits as their supporters realise the logic of the situation.

This has been a two horse race, right from the start in reality. The situation is simple, if voters want to say, enough is enough, and a lot do, there is only one opponent to Labour’s Sarah Champion, that can prevent her wining is Yvonne Ridley.

This fact cannot be ignored by the voters casting their votes tomorrow. The whole town is hoping and praying, that they don’t wake up to more of the same with a new MP, hand picked for them, by Kevin Barron of all people!

So there we have it a stark chioce:

Sarah Champion represents the ‘more of the same’ with the local wrongdoing going on as before, with all the greed, sleaze and corruption that is entailed!

Or, voters can send ‘crooks’ like Denis MacShane the last MP, and the ‘crooked’ local labour party, a message loud and clear that they want a fresh start, by voting for Yvonne Ridley to be their next MP. With Yvonne as MP, the fresh start may be possible?