Tag Archives: rotherham council

Alisdair Calder McGregor

Opinion: Rotherham would be an ideal place to hold England’s first STV elections

By Alisdair Calder McGregor | Thu 5th February 2015 - 12:01 pm

The problems caused by one-party states are many, but the behaviour of Rotherham Labour in failing to their residents by running a council that was simply “not fit for purpose” shows one of the worst possible examples.

The lack of political challenge to Rotherham Labour resulted in a council that lacked even the basic ability to serve local people. It stands as one of the clearest examples of the failure of the current English council elections system.

Eric Pickles has already announced that Rotherham will move to all-up elections from 2016, but this is insufficient to change the underlying problem of the lack of political challenge in Rotherham.

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 36 Comments
Joe Otten

Reflections on Rotherham (3): Believing and taking responsibility

By Joe Otten | Fri 29th August 2014 - 12:41 pm

It was difficult to read the Alexis Jay report into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham. 1400 girls and 200 boys brutally abused and exploited.

And then we have the response from the council and the police. Denial. Victim blaming. Placing children into care homes where they were more at risk than they were in the family home. Sending looked-after children to school by taxis implicated in grooming and abuse. Regarding abused children as consenting participants. Treating an abused child as a criminal. Failure to investigate crimes. Vilification of those trying to raise awareness.

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 4 Comments
Helen Duffett

By-election news: Conservatives hold Sitwell, Rotherham

By Helen Duffett | Fri 6th August 2010 - 3:35 pm

Just one by-election this week, in Sitwell ward on Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, following the death of Conservative Councillor Michael Clarke.

The Conservatives held the marginal seat, although the council remains under Labour control.

The Liberal Democrat candidate Abdul Razaq came fifth (possibly as a consequence of the Liberal Democrats not putting up a candidate in May, so the party’s support may have ebbed away to Labour?)

The result was as follows:

Con 1213
Lab 864
Independent 252
UKIP 241
LD Abdul Razaq 98

The turnout was 28.22%.

Posted in Council by-elections | 41 Comments
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