A very big thank you!

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A very big thank you to each and every elector who took the trouble to cast their vote for me in spite of the many siren voices desperately appealing to them, to vote the way they always did in the past.

My vote of 2,366, was 6.3% of those voting and easily exceeded the threshold of 5% needed to save my £500 deposit and I am delighted at it's return.

I would also like to place on record my thanks and eternal gratitude to all those who contributed to my campaign, from encouraging me to stand in the first place, supporting me over the last two years and helping me in a successful campaign during the last few months, space does not allow me to mention you all by name but I am sure you all know who you are. 

A special thank you to my Agent, Rik Van Hegan. Without him, all my efforts and resources and those of the Rotherham Independents would not have been used to best effect, nor would we be so well placed across the Borough for the future. I know his commitment to the Independents cause in Rotherham is total and his future involvement assured, to the benefit of all who want to find a better way of running things here in Rotherham.

Set in a National context of the Independent Network, our performance was remarkable, only exceeded by three others who were backed by pre-existing mass membership campaigns with money and troops being plentiful. We came fourth nationally and one of only six in the whole country to save their deposit. Unfortunately most Independent Network candidates managed at most a few hundred votes, the lowest was 76 I believe! Esther Rantzen standing against a serial expenses offender, Labour MP Margaret Moran, managed only 4.4% vote share with a well financed campaign, complete with large numbers of volunteers behind her. In my case I funded my own campaign and because the local elections deprived me of significant human resources as the local candidates fought their own campaigns, in spite of these handicaps, we achieved an electoral result beyond any reasonable expectation when the campaign started.

The local government elections in Rotherham this year with eleven Rotherham Independent candidates was a huge success, We garnered 10,000 votes, averaging 15.3% of the vote. A magnificent result especially when the local election results are clearly skewed by the increased turnout that the General Election  produced. In Rotherham a total of 12,348 votes supported our vision for a new approach to politics based on a freedom from dogma and tribalism that, I know, is at the root of many of the problems that we face daily and they have not solved in the 36 years since RMBC came into being in 1974. Enough time you would have thought? to have at least a grip of things, but they fail every time they try, why? because they don't listen to the people, no matter how loud they shout. Rotherham Independents are that voice and you will all hear much more from them in the future.

I have always made it clear that this would likely be, the last time I would contest a public election above Parish level.  I have served the people of Rotherham in many capacities over more years than I care to remember and now is the time for me to gradually retire from public life and to give me the time to devote to my family and to get a chance, at last, to enjoy some of my interests that I have never had the time for, until now. I have found it all very rewarding personally, I hope that it at least helped in some small way. The promises I made during the campaign I will honour to the best of my ability during the remaining period I am on the Council.

Without the steadfast support of Jean, my wife and my family, very little would have been possible, they have been my bedrock through good times and bad. I will be eternally grateful for their love and support.

On the future, Rotherham Independents have grown from modest beginnings to be the committed group they are now. I am convinced that theirs is going to be a successful future with great possibilities as they work to gain the support of Rotherham's voters for their vision of inclusion and involvement, tolerance and above all freedom from all Party dogma, fixed policy and a maturity, not unfortunately, commonly demonstrated by either Labour and the Tories on the Borough, Town and Parish Councils of Rotherham.

Thank you once again to everyone.

Peter Thirlwall

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What you will get if you vote Labour on May 6th

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This is what voting MacShane will give you, an empty seat!
He always disappears, when his constituents want to ask questions, that need answers!
Peter Thirlwall will always be there, standing with the people and making their voice heard!
Vote Independent X 
Vote Thirlwall X
A message from Peter Thirlwall's Campaign Team

Look! Who was missing! Yes it was MacShane, of course!

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The strange case of the disappearing politician!  MacShane and his Agent, Anna Chester, were involved in the early planning of Sundays event. At the time, invitations had only been issued to Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrats. He had apparently indicated his attendance on numerous previous occasions. It was surprising then, that suddenly he was unable to appear due to prior commitments, perhaps It was only when he heard that Peter Thirlwall had, unexpectedly been invited to attend, that any doubt existed about MacShanes attendance. He issued a statement of explanation which was somewhat undermined by sightings of him the same day.

It has also been reported that he tried to get another local MP, to substitute for him and take the heat for him, he very wisely declined!  What nerve!  Not only would he not share a platform with Peter, he tried to hide behind a more honourable national politician with certainly more 'bottle' than MacShane displayed on Sunday, no small wonder then, that cooperation was unforthcoming. 

The utter contempt he has for his electorate, already legendary, is clearly shown here. He has  already brought shame on Rotherham by his behaviour and his unwillingness to account for his spending of your money. Now he is just plain embarrassing to us all!  

" I accuse MacShane of political cowardice of a seriousness which makes him unsuitable to continue to be Rotherham's Member of Parliament".

It is time for the Voters of Rotherham to consider just how to rid us of this continuing embarrassment to us all that MacShane represents!

With talk today of tactical voting being an important facet of this Election, it is important to realise that in Rotherham the Independent vote generally is increasing rapidly as it becomes clear that we are firmly in second place and closing fast on possible victory on Thursday! The gap is getting tantalisingly small and victory is possible with your help!

"I appeal to all of Rotherham's Voters who have not finally made up their minds to join with me and the local government team in making a real positive choice for a genuinely better future for us all".

The one thing that is certain at these elections, voting Liberal Democrat or Conservative will gift MacShane his return to his 'business as usual' seat in Parliament and his ticket to the 'gravy train', renewed. The stakes are so high for us all in Rotherham. Please use your vote, don't sit on your hands when your vote this year could, for the first time since the thirties, produce real 'Change for Good' here in our Town. 

 "Join with me in building a future we will all be proud of, because we will have built it, together!"

My message to those that think a protest vote for one of the two fringe right wing parties contesting the Rotherham Constituency is a good idea. The time has come to make serious choices! Vote for real change to the greed, sleaze and corruption that Labour represents and not those who are definitely racists and bigots. They believe in creating and exploiting division and preach a message of hate designed to tear us apart! I believe in building, not destroying, the fabric of our society!

Vote for Real Change for Rotherham on May 6th 

Vote Thirlwall Independent X

Read my pledge to the people of Rotherham click here

Peter Thirlwall

Independent for Rotherham

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Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance - Hustings Meeting Sunday 2nd May

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Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance organised a hustings event on Sunday May 2nd May at the Unity Centre, St Leonard's Road.

This event was a huge success, not unrelated to the fact that MacShane cried off at the last minute, for possible reasons click here.

Liberal Democrat, Independent and Tory speakers gave the large audience much to think about after probably one of the best hustings events to take place in Rotherham for many a year. 
Rotherham Independents very much welcome this, as clearly the voters want to hear straight from the politicians, their proposed solutions to our problems. 


Our simple message was well received and with questions of a wide ranging nature Peter Thirlwall was able to effectively get his message of hope, through engagement with everyone who make Rotherham their home. Our problems can be solved, but we must get together to address them if success is to last.

Peter was also able to get our message that the local economy is the root of many of Rotherham's problems, fixing that is the key issue!

We need jobs, good ones, highly skilled and with a future, we have an opportunity to get them if we work together. 

Our local economy must be built on solid foundations and all of Rotherham's talents focussed on this one central issue because a growing local economy will allow solutions to be effective to deal with many other problems such as the sorry state of our Town Centre. Unfortunately this is unlikely to improve until Rotherham's people start spending freely in the Town once again. 

"This is why I pledge to focus on building a vibrant local economy that will support the jobs we need and put enough money into our economy to give us the financial resources to build Rotherham again from the bottom up!"

"I would also like to personally thank the Chairman, Saghir Alam, for his contribution to the success of the meeting and Omari Williams and Taiba Yasseen and all the many people who organised this event and everyone who came to listen. I hope that it will be the start of many such events in the future."

          Peter Thirlwall 
          Independent Parliamentary Candidate 
          Rotherham Constituency
          Email Peter

 

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