New endorsement - Steve Bentham-Bates

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"Peter Thirlwall was my Borough Councillor from whom I requested support to challenge a building project that was planned to be built adjacent to my property.

I approached Peter to help argue the case against excessive density and height of the plans, and with his intervention the group of residents I led successfully had the plans amended to reduce the total number of new buildings by a significant margin, and the four storey development plans ditched, to be more in keeping and scale of the residential appearance of the village.

His knowledge of the procedures and personalities of all hues in local government were instrumental in enabling the residents group to meet most of its objectives.

He is a first class councillor arguing against intransigent local politics who should, if there is any justice in the world, become an even better Member of Parliament for the local area fighting the corner of those he seeks to represent." 

Steve Bentham-Bates BA Hons FIRP Dip RP

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Message from Martin Bell OBE

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Martin Bell's Message on what it means to be an Independent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR8SBHyEEt0

Peter Thirlwall

Independent for Rotherham

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Question Time for MacShane?

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MacShane has finally surfaced again, as predicted, a few weeks before the General Election!
He set up his own version of Question Time, organised by the supposedly non political South Yorkshire Women's Development Trust.
Chaired by MacShane himself with a hand picked panel, he even included his latest girl friend for good measure. None of them having any relevance to the voters of Rotherham.
Denis hand picked the questions to give himself an easy ride, preaching to the converted! From this point of view a 'Church’ hosting such a politically partisan event seems to me to be crassly inappropriate at best and an outrage at worst!
Not one direct question on his scandalous expenses! None either on the lamentable record of the Labour Government! Or anything about the disgraceful scandals that have engulfed him and the information he simply refuses to give us! John Healey can manage it, so why can’t MacShane!
MacShane thinks he can go into this election without explaining any of his expenses to his voters! He is treating his voters with total contempt!
Anna Chester, one of MacShanes party organisers, said "there is clearly an appetite to have those meetings more often". I can assure her there is.
Perhaps Anna, who as well as being a labour organiser and also a volunteer with the non political SYWD, would organise a Question Time chaired by a neutral.
Invite a panel that included Peter Thirlwall and MacShane.
It would give you an audience that would be so large that there is no venue in Rotherham that could fit everyone in! The tickets would be very much sought after!
The Women of Rotherham require answers too!
They deserve answers from both the incumbent and his principal challenger, Peter Thirlwall. Answers to the questions they actually want to ask!
Peter Thirlwall, the Independent Candidate, is an incredible politician and if the roles were reversed and MacShane was the Independent candidate at the next election, MacShane would lose his deposit!
Thirlwall's popularity is increasing by the day. With your help, he will defy all the odds, and win the Rotherham seat!
If you would like to help Peter or would like to speak to him directly, don't delay he is the most approachable person you are likely to meet and would love to hear from you.

George Valentine
Council Waste Watcher
Stag
Rotherham

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Labours Dirty Dozen! There are many more!

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Guido Fawkes Blog order-order.com published this story today 'Labours Dirty Dozen'.

I do not personally endorse this web site, but often important stories on Parliamentary Sleaze first see the light of day on this site, I think all Rotherham's Voters should look at this site from time to time.

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Labour and Tory Party's - Non-Domicile Embarrassment!

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The truth has finally been revealed. The Tory Party's principal donor, Lord Ashcroft (Baron Ashcroft, of Chichester in the county of West Sussex, ennobled in 2000), is a tax evader!
He pays only a small proportion of the tax he should pay to the United Kingdom Exchequer.

Why does this matter? Lord Ashcroft is not only a very generous Tory benefactor (reported to have given £6,000,000 in the recent past) but is part of William Hague's team, present when policy matters are discussed and travelling with William Hague on foreign trips. 

Today's revelations also call into question his entitlement to sit in the House of Lords as Non-Doms are no longer supposed to be allowed. 

My Tory opponent, Jacqueline Whiteley, has some explaining to do!  

If she wants to be trusted by the voters of Rotherham, she has to explain why this man has been able to get so much influence, apparently with his money, when he is not resident in this country for Tax purposes. How does this fit in with the Tory Party's claims to be open and honest when all questions have been met with obfuscation or silence. It is now time to come clean!

The Labour Party has a similar problem in the shape of Sraj Paul, Baron Paul, of Marylebone in the City of Westminster to give him his full title.  He is a significant Labour Donor, ennobled in 1996 and put on the Privy Council, a very high honour indeed allowing him to us the title preceded by Rt Hon the Lord Paul.

Like Lord Ashcroft, Sraj Paul is a Non-Dom too, it has emerged, and similar questions need a full an honest answer from Labour as well.

Denis MacShane needs to explain this to his constituents, as well as properly accounting for our money he has spent.

If he wants to regain any credibility amongst his voters, he must answer the above, simple questions.

One would like to say, Denis.  It is your continued silence on these matters, that is harming your prospects electorally. Your constituents cannot believe that you are acting in this way and previous disclosures and the inevitable questions they provoke, must be answered by you.

The contempt for your electorate that is involved here, is staggering!

This can be remedied easily and simply by the disclosure of the basic information your electorate expects from you, if you are to get them to vote for you. 

Put simply, Denis please tell us?

Denis and Jacqueline, Rotherham is waiting, don't treat them with contempt, your electorate demand answers, before they vote for either of you!

Peter Thirlwall  

Rotherham Independents

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My Personal Pledge to Rotherham

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 Martin Bell and Peter Thirlwall, together in Birmingham recently.

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I have had a 'ringside seat' from which to observe the decline in basic standards of politics in Rotherham and I am now, like many, convinced that most of our problems can be laid firmly at the door of the Labour Party.
I was briefly encouraged by the increasing size of the opposition on RMBC, but my disappointment at their failure to hold the ruling Labour Group properly to account has been very great indeed and I am now convinced that they suffer from similar internal issues to labour which ensure that narrow party interests always get in the way of Rotherham's peoples best interests. Patronage is like a cancer, subverting the political decision making process and corrupting it.
It is time for a fresh start here in Rotherham.
This is why I have signed up to the principles below and together with my colleagues in the Rotherham Independents Campaign are offering a fresh start and offer hope for our future. I challenge all election candidates in Rotherham this year to publicly declare their support for them, whatever their political affiliation.

Peter Thirlwall, PPC Rotherham

If you would like to know more, or you would like to join with us please email us here

I reproduce below the principles I am committed  to uphold. 

The Bell Principles build upon Lord Nolan's Principles of 1995.
We will

• abide wholeheartedly by the spirit and letter of the Seven Principles of Public Life set out by Lord Nolan in 1995: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership
• be guided by considered evidence, our real world experience and expertise, our constituencies and our consciences
• be free of control of any political party, pressure group or whip
• be non-discriminatory, ethical and committed to pluralism
• make decisions transparently and openly at every stage and level of the political process, enabling people to see how decisions are made and the evidence on which they are based
• listen, consulting our communities constantly and innovatively treat political opponents with courtesy and respect, challenging them when we believe they are wrong, and agreeing with them when we believe they are right
• resist abuses of power and patronage and promote democracy at every level
• work with other elected independents as a group with a chosen spokesperson
• claim expenses, salaries and compensation openly so the public can judge the value for money of our activities

The Seven Principles of Public Life

The Rotherham Independents Campaign believe that 'Seven Principles of Public Life' should apply to all in the public service. These are:

Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.

Integrity
Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.

Objectivity
In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.

Accountability
 Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

Openness
Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

Honesty 
 Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

Leadership
Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

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