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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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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If Brown thinks that Gillian Duffy is a bigot? He has insulted most of us!

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To insult an ordinary voter such as Gillian Duffy says just how out of touch with the peoples genuine concerns he is.  Immigration is only eclipsed in Rotherham as an issue by the economic disaster! To be concerned is not the same as being bigoted, to say that it is, is just plain wrong! 

Concerns about the pace of recent immigration is an issue where we should listen to the very large number of concerned ordinary Rotherham people just like Gillian Duffy, who are not unreasonably dismayed by the recent turn of events brought about by opening our doors to all new entrants to the EU and giving up our ability to control this in any way. We did not have to do this.

I have heard the views of many from all communities in Rotherham and I have considered all opinions expressed and I am very grateful to you, for all of them, this has influenced my view which can be seen by Clicking Here. 

Gordon Brown's unguarded utterances tell us more than confirming how out of touch he is, they also confirm that he never takes the blame for anything he always blames others, never himself! 
Quick to take the credit, slow to shoulder responsibility, hardly the behaviour of a Statesman, more like a playground thug you might reasonably conclude. Very much like someone, much closer to home in fact, stand up Denis MacShane! 

They have also shed an unfavourable light on the gulf of understanding between those in power and the people. If merely to express legitimate concerns labels you a bigot! no small wonder then that the voters have become disaffected! No one is even prepared to listen respectfully to expressions of concern from ordinary voters! This explains to some degree the enormous frustration felt by voters who have been attracted to the siren voices of the far right as a way of expressing alarm at the changes that daily impact negatively upon them.

Rotherham people also know, deep down, that we will never solve our problems in Rotherham by first tearing it apart! The one thing we know for certain at this election, both the BNP and UKIP Candidates are racist bigots and not interested in solutions, just in creating more problems by exploiting division and preaching hate!

Myself and the Rotherham Independents are on the peoples side! We offer a better future for all Rotherham than, more of the same! I think we should face all issues head on, not ducking and diving, pretending that problems do not even exist! No problem in life ever improves by being ignored, so too, is the case with societies problems and all issues troubling them. I refuse to accept that we cannot build a future that is better than it is today. To build that future we need to do it together, I offer that possibility for real change, based on cooperation, not conflict!.

I stand for Openness, Honesty, Integrity and good 'old fashioned', Common-Sense. If you would like to know more, please give me a call, I would love to hear from you.

Peter Thirlwall
Independent Parliamentary Candidate
Rotherham Constituency

Visit Rotherham Independents website, click here.  

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MacShane the Truth! Time for Change in Rotherham!

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For quite a long time now increasing information has been put into the public domain about MP's expenses in ways that have clearly demonstrated greed and in some cases much, much worse. Very little information has been made public because MP's have fought 'tooth and nail' to keep this information from you. No one has worked harder or voted so consistently to deny this information to you, than Rotherham's MP Denis MacShane

Denis MacShane is one of those MP's that have stayed out of the public spotlight by a mixture of running away and hiding until the fuss has died down and a total refusal to answer any of the many questions that can reasonably be asked given the paucity of information. MacShane has voted at every turn to deny you the basic information upon which to judge his performance. This pattern of behaviour, disappearing at crucial moments is evidence that MacShane is a political coward unwilling to live up to the expectations of his constituents, or even face up to his responsibility for his own actions.

MacShane's voters have a right to know how he spent their money. Gordon Brown has said that Labour MPs should be open and honest about their use of public money and have no second jobs of any kind. MacShane should now tell us what he did with our money? How many employers has he? Springs to mind to start with.

The record shows him to be a greedy MP, determined to get every penny he could out of the taxpayer and used his position to sell himself for hire to those willing to pay him for his diatribes. He has so many second jobs it is impossible to be sure how many different employers he has at any given time. This is a disgrace! He should work for us alone! Peter Thirlwall will only have one employer, You!

His record when it comes to our Town is lamentable, His home is not in Rotherham and he has employed a novel interpretation of the rules to get his Rotherham property paid for by you, in addition to his London base. His presence in Rotherham is news in it self and clearly shows a disinterested and disengaged MP just going through the motions. None of his own children have so much as seen the inside of a Rotherham school never mind receiving an education here. Are our schools not good enough for his children? Is Rotherham not a suitable place to make his home here? If our Town is not good enough for him and his family it is definitely time for him to go!

He has utter contempt for his constituents and a quick internet search reveals a picture of a pretty odious person indeed, totally motivated by self aggrandisement and little else, He is clearly using his position to make money for himself and it must stop!

Rotherham is ready for a new Member of Parliament, one who knows the Town and it's people, because he is one of them. Someone with a sense of decency and openness, very refreshing in a politician. Someone who has set dogma aside and rejects prejudice of any kind. Someone committed to listening and working with people to effect change that actually improves matters for them where they live, work and play.

That someone is Peter Thirlwall, the Independent Candidate for Rotherham Constituency who offers all of this and much more besides.

Voting Thirlwall at the elections on May 6th is the best way to get the representation that Rotherham citizens can only dream of and most important of all, to vote for a better future for Rotherham and all it's people!


Visit Rotherham Independents website, click here.

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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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General Election Proper Starts Tomorrow, Independents nearly ready!

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Nomination for the General Election open tomorrow.

We are working hard to ensure, that despite the fact that the Labour Party will vastly outspend us in campaigning we will still get our clear and simple message across.

How many times have we heard the expression, enough is enough! coming from countless voters in despair. We have answered that call of frustration and disgust!

The greed, sleaze and corruption that seems to affect what goes for Public Life from top to bottom, must be swept out by people of principle committed to the finest traditions of Public Service, honesty and probity.

Peter Thirlwall and the 2010 Rotherham Independents local government candidates.

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MacShane or is that MacShame, makes friends with Guido Fawkes Again!

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Guido Fawkes likes MacShane, not a lot. See this story published today.

http://order-order.com/2010/04/11/if-it-is-good-enough-for-the-troops-it-is-good-enough-for-politicians/

MacShane's abilities to make friends and influence people appears to know no bounds!

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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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Breaking News - Brown to see Queen in the morning!

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The waiting is over, finally the worst kept secret in history has become public.  The General Election will be on May 6th, the same day as the Local Government Elections.

For the first time since 1931 when the Tory, George Herbert, beat the Labour Candidate only to lose it again in 1933, the Parliamentary Constituency of Rotherham has a realistic chance of being lost by Labour.

The many scandals that have become public have exposed greed and corruption at all levels and in all parts of the House.  Labour, Tory and Lib Dem Members of Parliament were all involved up to their necks, in some cases now before the courts.

Few have come through this process with dignity intact.  To have realised that a majority of MPs were involved was shattering in terms of public confidence.  Despite the largest number of MPs in history standing down at the end of a Parliament, the problem is not yet over, there is still unfinished business.

There are Members of Parliament who served throughout this disgraceful period who are not standing down next week, simply because they have, so far, been able to hide behind the still impenetrable wall of secrecy, that surrounds the Houses of Parliament to this day. 

Denis MacShane, my Labour opponent, is in the top league when it comes to greed.  He has regularly claimed to within pence of the maximum allowable but totally refuses to account for the hundreds of thousands of pounds of your money he has spent since 1994. 

He has always been reluctant to account for the extra jobs he takes on the side, the pattern of declarations shows a degree of manipulation of the ever changing rules, to avoid giving any more information than absolutely necessary.

Close analysis of recently available information shows clearly this tendency and raises the most serious of questions, even more serious questions than I have previously published here on this site.  I have written to MacShane asking him to clarify his position, but alas, no reply, not even an acknowledgment.  I will share this with you later, either when I have a response or I am sure I will not be getting one.
It is not just me he will not answer, he won't tell you his constituents either - try asking him yourself!  Please email me with any response as I would be most interested.  

MacShane is not interested in us he just wants to be the MP for Rotherham and the Ex-Minister for Europe, both titles having been worth thousands over the years when peddling his journalism. Oh, and he wants you to put him back on the gravy train so he can rip us off for another four or five years.

The greed and corruption must be purged from Parliament.  If the Labour Party will not rid us of MacShane, then we must do it for ourselves. 

I offer myself as an antidote to all the sleaze, greed and corruption that has infected public life at all levels.  Public service should be just that, not a way of getting rich.  Nor is it there to make anyone important.  I firmly believe that MPs are there to serve their electorates without the stench of corruption that now swirls around public life generally.

Rotherham MP Denis MacShane has brought disgrace on the whole Town.  I stand with Rotherham in rejecting the recent scandals and believe that I can restore Rotherham's tarnished image by bringing some basic honesty, Yorkshire thrift when it comes to your money and some good old fashioned decency and commonsense when it comes to working on your behalf.

Together, Let's Change Rotherham for Good.


Peter Thirlwall
Independent Candidate 
Rotherham

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Back to the Future for Tory Economic Policy?

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Now that the dust has settled on last weeks Budget and we have had a chance to consider the response of the Tory Opposition and take a peek at their approach to the future running of economic policy, it is quite apparent that most of the lessons of the last fifteen years have completely passed them by!

My Tory opponent needs to explain why, after all, the Tory proposals are pretty much now as put forward by the Tories at every election since1997? 

Firstly it was William Hague, then Michael Howard now it is Cameron and George Osborne trying to convince us that this time the outcome will be different, if they simply wrap it up in a nice sugary and soft covering to conceal that at it's heart their approach has not really changed since Margaret Thatcher destroyed our industries, with the same economic approach they are still advocating, as the answer to the country's problems in the 21st century.

It is surprising, that although we see a clapped out and corrupt Labour Government, at the fag end of this Parliament they are still within touching distance of hanging on in Government. 
The Tories are desperate to show that they have changed, in doing so, they just prove they are still the same 'Old' Tories at heart, and they haven't changed one bit! 

A bunch of various toffs with privileged backgrounds telling ordinary folk that they now embrace them, and their aspirations, is a frankly ridiculous spectacle! 
Every time one looks closely at The Tories, the echos of the past a still being heard like a drum beat, The Tories haven't changed! Just the sugar coating!

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Labour's Last Budget? A wasted opportunity! Peter's response.

I don't know what Alistair Darling expected the country to think of his latest and last Budget called 'Securing the recovery'.

'Fiddling while Rome burns', would be far more apt. There is very little to be positive about as this budget has the unfortunate effect of ensuring that there will be a second budget this year whoever is running the country after the election.

This budget conceals more than illuminates. Basic tax allowances are not going up this year, inflation will increase the effect of this and make the lowest paid bear the brunt of these hidden tax increases. Already suffering badly, more pain is to be heaped on them in the form of taxes on the 'naughty' things like alcohol and tobacco. Because of the increases in duty on fuel, food and basics will get more expensive and impact disproportionately on the less well off.

National Insurance, an income tax on working people by another name, is also unchanged. This is a disgraceful missed opportunity to apply the tax system with a degree of social justice for all, not just for the better off!

We are all aware that the economic climate now is poorly placed to provide the support and assistance that Rotherham will need if is to prosper in the future.

There are some encouraging signs, at least at the high-tech end of engineering. The town may be able to look forward to the benefits that these developments will bring to the local economy. 
Only if the economy avoids a 'double dip' recession will this go ahead as planned. 
We need good jobs, highly skilled with a long term future. 
Rotherham will need advocates at all levels.
I am prepared to be your voice where it matters!

Peter Thirlwall
Rotherham's own Independent.

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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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Tory Candidate for Rotherham Constituency Announced At Last!

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It has just been announced, that the Rotherham Constituency Tory Candidate, is to be businesswoman, Jacqueline Whiteley.

A former 'Yorkshire Woman of the Year' and winner of other awards in business, including a Business Link Competition for 'bucking the trend' in the recession.

She is reported to be a member of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce.  She has also been a Woman's Ambassador for Enterprise for campaign group Forward Ladies.

She is said to be an ambitious candidate, presumably here to add to her political CV for next time and a safe seat. The Conservative vote in the Rotherham Constituency will probably have the rather dubious distinction, of being the only constituency in the country, where the Conservative vote actually goes down!

All the evidence we have, clearly shows that this trend is already under way here in Rotherham. That is even before Jacqueline Whiteley was selected. It is being said that it will probably not be as much benefit to her future career prospects as she is hoping.

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The Rotherham Star Joins the Fray on First Class Travel!

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Peters Campaign to change the way the Council spends your money has now reached the Rotherham Star and has been covered on the Rotherham Independents Campaign site.

Peter's View.

"The time is coming when all of Rotherham's voters will be able to vote for candidates they can trust to be honest, open and committed to bringing basic decency and a non-dogmatic attitude to making the best decisions for Rotherham and all of it's people".

Peter Thirlwall

Rotherham’s Prospective Independent Parliamentary Candidate.
Rotherham Independents Campaign.

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Stephen Fodor Writes - On Thirlwall.

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Stephen Fodor and Peter Thirlwall 

at a recent campaign event

"I fully endorse Cllr Peter Thirlwall’s candidacy to be Independent Member of Parliament for Rotherham!  He offers the best opportunity to bring back, good old fashioned accountability!" 

"He has often already shown at local level his unremitting commitment to work in Rotherham’s interest, and has a way of connecting and voicing the real concerns of people... now that would be fabulous to see in the House of Commons!"

Stephen Fodor
Rotherham Businessman 

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Peter's Perspective - On MacShane

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Like many Rotherham people I find the revelations in this weeks Advertiser, about my opponent to be, and his disappearance at a time when his disgraceful behaviour is made public, are the actions of someone not worthy to represent Rotherham and its people.

I know that my outrage and anger and the feelings of shame over this expenses affair are shared by many, both in his constituency and throughout the whole of Rotherham.

Unless the Labour Party suddenly comes to its senses, prevails upon MacShane to step aside as their candidate and chooses an honest replacement more interested in their constituents, the problem will be put in the hands of the Rotherham constituency’s voters at the General Election.

I am proposing to stand in Rotherham as a serious alternative to candidates locked in the confines of tribal politics that all the mainstream national parties, of whatever hue, practise here in Rotherham and throughout the country. This has resulted in the people in the Towns and Cities of the North feeling abandoned, little understood, and taken for fools by being taken for granted.

The people of Rotherham deserve better than this! Now is the chance for change!

The power is in all our hands come the elections. Remember we live in a democracy, where every vote counts and the decision you make is yours alone.
Each and every voter has to make their mind up whether to vote the way they always have or to vote for a candidate committed to the highest standards of conduct and openness.

I invite you all to take the time to find out more about me and the fresh start my candidacy represents, before making your choice in the General Election to come.

I am also the most easily contactable of the prospective candidates and invite you to do so. See left side panel for ways to contact me. I would love to hear what you have to say.

If you would like to know more or help in our campaign, you would be most welcome. We are a friendly bunch, totally committed to our task of offering real and effective change both in Parliament and here in Rotherham.

Peter Thirlwall
Rotherham’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
Rotherham Independents Campaign

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More Questions for MacShane?

I can now reveal the contents of a letter I have written to Denis MacShane asking him to account for his behaviour to his constituents, something he has always refused to do.

I am still considering the rest of the information now in the public arena, thanks to the Advertiser and their reporters, Phil Turner and Naumaan Farooq.

Rt. Hon. Dr Denis MacShane MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A  0AA

Dear Dr MacShane,
For some time now you have been prevaricating on the issue of your use of public money. You expect to be re-elected later this year, yet you continue to treat your electorate with contempt. You refuse to answer even the most basic of questions about your expenses.
The standard of accounting for expenditure now expected of our elected representatives is such that those accounts presented by John Healey on his website should be the benchmark of what is expected in terms of minimum disclosure. When do you propose publication of this information?

Scrutiny of all the available online sources providing information on your use of public money has been illuminating and leads inevitably to ask that you clarify the following areas of concern to me and no doubt many of your constituents that you will be asking to return you to parliament at the elections to come.

Firstly a matter of general principle, why have you, at every opportunity, argued and voted against disclosure of the information that is now required? Don't you think your electorate has a right to know how you have spent their money?

Is it true that, amongst other things, you are presently being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over the £12,400 you have given your brother, Edmund Matyjazek in the years 2005-8 for translation services?  Please specify the languages translated between and indicate how this was justified as being 'actually and necessary to your work as Rotherhams MP' or was it performed in pursuit of your journalistic activities?

During the period December 2004 and January 2008, covering just 3 financial years, you claimed for a total of 10 computers (mostly portable ones) at a cost of £6654:39. Were they all properly receipted? Why did you need so many? Did you keep losing/breaking them? Where are they now?

There appears much confusion on your designation of your second home for allowance purposes that does not fit well with your Council Tax arrangements, please clarify the position?
I am led to believe that you spend the majority of your time at your London home. If this is correct it means that you are claiming your second home allowance on the wrong property. Could you please clarify this matter and perhaps substantiate this by providing your travel claims? Is it also true that you are being asked to pay back hundreds of pounds that you have over claimed for food?

Confusion also surrounds your arrangements viz a viz your constituency home and your office. It appears for all the world as though you have driven a coach and horses through even the previous rules then in force. Bills that must apply to your Rotherham home have been claimed against your office costs allowances, in contravention of the then rules. You seem to have found a way of financing both your properties at public expense. This type of behaviour is a disgrace that has never been tolerated under any rules applicable since you entered parliament and the Green Book specifically warns against it!   Why have you not yet applied for planning permission for change of use of your garage from domestic to business use? And why are you not therefore paying the proper council tax?

Clarification of your apparently large staffing allowance would be appreciated as there is little discernible evidence of output from all this activity. Do they all work in support of your parliamentary duties or were they expended on your work as a journalist or author?
You are spending extremely large sums on you telecommunications in excess of £700 per month! The public purse really should not bear the burden of your long distance and international calls that are essentially private and that is what your salary is for. If this impression is false then please disclosure is the answer.

I have one last question for you, what precisely do you think your parliamentary salary is for? The rest of us have to pay for a great deal of the things you claim for out of our income, so why don't you?

Yours sincerely,

Peter Thirlwall

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MacShane has many questions to answer?

Sir Thomas Legg's Report, published by the members estimates committee says the following about Rotherham's MP.


'Rt Hon Denis MacShane MP
Rotherham
Dr MacShane was paid cleaning costs totalling £7,354.34 (£3,000.00 in 2004-05;
£2,341.34 in 2005-06; and £2,013.00 in 2007-08). This exceeded £2,000 a year by
£1,354.34.
In September and October 2008, he was paid £153.39 for gas without providing
sufficient evidence to show that this was a cost incurred at his second home, since
the only address on the bill related to his main home.
He should also provide mortgage interest statements to support payments totalling
£6,001.34 for the period April 2004 to January 2006. I recommend that he should
be allowed until 1 March 2010 to do this. If he does not do so, then in the absence
of any special or exceptional reasons to the contrary, he should repay the whole
amount of the allowance involved.'
It must be emphasised that this information only applies to his use of the Additional Costs Allowance.

Peter Thirwall said today, "Denis MacShane has a lot of explaining to do", and " I am sure that everyone in Rotherham will be horrified at this and I feel he should stand down now, as labours candidate, before the election, it is that serious in my view"

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