Update on Rotherham Borough Councillors representing Maltby :

(from RMBC website)

http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/councillors/specificWard/21/maltby

Councillor Amy Rushforth

Biography : Councillor Rushforth has been a member of the Council since 2000 and is currently Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture.

Councillor Will Blair 

Ward: Maltby   Party: British National Party

Biography: Councillor Blair has been a member of the Council since May 2008 and is a member of the Health Select Commission

Councillor Chris Beaumont

Ward: Maltby  Party: Labour

Biography : Councillor Beaumont was elected a Councillor on 5th May, 2011 and is a Senior Adviser for the Cabinet Member for Safeguarding and Developing Learning Opportunities for Children, Vice-Chairman of the Wentworth Valley Area Assembly and a member of the Improving Places and Health Select Commissions.

This seems reasonable enough – 2 Labour and 1 BNP sounds about ok from my knowledge of the views of Maltby electorate.

Apart from not  getting my head and understanding around the new cabinet members titles and responsibilities (yet) there are another couple of things that don’t feel quite right to me.

Why does anyone stand for election as a  Rotherham Borough Councillor when they have never stood for Maltby Town Council ?  Surely if being a councillor is to represent the people, then it’s logical that you would want to represent them at all levels. A sort of ‘working your way outwards’ rather than upwards. Amy Rushforth and Chris Beaumont are both currently serving on MTC and (despite them both being Labour party members) this appears to me that they have the interest of Maltby at heart. Our BNP councillor does and always has donated generously to local causes and events, but apparently doesn’t want to have his say too locally.

Secondly, if you are a member of Maltby Town Council (past chair, in fact) why would you stand for election for a neighbouring ward and not your own ?

 Councillor Jenny Andrews

Ward: Hellaby  Party: Labour

Biography : Councillor Andrews was elected a Councillor on 5th May, 2011 and is an adviser to the Cabinet Member for Culture, Lifestyle, Sport and Tourism and a member of the Improving Places Select Commission and Licensing Board.

One view might be that this was party politics working at it’s fullest (and worst) – or would that just be cynical ?