A Huge Thank You From Dave Ridgway.

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Last Thursday the voters of Sitwell had an opportunity to exercise their democratic right to chose a Councillor to represent them.

I was proud to put my name forward in this contest as a representative of Rotherham's newest political group, the Rotherham Independents, established in February, as an antidote to the tired old politics of the past that we believe is stifling progress for Rotherham's citizens.

Coming in third place behind the Tory and Labour Parties and ahead of UKIP and the Liberals was enormously pleasing for me and all independently minded people in Rotherham.

I did not have an opportunity at the count to express my gratitude to my voters or those that helped with my campaign nor those that organised the election in such an exemplary manner. This is what I would have said.

"I would also like to place on record my personal gratitude to the Police, Mags Evers and the elections staff who have delivered an election notable for being faultless, to my fellow candidates who have campaigned honourably. 

A huge thank you to my supporters in the Rotherham Independents, without whom this campaign would not have been possible and finally I would like to thank each and every one of those voters that placed their confidence in me and voted for a better future with the Rotherham Independents".

Dave Ridgway

Rotherham Independent Candidate

Sitwell Ward

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Sitwell By-Election Result. Disaster for Liberals, 769 Voters Go Missing! Labour Dismay as Ground Lost Since May - Against National Trend!

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Rotherham MBC Sitwell Ward By-Election August 5th 2010
Party	2008 Result	2008 % Vote	2010 May Result	2010 May % Vote	2010 By-Election Result	2010 By-Election % Vote	% Change since 2008	% Change since May
Tory	2300	58.5	2684	41.5	1213	45.5	-13	4.5
Lab	768	19.5	2238	34.6	864	32.4	12.9	-2.2
R Ind			751	11.6	252	9.5		-2.1
UKIP			793	12.3	241	8.9		-3.4
Lib	867	22			98	3.7	-18.3
Totals	3935		6466		2668

Dave Ridgway's result is remarkable in the context of the local political scene.

The catastrophic drop in the Liberal vote, second place to last or 867 to 98 a loss of 769 votes, clearly demonstrates the electoral problems the Liberals now have, both nationally and here in Rotherham, since they decided to go in to coalition and now are left looking for all the world to have put personal ambition first and are now busily engaged in implementing Tory cuts with a degree of enthusiasm not welcomed by those that put their faith in them at the time of the General Election.

Previous by-elections in Wolverhampton and Walsall which took place in July, clearly demonstrate a consistent pattern for the Liberals, receiving just 52 and 72 votes respectively. These by-election results so soon after the May elections must surely give great cause for alarm amongst Liberals up and down the country. 

The result for Labour must also have been very disappointing for them, as they lost ground since May and lost 2.2% of their vote share, despite mounting an extraordinarily vigorous campaign and a great deal of election day activity, not previously seen anywhere in Rotherham for many a year!

Dave's View 3 - Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme - Labour Party Cynicism Exposed!

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It really gets my goat when we see election leaflets from Judy Dalton promoting a campaign opposing cuts to the Schools rebuilding programme that is basically deceptive in nature.

As I see it, the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme was unnecessarily complex and far too costly and would in all probability have been cut by a similar amount in Labours own cuts proposals, if they had won a fourth term in government!

To launch a campaign against cuts that Judy Dalton's own Party, Labour has caused really takes the biscuit for such naked cynicism by 'the Party of the People' that is no such thing!

Sending out a short, loaded, questionnaire on the documents back at their own expense also seems to insult the intelligence of her potential voters it would appear?

Dave Ridgway
Independent Candidate
Sitwell Ward

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