1. A NEW CANDIDATE WITH NO MP'S EXPENSES BAGGAGE

The MP's expenses saga has hurt politics. The electorate are disillusioned and disappointed. I have never claimed any public expenses during my 6 years as a Councillor and I have promised to be open and truthful about my expenses as an MP..

2. MOTIVATED AND READY TO GET THINGS DONE

It's time for a change of representative in Rother Valley. For far too long we have had to put up with the same old faces who can do what they want because of a huge majority. Well, now because of boundary changes, poor government and a motivated local Conservative candidate there can really be a change.

3. PUTTING YOU FIRST BEFORE WESTMINSTER

Voting along the party line has become too common. I will always put your views and opinions first. I will do what's right, stand by my principles and fight for local issues. I will only make promises I can delive

On Radio Sheffield's election debate on Wednesday night Kevin Barron was asked why he had his campaign leaflets printed by a business based in Essex. His leaflet states that he will continue to back local businesses.

His response that there was no business in Rotherham with the capacity to combine the printing and mailing of his leaflets highlights either his complete lack of interest in or lack of knowledge of his constituency. We do find his response surprising as after 27 years he should have a bit of an idea of what the businesses in his constituency are capable of.

It's a slap in the face for the local businesses that he claims to support.

NO Kevin! There are plenty of printing businesses in and around Rotherham with a variable data capability who could have accommodated you.

It emphasises the comments we've been getting over the past year.

"Rother Valley needs a Member of Parliament who puts the needs of their constituents first."

Released by: Cllr Lynda Donaldson
Date: 26th April 2010

Double whammy from Labour’s jobs tax: higher council tax bills too

Labour’s hikes in Employers’ National Insurance hikes costs for Rotherham council

Labour’s new jobs tax will hit Rotherham taxpayers with a ‘double whammy’ of tax rises, Lynda Donaldson warned this week. New, detailed analysis has revealed that Gordon Brown’s planned post-election hikes in National Insurance will add an extra £15 a year to council tax bills across Rotherham by forcing up local authority wage bills. This would be on top of the £150 typical tax hit to workers from smaller pay packets due to the higher National Insurance on their pay.

• Compared to Conservative plans, Labour’s hike in National Insurance for employers will slap an extra £273 million on the local government wage bill across England.
• Labour Ministers have said they have no intention of compensating councils, dumping the costs onto local taxpayers. This will add an extra £15 a year to an average Band D council tax bill. Under Labour, council tax bills have already more than doubled across the country. In Rotherham, council tax bills have risen from £715 to £1451 – a hike of 103%.
• A Conservative Government will stop the most damaging part of Labour’s jobs tax on employers and employees. Conservatives will cut government waste while protecting frontline services. Anyone earning between £7,100 and £45,400 – seven out of ten working people across the country – will be up to £150 a year better off than under Labour’s plans. The cost of Labour’s tax rise on employers will also be cut by more than half.
• And Conservatives will work with councils to freeze council tax bills for two years, which could save local taxpayers in Rotherham up to £221 in total on a Band D bill.

Cllr Lynda Donaldson said:
“Thanks to Labour’s jobs tax, local residents face a double whammy – a shrinking pay packet and even higher council tax bills. Under Gordon Brown, council tax bills always rise after a general election.

“Conservatives will stop this jobs tax, saving jobs and giving people extra income. And we’ll work with local councils to freeze council tax for two years. Spending on government spin and wasteful consultants will be cut to help pay for the freeze. People in Rotherham face a clear choice – five more years of Gordon Brown – or Conservatives who will deliver the change our country needs.”

On Wednesday 28th April Rother Valley welcomed Shadow Justice Minister Dominic Grieve to meet local Parliamentary Candidate Lynda Donaldson.  They enjoyed lunch with the Rotary group at The Consort Suite in Thurcroft which was followed up by a visit to Safe@Last with Mark Smith (Head of Operations)	Dominic Grieve, Shadow Justice Minister
Lynda & Dominic Grieve in discussion with Mark Smith, Head of Operations at Safe@Last	Mr Grieve has heard about the good work SafeAtLast  have undertaken  for our young people and also was interested to hear about crime in Dinnington.  The Parliamentary Candidate Lynda Donaldson said ‘I am delighted to welcome Dominic to Rother Valley because people feel ignored, unsupported and want change’.
Lynda and Dominic then walked through Dinnington to meet local Conservative Council Candidate Mr Kristian Denman and other business owners.	Lynda, Dominic, Kristian Denman and John Gilding in Dinnington
Councillor Darren Hughes joined Lynda and Dominic at the Consort Hotel

 

 

 

Litter patrol: Michelle Donelan and Lynda Donaldson.

PARLIAMENTARY candidates Lynda Donaldson and Michelle Donelan took a break from campaigning to help tidy up their potential constituencies.

The Tory pair went litter picking in Ravenfield woods and near the former pit site in Thurcroft.

Miss Donelan, standing in Wentworth and Dearne, said: “I have been amazed by how many beautiful places there are in Wentworth & Dearne but sadly neglected in some areas with litter and this is an excellent use of time to give something back to the community.”

Cllr Donaldson, who hopes to represent Rother Valley, added: “I was out canvassing the Colliery Villas some months ago and the history and the beauty of the properties was spoiled by the excessive amount of rubbish.

“I thank Streetpride for lending us the equipment to rid this area of the rubbish. I would like to see Rotherham Borough Council do more in respect of litter picking and fly tipping in such areas.”

Are you betting on Lynda?

Bet on vb. to have faith or confidence in someone

It's interesting that online bookmakers have placed odds on Lynda Donaldson winning on 6th May at around 11/2. The Labour candidate's odds are around 1/12. Looks like the Rother Valley constituents have lots more confidence in a victory for Lynda than the bookies!

HOW HAVE THE ODDS BEEN CALCULATED

William Hill Online say, "The major contributor to this is that historically, Rother Valley has been a guaranteed Labour seat." They also say, "Whilst we appreciate that the Local Election Results have to be taken in to consideration, we feel that the historical data from General Elections has a greater influence."

Labour won Rother Valley in the 2005 General Election with a 25.09% majority.

LOOK AT THE FACTS

Five years is a long time. What's been happening since then?

1. At the 2008 local elections the Conservatives polled 29.82% more votes than Labour. There are currently four Conservative councillors in the constituency as opposed to three Labour councillors. So people are moving, quite rapidly towards Conservatives.

2008 Rother Valley Local Election Results
WARD	Conservative	Labour	Winner
Anston & Woodsetts	1704	1184	CON
Dinnington	862	979	LAB
Hellaby	1865	769	CON
Holderness	796	1311	LAB
Maltby	272	684	BNP
Rother Vale	766	1161	LAB
Sitwell	2300	768	CON
Wales	1275	724	CON
TOTAL	9840	7580	CON
*source - RMBC website

2. Lynda is the first local candidate for many years. As a very well known and respected member of the community she is probably more often recognised than the current MP, despite the fact that he has been in his role for the past 27 years. The typical comment Lynda and her team have been getting when out canvassing is, "We're voting for Lynda because we know that she'll do her best for us, unlike Labour who haven't really done anything for 27 years." These are people who have always voted Labour. Lynda has a strong reputation for getting things done.

3. As soon as Lynda was selected, back in February 2009, she was out canvassing for support and finding out what issues local people have. This has been greatly appreciated by the local constituents. It's taken Labour more than 12 months to realise that they may actually lose. Too late to do something that they haven't really had to do in Rother Valley since it's formation 1918?

We know who we're betting on!

The Rotherham Advertiser report can be found here.

Lynda has actually canvassed the Tesco site in Dinnington several times over the past twelve months and was accompanied by William Hague during one of her visits (see below). The response from shoppers has always been very positive and very Conservative.

There are quite a few tweeters out there! A member of Mr Barron's canvassing team, Dominic Beck, tweeted, "...it took the Tories exactly 7 minutes to turn up to the same spot."

The Conservative Manifesto 2010

A country is at its best when the bonds between people are strong and when the sense of national purpose is clear. Today the challenges facing Britain are immense. Our economy is overwhelmed by debt, our social fabric is frayed and our political system has betrayed the people. But these problems can be overcome if we pull together and work together. If we remember that we are all in this together.

Some politicians say: ‘give us your vote and we will sort out all your problems’. We say: real change comes not from government alone. Real change comes when the people are inspired and mobilised, when millions of us are fired up to play a part in the nation’s future.

Yes this is ambitious. Yes it is optimistic. But in the end all the Acts of Parliament, all the new measures, all the new policy initiatives, are just politicians’ words without you and your involvement.

How will we deal with the debt crisis unless we understand that we are all in this together? How will we raise responsible children unless every adult plays their part? How will we revitalise communities unless people stop asking ‘who will fix this?’ and start asking ‘what can I do?’ Britain will change for the better when we all elect to take part, to take responsibility – if we all come together. Collective strength will overpower our problems.

Only together can we can get rid of this government and, eventually, its debt. Only
Together can we get the economy moving. Only together can we protect the NHS. Improve our schools. Mend our broken society. Together we can even make politics and politicians work better. And if we can do that, we can do anything. Yes, together we can do anything.

So my invitation today is this: join us, to form a new kind of government for Britain.

Read the Conservative Manifesto 2010

Dear Editor,

I would wish to respond to Mr Firth in the Letters on the 2nd April with regard to the Ulley Wind Farm meeting. Firstly I would say that the photos and the coverage given to Ulley Wind Farm in the newspaper were very good and I am grateful for the raising of the profile of this devastating application.

It is understandable why Mr Firth would make the comments in relation to my attendance, I did indeed have to leave. I have been to previous meetings, gathered contact details for the group in the surrounding area and will indeed continue to support the group as much as I can. I would also advise that I did in fact offer my apologies prior to the meeting, for the fact I would not be able to remain but that I did want to show my support and offer assistance.

The reason for departing the meeting was due to a prior engagement. It was my first attendance at the British Legion meeting in Dinnington. This Country continues to face the War in Afghanistan and we have lost these young men and I feel, more than ever, these are Groups that need more support than ever since the First and Second World War. We unfortunately are all affected by this War every single week, locally and nationally. The British Legion members are a fantastic group of people and I would encourage people to lend their support. More so as the local and national British Legion are celebrating 90 years in 2011.

I would encourage Mr Firth to contact me and discuss these matters openly. I have lived in Rotherham for 22 years, I could have very easily moved out of the area at any time and I could have applied for Seats in any Yorkshire Town. As I am very clearly not into 'gimmicks' I chose to stay and look after Rother Valley, protecting all of its green spaces, and in all my meetings to serious issues in and around Rother Valley and Rotherham I have never seen an MP representing the views of the people that elected them?

Lynda Donaldson, PPC Rother Valley

Dear Editor

Upon reading the Advertiser on Friday 26th March there was hardly a page that did not have a negative impact on people’s lives and yet in all of my 22 years in Rotherham the public have chosen to keep a Labour run council.

The front page leads with free car parking on Saturdays. Crikey is there an election soon? As I reminded the Council six years ago when they made Parkgate the new Town Centre what on earth did they expect to happen. The free car parking on Saturday’s should have been introduced years ago to help business in Rotherham. Now people think there is little or no point coming to Town anymore because good shops have been lost and the Council has done little to encourage new business.

I turn the page and feel more anger. We are asked to “Pinpoint a Pothole”. If I complete this every time I find one it would be a full time job. We would have less work to do if people were asked to email when they find a road without one! I wish it were funny, but clearly it is not. The fact that one of our Rotherham MP’s said the roads in Rotherham were very good shows how little they go around their Constituency.

The Council receives £6M cash injection from Government. That worries me more than excites me. Frankly it will be another £6M they will waste depriving local people of real gain. The intention to plug a budget hole in the Children’s Service is like pouring petrol onto fire! Until the reason for misadministration is solved, putting in more money will be completely wasted. In private enterprise the people responsible either take their responsibility seriously or step down. Here is an idea - give the hospice a guarantee of £18000 per year for at least the next five years. Unlike giving money to the Imagination Library on the basis of ‘it’s my idea so it is going to work no matter what’, let’s give some real benefit to the people of Rotherham.

We then have the news of the new Civic building for the Council and by the time I get to this story I am feeling suicidal, and its only page 5! Can you find me any successful business person in Rotherham , South Yorkshire or anywhere in England who would sign up for such a deal. With all of the child poverty issues in the borough, the elderly being failed at every level by its Council, the young unemployed, please for Goodness sake why are we letting a handful of people, who probably don’t live in the Borough, make such stupid decisions.

Whenever we get any money into Rotherham it never gets spent on the people and issues that need addressing. It is no surprise therefore that we have £2.5 million from the Home Office to help victims of anti-social behaviour and what happens – we employ Victim and Witness Champions. Talk about putting the victim first? We need real action not the creation of more non-jobs. What about extra police patrols, establishing neighbourhood watch. It’s a farce. If we had Youth Centres and helped our young people, perhaps they would not go around creating anti-social behaviour. It costs us more in the criminal justice system and probation etc than Youth Centres fully staffed would cost!

Rotherham has lots of history and great buildings and at last work is being done to save Boston Castle. It would have been much more sensible to have started work at least five years ago before things got as bad as they have.

We have bright people in Rotherham who need the town to thrive. A place where they can live, work and establish families. The Council should be helping them do that, not driving them away through ill thought out politically correct policies. The fact is 22 years is far too long to have to put up with this. Make that change on May 6th and spare us the pain.

Yours sincerely

 

Lynda Donaldson PPC Rother Valley

The Conservatives will launch three new ‘I’ve never voted Tory’ posters in a nationwide campaign on Monday. The posters feature three people who will be voting Conservative for the first time at the next election, and explain why they have made their decisions.  

Sheelagh from Frodsham talks about Conservatives helping every child get an education;

Tina from Cheltenham says we are serious about sorting out MPs’ expenses;

Hector from Abingdon likes our plans to protect the NHS. 

The posters feature a quote from each of the three people, and their full story is told in short online films on the campaign micro-sites: www.conservatives.com/schools and www.conservatives.com/newpolitics, www.conservatives.com/nhs 

The posters will feature on over 450 poster sites in England, Scotland and Wales.  

Conservative Party Chairman Eric Pickles said: 

“These are three people who have never voted Tory before but believe we now need to have a change in this country.   They recognise that the Conservative Party has changed and that it has the ideas, the energy and the leadership to put the country back on its feet.   For people who have never voted Tory before, we are asking them if they want five more years of Gordon Brown or change with the Conservatives.”

January 2010 sees the launch of Lynda's new website.

According to the website designer, Drew Donaldson, the information and feedback obtained from the original website highlighted the fact that constituents want to know more about Lynda and what her campaign team are doing.

Drew says, "I set out to design a site that shows Lynda as an individual who can and wants to help the constituents of Rother Valley. She and her campaign team are very serious about winning at the next general election. I think the site does what it set out to do."

Lynda Donaldson's ambition is to become the Member of Parliament for Rother Valley at the next general election. She believes ,wholeheartedly, that she is the best person for the job.

She doesn't have an easy task!

Labour have been in power since the constituency was first formed in 1918 and Kevin Barron has been representing Parliament's views to the Rother Valley constituents since 1983.

It is time for a change.

Lynda's contract is designed to let the people who she wishes to represent find out exactly how she intends to operate.

She says,

"I have an ambition to become the MP for the Rother Valley Constituency, an ambition I have held for many years. This is not driven by a desire for power or to move to London but a desire to make things better in the constituency in which I have lived and worked for a large part of my life. I have been talking to people in Rother Valley for many months now, and what is clear from these conversations is that many are disenfranchised with not only their local politicians, but the political system as a whole. The most telling point which is made time and time again is people are ready for, and want change. I believe I can offer that change in the best interests of all of the people living here. Most importantly for me however, is my pledge that unlike many local MP’s, I absolutely abide by the fact I am the servant of the people and not the master, and first and foremost will do what is in the best interests for you, the constituents of Rother Valley. Too often, politicians are elected on a raft of promises, many of which become forgotten after an election.

Because of this I want to give you a signed contract, which I make with you, the constituents of Rother valley. If I am elected as your MP at the next General Election, you can hold me to account for my entire term in office for the promises I have made to you here. I want to be an MP of the people, bringing some faith back into politics and making life better for all of us here in Rother Valley. I can’t promise we’ll get everything we want, but I can promise I’ll do everything in my power to try.

Full details of the contract can be found here.

Business Briefing

Our first breakfast business briefing on 1st October was a great success. Local business people had the opportunity to raise their concerns or issues and discover how a Conservative Government will help them.

As a Conservative I want to make Rotherham the easiest and best place to set up and grow a business.   

Conservatives will cancel Labours plan to increase the small companies tax rate and reduce the rate.  Since 2006 to January 2009 Treasury have received 2.4 billion on Small Companies Tax rate with a rate rise from 19 - 21%.  

We are in one of the deepest recessions.  2000 people every day for the last twelve months have been made unemployed.  Bank of England has warned about a recovery.  As a business community we should be worried that the Labour Conference did not have one good idea or new policy, a winter of an empty government.  

Banks are failing to get credit flowing, vat cut failed to stimulate, need to find ways of easing pressure on business.  We need to deal more effectively with unemployment and the National Guarantee Scheme of 50bn would get the credit flowing.  A 10bn scheme to help defer small and medium sized vat bills, cutting corporation tax and NI for 6 months. A 3bn for getting people back to work.  

LETS GET REGULATION REDUCTION, IMPROVE APPRENTICESHIPS, STRENGTHEN UK TRADE AND INVESTMENT, INCREASE GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT FOR ROTHERHAM FIRMS.  

Please help us now for change ............................................. We could reduce advertising and consultancy with savings on unemployment benefit savings.  Scrap complex reliefs and allowances by changing company tax regime.  Flat rate charges on non domiciles to raise revenue'.

Released by: Mrs Lynda Donaldson               
Date: 12th June 2009

Council tax cover-up: New evidence of serious errors in council tax bills
Surge in council tax appeals in Rotherham reveals systematic over-charging by Government

Gordon Brown and his Ministers are deliberately covering up serious problems over the banding of homes for council tax, Cllr Lynda Donaldson, Parliamentary Candidate for Rother Valley, warned this week. New figures have revealed that Whitehall’s council tax snoopers have been forced to redo the council tax bands of thousands of homes after appeals by householders across Rotherham and the country.

• Official papers from Gordon Brown’s council tax inspectors, the Valuation Office Agency, have admitted that many homes are in the wrong band for council tax and families have been paying over the odds for years. Accidentally leaked minutes have confessed that if the tax errors became known, the Government would lose money and would have to pay tax refunds. This was also ruled out since it would generate “adverse press coverage… in the current climate”.

• The combination of a campaign by ‘Money Saving Expert’ Martin Lewis, the publication of these leaked minutes and an ITV Tonight documentary, has produced a surge in council tax appeals. Now Parliamentary Questions have forced the Government to publish detailed figures on the changes to council tax bands.

• In the last three years, 190,000 existing homes have had their council tax band changed: 133,985 homes have moved down a band. In Rotherham, 235  homes have moved down a council tax band as a result of appeals. This proves there are serious and systematic errors in the banding of homes, which Ministers have been covering up to save money.

• Wales has been used as a test-bed for a council tax revaluation. Three times as many homes moved up a band as down. Yet since that 2005 revaluation, a succession of errors has also been uncovered with the Valuation Office Agency’s work. To date, 1 in 20 homes in Wales have had their post-revaluation banding corrected. A wholesale council tax revaluation has thus caused more problems than it solved.

Cllr Lynda Donaldson  said:
“We now have clear evidence of a council tax cover-up. The Labour Government has been caught red-handed fiddling council tax to make families in Rotherham and across the country pay more. Whitehall bureaucrats know that many homes across the country are wrongly banded, but have refused to correct the tax inspectors’ errors to save the Government money and save face.

“The whole basis of our tax system is undermined if the state conspires to over-charge the public. Labour Ministers only want to reform the council tax system if it rakes in extra cash for Gordon Brown’s coffers.”

Released by: Mrs Lynda Donaldson Cllr
Date: 15th September 2009

Risks to homes and firms – as Whitehall plans for power cuts in Rotherham
Small print of Government documents forecasts power cuts by 2017

Cllr Lynda Donaldson, Rother Valley Parliamentary Candidate this week warned that homes and businesses across Rotherhamcould be facing power cuts within years. For the first time since the three-day week of the 1970s, consumers will be told to prepare for blackouts, since the supply of electricity will fail to meet demand at peak times.

Over the next few years many power stations will reach the end of their lives, or have to shut because of EU law. But the Government has failed to ensure that replacements are available in time. The small print of Whitehall documents reveal that Ministers have pencilled in power cuts of 3,000 Megawatt hours per year by 2017. This is the equivalent of 670,000 people being without electricity for a day – in other words an area the size of Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham.

In practice the blackouts are most likely to strike at peak times – in the early evening during the winter months – hitting many more people for shorter periods when the need for electricity is greatest. The expected gap of 3,000 Megawatt hours could even mean a simultaneous hour-long power cut for 16 million people simultaneously on a winter evening.

Cllr Lynda Donaldson  said:
“I am extremely concerned that homes and businesses in Rotherham will face blackouts because the Labour Government put its head in the sand about energy policy for a decade. Ministers have been forced to admit they expect the lights to go out for the first time since the three-day week of the 1970s.

“Conservatives will act quickly to tackle Labour’s energy crisis. We will increase generating capacity, improve energy efficiency by insulating people’s homes, adopt the latest green technology and make Britain’s energy policy a matter of national security.”

William Hague Arrives!!

We were delighted to welcome the Shadow Foreign Secretary and Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet back to his home town of Rotherham.  Our day started with a ‘walkabout’ in Maltby and we could barely make two paces without someone stopping us to say ‘Hello’ to William, how they lived near the family, worked near the family and had watched William’s career – it was a magical afternoon as he attracts so much attention.

One of the biggest surprises for William was just how much support the Conservatives have gained in places like Maltby and Dinnington and how the whole demographics have changed.   That is not to say that some people are still undecided but the Conservatives are a very serious contender.

We had a good cup of tea and bacon sandwich at the Cafe in Maltby and we had a long chat with some of the customers, which was great.  We had been joined by several supporters, all of whom had a good reception and will continue to work hard in Rotherham and South Yorkshire.

We then drove over to Dinnington and had hoped to get onto Laughton Road! No chance!!!  We could not get past Tesco’s!!! Everyone was very keen to have a chat to William and yes he did get the questions about the expenses but thus far he has no case to answer.  We were saddened about how many people approached us to say they had lost their jobs.  These were people who had traditionally voted Labour but felt incredibly let down and would not be voting the same way.  William explained to them what this government had done to the economy and they were not the government that would get us out of this mess.  We even had the traditional ex-miner who has been disgusted about the actions Labour have taken with the 10p tax band right up to the debt they have incurred, the let down on the development of  Colleges  and future of our young people, the new taxes on wages over the next twelve months and so it goes on. 

Our next port of call was The Tanyard at Wickersley.  Our first group of people had two ex-miners who wanted to express their dismay about the state of the country and the Town.  They stated that with their life experiences, on reflection, Labour had done them a great disservice. They every commented that at least Margaret Thatcher had empowered them to purchase their own homes.  They felt they had got two terms of Labour and on neither one had there been a significant improvement and that it was down to the Conservatives, once again to resolve the problems.  We are delighted to say that we have those votes. 

We did come across a group of lads who were hanging around and basically stating there was simply nothing for them to do.  We cannot complain about these lads if we don’t support them and provide them with some facilities and if anyone has any ideas please contact me.

All in all we had a good afternoon. There are people out there who would consider voting BNP – this is largely due to how they feel about Rotherham as opposed to the whole of the Country.  There are Labour voters out there who probably simply won’t bother to vote at all and as well as a strong Conservative vote there are people who are going to give us an opportunity to sort matters.

Thank you to everyone for their support and for their hard work on the day. 

More photographs of the day can be found here. If you would like a copy of any photographs please contact Lynda Donaldson