Guido is happy to announce the end of the slow and acrimonious death of disgraced former candidate Dominic Beck’s political career. Beck was selected for Labour in Rother Valley in 2022 despite his presence on the council during the Rotherham child exploitation scandal. He was quickly forced to step down following a massive backlash while staying on as a councillor. Local residents called it a “betrayal” of the victims…

The Starmer-purge turned its eye to Rotherham last month and deselected up to 4 disgraced councillors, including Beck. Now he’s finally resigned his cabinet post, citing “a number of changes to my personal circumstances”. Guido hears no one wanted to take on Beck’s transport brief so council leader Chris Read has had to take it on himself. Beck will presumably stay on as councillor until he isn’t asked to stand again at the local elections. The implosion over at Rotherham continues…

After relentless focus on his previous resignation as a councillor over the Rotherham child abuse scandal, Guido has confirmed that Dominic Beck has stepped down as Labour candidate for Rother Valley. His statement in full:

“It has been the honour of my life to be selected by Labour Party members in the Rother Valley to stand for parliament in the next general election. However, I have decided to stand down as the candidate. I understand that recent press coverage and concern about the events of the past make it more difficult for me to lead that campaign.

“I would never wish to do anything that causes further upset to Rotherham’s CSE survivors, and it was never my intention to cause them distress. I am deeply saddened that this is what has happened.

“I was 19 years old when I was elected to the council. Throughout almost all of the period the Jay Report investigated I was growing up and attending school whilst other children my age were enduring the most horrific abuse. Within 18 months of my election, I supported the commissioning of the Jay report to find out exactly what had gone wrong – so we could ensure such awful failings never happened again. I accepted the findings of this report and the subsequent Casey report in full.

“I would like to thank all the people who have supported me and put their faith in me over the last few weeks. My priority has always been to do the absolute best for local people in the Rother Valley, and it is essential that we return a Labour MP at the next election. Labour’s candidate will have my full support to win back the seat for Labour at the next general election. “

Rother Valley Labour’s candidate selection process continues to be controversial. If selecting a scandal-ridden candidate wasn’t enough, amongst those who made the decision was yet another councillor forced to resign by the 2015 Casey Report. The report examined outcomes in deprived communities, and described “catastrophic” failures which allowed the sexual exploitation of over 1,400 children. Labour’s disgraced birds of a feather flock together… 

Councillor Emma Hoddinott resigned following the report’s publication, as part of what then-Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, called the “wholly dysfunctional Cabinet”. It’s not even a decade on and two of those condemned for their role in the scandal are now conspiring to secure Westminster representation. Emily Barley, leader of Rotherham Council’s Conservative group added:

“Given their records and the criticisms contained in the Casey report, Dominic Beck and Emma Hoddinott are not fit for public office. Both should finally do the decent thing and resign from their positions – and if they won’t do that then Keir Starmer should intervene. Our women and girls deserve better than this.”

Sir Keir has tried to make it up to victims before, it’s not too late to do it again…

Hat-tip: Charlie Peters

Yesterday, Guido brought co-conspirators the news that Sir Keir’s centralised candidate selection process has resulted in one Dominic Beck being selected for Rother Valley.

In 2015, he was forced to resign as a councillor when an independent report uncovered gross incompetence following the 2014 probe into Rotherham child exploitation. A local resident wrote to their local paper saying his selection is a “betrayal” of victims, and puts Labour “into the sewers”…

Today, Guido can reveal it’s not just voters with concerns – it’s local Labour members as well, on a surprisingly public Facebook group called Rother Valley Labour Party Chat. 

Longtime campaigner Ian Roddison, who has been frequently photographed campaigning with the local party on their Twitter account recently posted that he is inviting Beck to his local ward “to face the concerns of some members and how we move forward.”

Referencing The Times front page showing Beck’s face among the disgraced ex-councillors, Roddison warns:

“It hasn’t took long for the people of Rotherham/Rother Valley to talk about the shame of Labour Party Selection ( see this weeks Advertiser letters page). We have to be prepared to meet this head on and have the ammunition to counter it. Make no mistake [Local Tory MP Alex] Staffords team will have the front page of the Times placed all over showing Dominics photo alongside six other cabinet members with the headlines, Rotherham: finally the truth behind the lies………..”

Another local member commented that he too has “asked Dominic about my concerns over the child protection issues”, albeit adding “it was unfortunate that he is being dragged into this debate”

Ian Roddison let the cat out of the bag when adding “I think our plan in the past has been don’t mention CSE [Child Sexual Exploitation], it will go away”…

“A bit like Basil Fawlty in the Germans episode when he said ‘ I mentioned the war once but i think i got away with it’ Make no mistake this will be an issue at the general election as it was in 2021 in the local elections when the tories got around twenty councillors elected.”

‘Don’t mention the child sexual exploitation concerns’. That’s the Tories’ leaflet written for them…

Fresh from accusations of stifling local democracy, Labour’s candidate selection machine has generated yet more controversy. The Rother Valley CLP has selected Dominic Beck as its candidate. Dominic has been a Rotherham councillor since 2011. In 2014 a report found 1,400 Rotherham girls were victims of child sexual exploitation; the council cabinet, of which Beck was a member, rejected the report. In 2015 he was forced to resign after an independent report uncovered yet more incompetence. 

The Labour Party has been quick to dismiss these concerns. Neighbouring MP Sarah Champion celebrated Beck’s win, with his resignation apparently slipping her mind. This is perhaps not surprising when Beck himself has been keen to avoid scrutiny…

Beck’s selection has been met with anger from voters. In a letter to the local paper, one resident described the selection as a “betrayal” of victims, adding “it is an insult to the electorate and puts the Labour Party even deeper into the sewers”. Keir Starmer has admitted he failed grooming victims before. It seems he hasn’t learnt his lesson.

Hat-tip: Charlie Peters