LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Treated as collateral damage to preserve grubby political careers

Beck has been a Labour councillor in Rotherham since 2011. He soon joined the cabinet.

In 2014, a report found that at least 1,400 young girls in the town had been victims of sexual exploitation.

The cabinet that Beck was on rejected the report. They clung on to power.

But in 2015, he was forced to resign along with the entire cabinet after an independent report uncovered the council’s incompetence in dealing with the town’s rape gangs scandal.

In the damming report, Casey described Beck and co as weak and inexperienced with a totally dysfunctional cabinet that lacked political leadership. Have these people no shame?

Beck has never spoken about the scandal. He has never apologised. No contrition, just silence.

When South Yorkshire PCC Shaun Wright was pressured to resign after the scandal broke, Beck was allegedly accused of trying to move the agenda away from the situation in council meetings.

The disgrace of Dominic Beck being selected brings the Labour party into further disrepute but it could have been averted.

In 2020, in the council selections for candidates they tried to ignore the strict rule over all women shortlists for Wales ward to allow both Beck and Watson to stand.

On that occasion, due to complaints, the Labour Party were forced to get off their hands and intervened. Only one of them was allowed to stand in Wales. Wearing a skirt was not acceptable!

However, like the local fiefdom, they ignored the many complaints by members and public for those involved in covering up the brutal and evil grooming and exploitation of 1,400-plus kids by being allowed to re-stand again as councillors.

The whole unfit for purpose councillors and cabinet members should have all been kicked out or put in the dock. Too many involved in the CSE cover-up have remained on the council. Maybe they know too much and could take down other politicians further up the greasy pole?

Councillors, the Labour group, MPs, Labour Party, regionally and nationally, its general secretary and Starmer have all been complained to but have treated the matter abysmally and with contempt.

They have been desperate to turn the page and move on. Was it poor judgement, cronies loyalty or some other motive?

The victims have lifelong physical and mental scars but are being treated as collateral damage by those more concerned in preserving their grubby political careers.

They have been constantly told and challenged by a few brave members and public for years. But the local and national political hierarchy have been gutless, corrupt and buried the valid complaints for their own self interest and preservation.

The local Labour party have been challenged on numerous occasions to block those failed councillors from standing again but have been ignored at all levels.

It’s time for Starmer to act on behalf of those children (now adults) who were so badly let down.

He said it himself when Sir Keir Starmer, chief prosecutor, admitted in 2012 that the justice system betrayed a generation of girls over a flawed approach to sexual exploitation.

But he failed to block Beck becoming PPC!

He needs to answer a few questions from local people!

AD, Rotherham