Mayor’s Dinner cancelled after child grooming scandal

The Deputy Mayor of Rotherham, Cllr Maggi Clark, has announced today that she does not intend to proceed with the annual Rotherham civic dinner this May.

But she said it would be “wholly wrong” for the civic celebration to go ahead after the authority was branded “not fit for purpose” and criticised for its failure to get a grip on the child sex grooming scandal.

Traditionally, Rotherham councillors and figures from public life in the borough have gathered for the annual civic dinner in May each year, announcing the charitable fundraising campaigns of the mayor for the coming year.

Cllr Clark has been preparing for her mayoral year from this May but said this week: “We had previously announced our intention to reduce the budget for the civic dinner, including ending the practice of free tickets for councillors, because we felt that the money would be better spent on frontline services.

“But in view of recent events, including the criticism of the council from Louise Casey, it would be wholly wrong for such a celebration to go ahead at all.

“These are terribly sad circumstances for Rotherham.

“My thoughts — I’m sure like everyone else’s — are with the survivors and victims of child sexual exploitation in our town.”