Alexander Stafford MP

Crazy cycle lane madness …

“Destroying businesses”, “pointless”, and “a cycle lane to nowhere” are just some of the comments that businesses and residents say about the Bramley cycle lane - all 140 METRES/460 FOOT of it.

Coming to a village near you soon courtesy of the Labour council and Labour Mayor. Piecemeal, ill thought out, patchwork of random cycle lanes.

In the local elections in May we have a chance to stop this. Time for a change. End Labours 50 years of rule.

Out in Maltby with Cllrs Adam Tinsley, Lee Hunter and Simon Ball talking to residents. (Simon and Lee obviously not in this photo!). Thank you to everyone who spoke to us today.

Lots for us to take away to the council to try and resolved. Unsurprisingly, lots of anger towards the council about the bus lane fiasco!!!

Several people commented on hardworking the Maltby and Hellaby Councillors are and have been since elected. Not just making an appearance for elections like Labour did for 101 years previous!

Any issue you would like to raise do get in touch. As your local elected representative we are here to help as much as we can.

The weather forecast according to the Stone Geese is cold and drizzle! 🪿🌧️

Busy day today - I have various meetings and events to attend right across Rother Valley. I’m here to help, so if you need any assistance please do email or phone.

Whatever you are doing, I hope you have a good day!

Any aspiring young performers out there? Great opportunity ⬇️

North Anston - Ryton Road

*UPDATE - ROAD HAS REOPENED*

I’ve contacted all the relevant people to try and find out if anything can be done.

It is bad enough for car users, and even worse for bus users! Need to get something in place quick.

Out and about in Whiston this afternoon speaking to residents about what I and Sitwell Ward Councillors - Rotherham are up to. If you see me do say hello

I have a copy of this beautiful calendar proudly on display in my kitchen in Harthill. Absolutely stunning photos.

If you haven't got one yet, there are a few left to buy at the The Vintage Booth Tea Room. All profits to the amazing Lost Chord UK.

We still have a few Maltby calendars available.
£10 each. All profits will go to the Lost Chord UK.

Yet again, the Brecks post box is looking seasonally amazing!! 😃

Brightened up my day seeing the Brecks postbox topper!

Well done and thank you to all our yarn bombers who keep amazing us all with their talent ! 👏

Public meetings - want to join me and other elected local representatives to discuss issues that are important to you?

During the last year, I held well-attended public meetings in Dinnington, Maltby, Brecks (for Sitwell ward), Wickersley, Thurcroft, South Anston and Laughton Common. Local Conservatives have also held meetings in Laughton en le Morthen, Firbeck and Dinnington.

I already have scheduled in more public meetings for Todwick, North Anston, Aston, Kiveton Park, Woodsetts, Maltby, Swallownest, Aughton and Hellaby, over the next three months - with more being added to my calendar every week.

I have really enjoyed holding these meetings - as we remember, the pandemic thwarted my attempts to hold regular meetings in the first couple of years after I was elected. But it is now great to see so many people interested in coming along and discussing their concerns in an open and friendly forum.

If you wish to attend a future meeting, please send me an email with your preferred venue and I will ensure you are kept informed.

Note: Unfortunately due to the current security situation for MPs and the continued threats locally by some opposition activists, I have been advised by the police not to post the venues and dates on social media. Details will be advertised directly to local residents or send me an email to be kept updated.

I want to hear your views about Rother Valley buses. Please complete my survey at https://tinyurl.com/3ub57uxz

Bus fact of the day: The Labour-run South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority headed by the South Yorkshire Mayor is spending £2.25 million on Labour-RMBC’s Maltby Bus Corridor. (Not sure price of their posters boasting about this is included in the figure.)

BUSES - the facts

Go to https://tinyurl.com/3ub57uxz and join our campaign today!

For most people in Rother Valley who use public transport it is buses. Yet in South Yorkshire, the Labour Mayor supported by Rotherham Council are pumping more and more money into Sheffield's trams, while threatening cuts to bus services.

At the same time, Labour continues to put out inaccurate statements about bus funding and the responsibilities of the Mayor. It is increasingly obviously in Labour’s interests to pretend that local buses are not the responsibility of the Labour South Yorkshire Mayor!

The facts:

1. The Labour South Yorkshire Mayor is responsible for public transport and buses in South Yorkshire – just like Sadiq Khan is in London and Andy Burnham is in Manchester.

2. Since 2019, the South Yorkshire Mayor has received or been awarded the following funding for buses and local public transport network improvements:
- £570 million CRSTS funding from 2022-27 for local public transport network improvements
- £1.4 billion CRSTS funding from 2027-2032 for local public transport network improvements
- £166 million awarded in 2020 in Transforming Cities Funding to improve public transport and walking infrastructure in South Yorkshire
- £6.2 million in Bus Service Improvement Plan money for 2023 and 2024
- £7.82 million additional Bus Service Improvement Plan provided in October to be used to secure bus routes.
- £1.3 BILLION the core budget for the South Yorkshire Mayor
- tens of millions of pounds spent during the pandemic supporting the routes.

So, when Labour repeatedly tell you the Mayor has received no funding – they aren’t telling you the truth!

3. Since 2017, the Labour South Yorkshire Mayor has had the power to create a London-style bus franchised system. Both the previous Labour Mayor and the current Labour Mayor who served during this time FAILED to do so. We are meant to believe it is being progressed by our Mayor - but our local Labour Party contradict this in their leaflets saying it isn’t happening.

This isn’t about politics – this is about lack of leadership. Labour’s Andy Burnham in Manchester has set up the Bee Network and brought local transport under his direct control. West Yorkshire and Liverpool are set to launch their own public controlled networks. Yet, South Yorkshire Mayor talks a good talk, but lacks action.

The national Labour party’s policy is the same as the Government’s – to bring buses under public control. But here in South Yorkshire, they are failed to make any progress and we have fallen behind the other Northern regions.

If the Labour Mayor and the Labour party don’t want to be responsible for South Yorkshire buses, they should resign the position and let another party take over! With power comes accountability and responsibility.

Join our campaign for Better Buses at https://tinyurl.com/3ub57uxz today!

Paula Vennells is handing back her CBE.

Good!

Next step justice for all the victims.

Update on A631 through Maltby 🚦

I am able to be less diplomatic than the Prime Minister who has to respect the process. Paula Vennells should be stripped of her CBE.

Traffic chaos/delays this morning🚦

Please check before you travel. A few incidents I’m aware of causing problems.

A57 - accident reported on A57 near Aston causing some delays in both directions

A631 - the traffic chaos of last night getting in and out of Maltby, backed up towards Wickersley, isn’t as bad this morning - yet! But still delays due to the temporary lights at Addison Road. (RMBC meant be sorting this today!)

M18-M1 junction towards Sheffield delays due to roadworks

This all means heavier traffic on other routes as people seek alternatives.

Please check before you travel this morning!

Just arrived back in Westminster (Parliament sits late on Mondays - votes usually start at 10pm).

It's been a great Christmas - lots of amazing Rother Valley visits - but also Natalie ending up in A&E (on the mend now, thank you NHS).

2024 is going to be a big year for Rother Valley, Rotherham and the UK. And I will always keep on fighting for Rother Valley!

Labour have controlled Rotherham council for 50 years.

Rother Valley Labour's slogan is "Time for a Change"

Thank you for Wickersley Parish Council for supporting Thurcroft & Wickersley South Councillors and my Banking Hub campaign.

I want to see Banking Hubs across Rother Valley to replace the high street banks which have been lost.I have secured a meeting with LINK, the provider of Banking Hubs, in Rother Valley later this month. I will keep everyone posted.

In the meantime, if you wish to join Wickersley Parish council and hundreds of residents who have already expressed their support for the Wickersley Banking Hub campaign please go to: https://www.alexanderstafford.org.uk/campaigns/wickersley-banking-hub

Conservative councillors have been working hard to tackle fly-tipping and littering issues. But they also need your help. Please do keep reporting issues.

💷 From this month, thousands of hard-working people across Rother Valley will have their taxes cut by the Conservatives. National insurance is going down from 12% to 10%

Someone earning £35K will see a cut of £457 a year.

🧮 Find out how much you will save at taxcuts.conservatives.com

Today is Ephiphnay where there three kings - Balthazar, Casper and Melchior - visited Baby Jesus. It is also traditionally the last day of Christmas (12th Night) when decorations come down. This year, as always, our tree is being picked up for a donation to the great local Rother Valley charity Bluebell Wood.

Anyone leaving thier decorations up for longer?

No tickets available for the Mayor’s “public inquiry”. Can see from the photo at least one Labour Party member was able to get one of the dozen tickets - but no room for the local Conservative MP!

Sham.

Penguin Parade in Doncaster 🐧🐧🐧🐧

Trams. Trams. Trams.

We need as a region to be very careful that Sheffield’s trams don’t suck in all the unprecedented level of investment given to our region’s public transport resources.

Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley councils have been very quick and with no public decision to sign off the South Yorkshire Mayor’s plans for the trams, without getting any assurance how areas will benefit. Tram/train has virtually no benefit to the vast majority of Rother Valley residents - yet we are all paying for the trams, yet again!

Rotherham Council currently pays a transport level of several million each year to the Mayor. This should be used for our buses. Instead it is being used to subsidise the financial loss of the trams.

In the meantime, our airport is closed and our buses unreliable and infrequent (apart from Sheffield’s!).

I hate being this negative, but we need this to change. There needs to be equal attention given to towns and villages outside of Sheffield. An unprecedented £2 billion is being spent on our local transport network, but devolution means it is the Mayor who is responsible for how it is spent. We cannot let this money be wasted.

Labour locally keep saying buses are important - so why isn’t Labour actually putting the money into buses!

AIRPORT UPDATE

Happy New Year! Let’s hope it’s the year we see our airport reopening and planes flying once again. It’s top of my New Year resolutions: https://www.facebook.com/100057889036632/posts/773860971220197/?d=n

We may be only five days into 2024 but we’ve had the spectacle of the Airport Inquiry which now turns out to be an Inquiry into Infrastructure including energy and water but not (yes really not) the closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=774989394440688&id=100057889036632

The monthly meeting held by the South Yorkshire Mayor is next Tuesday. The airport is not on the agenda. https://governance.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/documents/g1650/Agenda%20frontsheet%2009th-Jan-2024%2013.00%20Mayoral%20Combined%20Authority%20Board.pdf?T=0

The meeting seems to be focusing on Sheffield Supertrams instead. I do however believe that the airport will be on the agenda for February. We shall see.

The MPs’ Briefing for the airport hasn’t been fixed yet. I will be pressing for this to continue. You will recall that it has been cancelled more than a few times. Fortunately though with your help it has been reinstated.

I am on Facebook live at 7 pm tonight and will be addressing the airport of course.

I have always put Doncaster first. Regardless of party politics, who else stands up for Doncaster? I hope that changes this year and I am joined by others even if it is just them seeking votes.

Woodsetts Primary have put together the first edition of Woodsett News.

You can find my interview with their talented young journalists in Issue 1.

Plan's for a new Sheffield - London rail service.

New proposals have been submitted for two return journeys a day from Sheffield to London King’s Cross, calling at Woodhouse, Worksop and Retford, with services starting next year. There are currently no direct trains to London from Woodhouse or Worksop.

This is good news - but of course it would be even better if it stopped in Kiveton. I don't know if there are limitations such as platform length, but I'm contacting Hull Trains (the operator) to discuss.