“We call on Sharon Kemp, Chief Executive, to write a letter to all employees of RMBC about the importance of truthfulness in their communications with representatives and advocates of victims and survivors of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in Rotherham.” Introduction by the mayor (7.28). I speak to my e-petition from 8.08 to 13.50 and the mayor’s brief response follows. Webcast: https://rotherham.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/305138 Thank you Lord Mayor I believe in Rotherham. And I believe that it is actions that speak to others. There is a lot of evidence that the actions by many in Rotherham since the publication of the Jay Report have been built on sand. I have got some sand here. Sand is very useful but it’s not good for building on and it’s not good for burying heads in. Rotherham might be in a worse place than it was 3 years ago. Here is a quote from page 62 in this book by Adele Gladman and Angie Heal [Child Sexual Exploitation After Rotherham - Understanding the Consequences and Recommendations for Practice]: “I strongly believe that in future those who occupy senior positions in the public sector must be responsible to account for any failure to protect vulnerable children from deliberate harm or exploitation.” This quote from Lord Laming’s report into the murder of Victoria Climbié was used by Angie Heal in her 2003 report to gird senior officers into action. 2003. And she has agreed I can use it today. I came to live and work in Rotherham Borough exactly 40 years ago. I taught at Wales High School for 3 years and then went to teach in Swaziland for nearly six years. On my return I taught at Aston. Then I became Head of Maths at Maltby. My final employment contract before retiring was at Thrybergh in 2010, working as part of a team to specifically, significantly improve GCSE Mathematics results. My three children went to schools and colleges in Rotherham Borough. Since retiring from paid employment in 2012, I have spent about two days a week on voluntary action in my Dinnington community and beyond. In April 2014 I started actively campaigning against racism in Rotherham – before the Jay Report. I created a website and started the group Celebrate and Support Rotherham. I have actively promoted Unity Vigils in Rotherham. I organised the Unity Vigil on 18 July 2015 - two councillors stood, arm in arm that day, and talked about the need for LOVE not hate. South Yorkshire Police weren’t distracted by slogans and banners and counter protests and they went about their work and arrested about 10% of the members of National Action (they are in the news this week). When another extreme group then decided to intrude into Rotherham’s grief on 5 September 2015, community groups, some of you are members, asked that I lead the Unity Vigil in All Saints Square on that day. Voices of Despair Voices of Hope was prepared in consultation with senior officials in Rotherham and beyond and South Yorkshire Police. It was sent to the printer 11 days after Louise Casey’s Inspection Report and published on 28th February 2015. Nine days later Rotherham Council ordered fifteen hundred copies. The Strategic Director for Children’s Services told a lie in an email about that. The truth is … the truth is all many victims and survivors want. Attempts to suppress truth often fail, especially when democracy is strong. Friday will be the second anniversary of a highly reckless, untruthful and unjust communication sent to me in response to an email about the 5th of September by an Assistant Director permanently appointed just a few weeks or months beforehand. This was the beginning of two years of blatant untruthfulness. thrown recklessly at victims and survivors of CSE in Rotherham – those courageous enough to put their voices out in the public before Louise Casey’s Report. Two years of evasion, procrastination, incompetency, dishonesty and arrogance. And it is evidenced. And I have written to you about the evidence. See the Change.org Petition. https://www.change.org/p/sharon-kemp-chief-executive-ask-david-mcwilliams-and-ian-thomas-rmbc-officers-to-tell-the-truth I will write again to officials to encourage them to tell the truth. My first letter will be to Jean Imray - I was profoundly shocked to see her sat here last week - about her actions. I encourage you to read the update I posted on the Change.org petition last Thursday about Jean Imray, about the information I shared with the Chief Executive. My second letter will be to the Leader of this Council. I hope you will break your silence about this. My third letter will be to Sharon Kemp again and I will ask why, given the information I previously shared with Sharon, Jean Imray was invited to take so much time last week. I believe in Rotherham. I believe that if you sign the e-petition and the Change.org petition Rotherham will start to move forward. Thank you.