Dominic Beck stands down as Labour candidate for Rother Valley

Labour’s candidate for Rother Valley has stood down over concerns related to his position on Rotherham council during the Rotherham child abuse scandal, which saw the council found to be not fit for purpose.

Dominic Beck, who was picked as the candidate for Rother Valley earlier this month, was part of the council cabinet that resigned in 2015 following the release of the Casey report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

The report concluded that the council was not fit for purpose and was more concerned about protecting its reputation than vulnerable citizens. The council was brought under central government control following the report’s publication.

The Casey inquiry was commissioned following the release of the Jay report a year previously, which found that “collective failures” by the council and police had led to the sexual exploitation of at least 1,400 children in Rotherham over a 12-year period.

LabourList understands that Beck had served as a cabinet member for seven months before the Casey report was published and that the cabinet resigned en masse to allow the commissioners full and necessary control of the council.

Beck, who was elected to the council in 2011, was not named in Casey’s report. It is understood that Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) took action at the time against officials implicated.

Beck was reappointed to the cabinet in 2016 and currently serves as cabinet member for transport and environment. He said in a statement on Thursday: “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 [child sexual exploitation] 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.”

LabourList understands that the party will begin the process to select a new candidate for Rother Valley in the new year. Beck reportedly won selection earlier this month by just five votes, ahead of barrister Jake Richards.