Conservatives name candidate for crucial by-election

Julia Hall, the owner of Julz Boutique from Laughton Road, has been named by the Tories to fight for the vacant seat in Dinnington on July 13.

Ms Hall is one of the campaigners – alongside other traders – who started an initiative to save the high street earlier this year.

She was one of the business owners who joined the Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford at Downing Street to meet the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last month.

After the event, she told the Local Democracy Service: “I feel privileged. It was brilliant. They are (the government) working really hard to support us, investing all that money.”

Cllr Simon Ball, the leader of the Conservative group at Rotherham Town Hall, said Ms Hall was “passionate” about Dinnington.

He said: “Julz has lived in Laughton with her family, and worked in Dinnington for many years. She’s passionate about making it a better place to live, work and play, and he has the passion and enthusiasm to make the positive changes she wants to see reality.

“As the owner of two businesses on the high street, she is well placed to work with the community and council on the regeneration project and it is important that that is put in safe hands.

“A vote for Julia ensures that Dinnington moves forwards with the Conservatives: on to town centre regeneration and safer roads, and not backwards with Labour.”

The by-election was called after a suspended (pending an internal investigation into attendance) Conservative ward member, Cllr Charlie Wooding had left town hall.

The candidates have until June 16 to submit their nomination papers.

Residents in Dinnington ward have until midnight on June 27 to register to vote if they are not already on the electoral register and the deadline for new postal votes or to change or cancel existing postal and proxy votes is the day after, at 5pm on June 28.

The deadline for applying to vote by proxy is 5pm on July 5.