Police and Crime Commissioner elections

Posted on: 2nd April 2016
Police & Crime Commissioner Elections

Police & Crime Commissioner Elections: Our LibDem candidate promises to campaign to abolish the post, if you elect him.

People who follow me will know that I do not believe that having Police and Crime Commissioners offers the public value for money and that the contribution that the role makes to democracy is so insignificant as to mean they should be scrapped. I have mounted what seems like a solo campaign to try to get a debate in Parliament and there is still just time for you to sign my petition. Sadly whilst everyone I speak to agrees with me, I have struggled to motivate people to sign and share so the elections will go ahead on 5 May, regardless.

I like to think I have had a tiny influence on the key message of the candidate for the Liberal Democrats for Devon and Cornwall, Richard Younger-Ross, as his central message is that a vote for him is a vote to abolish the post. Good enough for me as I hate not voting. I hope that even if you do not normally vote Liberal Democrat you might use your vote to show the Conservatives that this post is a waste of money and does little for our local policing. Tories are assuming (probably rightly) that they will walk this election and it would be great to prove them wrong!

For the public record, my prediction is that after the elections this time, more and more of the posts will be dropped in return for devolved powers being given and an ‘agreement’ to having an elected Mayor. I am no more in support of an elected Mayor for Cornwall than I am for a Police and Crime Commissioner but lets see if I’m right!