Police commissioner candidates set for debate (From St Helens Star)

Is anybody really interested? Another lucrative post for failed politicians - and why in Southport? There should be a debate in each Merseyside council area.
You have to pay £500.00 to be a candidate - where is the democracy in that? A good idea ruined by our archaic political system.

mikeperry109 wrote:
Is anybody really interested? Another lucrative post for failed politicians - and why in Southport? There should be a debate in each Merseyside council area.
You have to pay £500.00 to be a candidate - where is the democracy in that? A good idea ruined by our archaic political system.

Mike its actually £5,000 deposit not £500. A complete barrier for most ordinary people. Why should there be a need for a deposit at all?
Really poor that no debate is taking place in each local authority area and for that matter if a Granada TV political correspondent is hosting it will it be broadcast on Granda TV? It doesn't appear that it will be.
As the level of information on each of the candidates has been so poor the vote largely comes down to tribal politics again not what each of the candidates are proposing to do as comissioner.
Although we should be welcoming more democracy wirthin policing this idea has been badly thought out and the election process hijacked by the dead hand of the party system is a complete sham.

anthonywilson wrote:

mikeperry109 wrote:
Is anybody really interested? Another lucrative post for failed politicians - and why in Southport? There should be a debate in each Merseyside council area.
You have to pay £500.00 to be a candidate - where is the democracy in that? A good idea ruined by our archaic political system.

Mike its actually £5,000 deposit not £500. A complete barrier for most ordinary people. Why should there be a need for a deposit at all?
Really poor that no debate is taking place in each local authority area and for that matter if a Granada TV political correspondent is hosting it will it be broadcast on Granda TV? It doesn't appear that it will be.
As the level of information on each of the candidates has been so poor the vote largely comes down to tribal politics again not what each of the candidates are proposing to do as comissioner.
Although we should be welcoming more democracy wirthin policing this idea has been badly thought out and the election process hijacked by the dead hand of the party system is a complete sham.

Thanks for that Anthony - I was sure that it was £500, but you are correct, "Candidates must give a £5,000 deposit when registering as a candidate, which they will get back if they receive more than 5% of the vote. To become a valid candidate, a person must be nominated by 100 people registered to vote in that police force area."
As you say, this sum is beyond most people unless rich or backed by a party. How can that be democratic?
I believe that in the USA the police commissioner is appointed by the mayor - whether that is a better system, I don't know. How anyone can make an informed choice with the complete lack of information is beyond me. A good post again, Anthony

Mike totally with you on this one. As I wrote in the Star ("Vote for your Local Sherriff" a comedy film with James Garner) some months ago this is a complete waste of money and distraction when the real problems of policing by the cuts are being ignored. The salaries of these £100,000, who are dipping into the trough, plus the "back office staff" would pay for more police officers on the beat. I would challenge any of them to tell us what they know about policing. Mike, the Bar in the "Turks" has more knowledge!!

To add insult to injury I was asked to deliver 3 boxes of letters on this around Billinge, which I have refused to do apart from a small token gesture. The claim that a labour Commissioner would be better than a Tory is total nonsense. This forago should not be on political lines.

I hope it will be a tiny turn-out. In my case I will vote by spoiling my paper with "None of these". I wonder how many other spoiled votes there will be.

Bill Bradbury wrote:
Mike totally with you on this one. As I wrote in the Star ("Vote for your Local Sherriff" a comedy film with James Garner) some months ago this is a complete waste of money and distraction when the real problems of policing by the cuts are being ignored. The salaries of these £100,000, who are dipping into the trough, plus the "back office staff" would pay for more police officers on the beat. I would challenge any of them to tell us what they know about policing. Mike, the Bar in the "Turks" has more knowledge!!

To add insult to injury I was asked to deliver 3 boxes of letters on this around Billinge, which I have refused to do apart from a small token gesture. The claim that a labour Commissioner would be better than a Tory is total nonsense. This forago should not be on political lines.

I hope it will be a tiny turn-out. In my case I will vote by spoiling my paper with "None of these". I wonder how many other spoiled votes there will be.

Bill, I am sure that most of the country fells the same. I always vote, but not this time.

Bill Bradbury wrote:
Mike totally with you on this one. As I wrote in the Star ("Vote for your Local Sherriff" a comedy film with James Garner) some months ago this is a complete waste of money and distraction when the real problems of policing by the cuts are being ignored. The salaries of these £100,000, who are dipping into the trough, plus the "back office staff" would pay for more police officers on the beat. I would challenge any of them to tell us what they know about policing. Mike, the Bar in the "Turks" has more knowledge!!

To add insult to injury I was asked to deliver 3 boxes of letters on this around Billinge, which I have refused to do apart from a small token gesture. The claim that a labour Commissioner would be better than a Tory is total nonsense. This forago should not be on political lines.

I hope it will be a tiny turn-out. In my case I will vote by spoiling my paper with "None of these". I wonder how many other spoiled votes there will be.

Excellent comments Bill.
The Police should not be politicised along any party lines and the publicity around this election and the reasons why these proposals have been put forward have been non existent really.
Indeed at a time when Police Force budgets are facing massive cuts we should not be wasting money in this way when its more front line officers catching and preventing criminals that we need. Why couldn't accountability have been improved by making the Police Authority far more accountable and responsive to the public rather than this rather ill thought out and costly exercise?

My vote is going to John Prescott

Sankey wrote:
My vote is going to John Prescott

Sankey - is this irony?

Sankey wrote:
My vote is going to John Prescott

Why are you moving ?

Iam not voting i dont believe in it ,i dont think there will be a 5% turn out the electorate

"of"

sorry for the typo

can we have edit button please

The salaries of these £100,000, who are dipping into the trough, plus the "back office staff" would pay for more police officers on the beat.

the tories are telling us we are broke Bill this is a total waste of money .

Chasmcn I think you are being optimistic about the 5% turnout.

My voting form arrived and was shredded 5 minutes later. I am usually very galvanised about casting my vote and politics in general. But I assume like many others, having been exposed to zero information I had no desire to vote. No doubt Kennedy will prevail.

Very depressing and a complete affront to democracy, Kevfob. Mine is already in the recycling!

and my party, my party (to quote Neil Kinnock) is supporting this. To you Tories out there. They are in St.Helens Council. Celebrate!!! They Can't wait to implement more Govian education policies.

i cant be bothered either on this..the troughs are getting bigger

3 postal votes arrived. I have spoilt mine by saying "none of these" and wife & son are not voting!
Spoke to a Labour supporter in Wigan yesterday who said she was voting for the Labour candidate as he was against Police Commissioners!!! Work that one out.
I wonder if he is oppposed to picking up his large salary?? I am getting very disolutioned with politicians. Talk about "forked tongue" speaking.

Bill Bradbury wrote:
3 postal votes arrived. I have spoilt mine by saying "none of these" and wife & son are not voting!
Spoke to a Labour supporter in Wigan yesterday who said she was voting for the Labour candidate as he was against Police Commissioners!!! Work that one out.
I wonder if he is oppposed to picking up his large salary?? I am getting very disolutioned with politicians. Talk about "forked tongue" speaking.

Bill, I would not have wasted the ink!
Perhaps the Labour candidate, if successful, will donate his lucrative salary to a good cause. And the Pope may join the Church of England!

The "we're all in this together" mantra, translates more and more into "WE are all in this nice big money filled trough together, YOU are all in the brown stuff". By the way, the money that they're wallowing in is ours. Happy swimming.

kjd161 wrote:
The "we're all in this together" mantra, translates more and more into "WE are all in this nice big money filled trough together, YOU are all in the brown stuff". By the way, the money that they're wallowing in is ours. Happy swimming.

On a day when it has been reported that top bosses are earning on average around £4 million a year, and avoiding tax by having salaries paid in share options, you are spot on, kjd.

Mike, if any of the candidates knew anything about policing I think the Pope will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury!

Bill Bradbury wrote:
3 postal votes arrived. I have spoilt mine by saying "none of these" and wife & son are not voting!
Spoke to a Labour supporter in Wigan yesterday who said she was voting for the Labour candidate as he was against Police Commissioners!!! Work that one out.
I wonder if he is oppposed to picking up his large salary?? I am getting very disolutioned with politicians. Talk about "forked tongue" speaking.

If they really opposed the policy Bill you would think Labour wouldn't be putting up an candidates. If you oppose something you shouldn't have anything to do with it.
Isn't it interesting that several MP's have resigned to try to get elected as Police Crime Commissioners. No wonder really considering the salary of an MP is £65k and the Commissioners are in line to get an average salary of £80k a year is it! A pay rise for doing even less work. Its unreal. Talk about snouts in the trough and the gravy train.