Relish the words in that title because you will not see their like again in my lifetime! But first let me tell you that as far as the idea of elected Police Commissioners is concerned I am undecided. Yes, I like the idea of an elected official running our police services but, as always, the politicans have injected their poison into the proposal so that now the post will become entirely political, as opposed to the current 'Old Boys' network of professional Police Commissioners who are entirely politically correct and therefore just as bad.
However, it is a particular story from The Daily Mail which concerns me today, not just in the abstract, as it were, but in the particular because Mr. Bob Ashford, a Labour man to his pink fingertips, was intending to stand for election to the post in my county of Somerset. Unfortunately he has been struck off the list of candidates by some Jobsworth because when he was 13 years old (some 40-odd years ago) he was fined £5 for being in the company of a gang of boys who were caught shooting at tin cans with an air gun - yes, yes, I know, today they'd be holding up their local newsagent but it was a different world 40 years ago! Anyway, Mr. Ashford denied even touching the gun but was 'advised' to plead guilty and accept the £5 misdemeanor fine thus giving him a 'criminal' record.
Ever since then, Mr. Ashford has always declared this micro-stain on his record including when he applied to stand for the job of Police Commissioner. At first he was accepted onto the list but has now been forced to resign. He has spent most of his life working with and for young people in the Somerset area and, despite his appalling politics, it is obvious to me that he is more than qualified for this job. Let him stand, I say!
What happened to the Watch Committees? A bunch of local councillors (& therefore elected) who kept an eye on the police. Much cheaper than Prescott!
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Thursday, 09 August 2012 at 12:12
What's this "accepted onto the list" business?
It's supposed to be a publicly-elected position, but "they" - ie the odious political class - get to decide who's allowed to stand?
Remind me again in what way this differs from democracy as practiced in the old Soviet Union? Vote for the communist of your choice...
Injected their poison indeed - nice phrase Mr. D.
Posted by: Andrew Duffin | Thursday, 09 August 2012 at 12:15
Can't improve on Andrew Duffin's comment. Who elected the list-maker?
Posted by: A K Haart | Thursday, 09 August 2012 at 15:26
XX Yes, I like the idea of an elected official running our police services..,XX
Because they wil be SOOO much better, honest, and hard working, and MUCHmore likely to tell the "party whip" to fuck off sideways, than those other "elected officials" in council chambers all over the country, and in particular, those others at Westminster, won't they?
Posted by: Furor Teutonicus | Friday, 10 August 2012 at 05:30