Vote for your Police & Crime Commissioner today

Garry Edwards

Garry Edwards

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Garry Edwards
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Today's the day.

Whether or not you think it's a good thing to have a Police & Crime Commissioner, whether or not you are happy with the fact that, in most areas, there is only a choice of candidates that represent political parties, whether or not you feel that you have been told enough about the election and the candidates in your force area - the fact remains that the successful candidates will have an enormous amount of power and control over the way that the police operate in your county and can make a real difference (good or bad) to policing - so IMO we should all exercise our democratic right to vote, and to influence the choice.

AFAIK the elections will take place in all English and Welsh counties, but not in Scotland or in the Metropolitan police area.
 
I was just perusing our selection of wanabees again. Oh dear. :cuckoo:
 
This has to be the worst informed election there has been. It is all right to say get out and vote, but a heck of a lot of people (me included) don't really understand what we are voting for. Not only that but apparently in some areas there is a form of transferable vote.

If I had my way voting in local and general elections would be compulsory, provided there was a "none of the above" option. This election is different though
 
Garry Edwards said:
Today's the day.

Whether or not you think it's a good thing to have a Police & Crime Commissioner, whether or not you are happy with the fact that, in most areas, there is only a choice of candidates that represent political parties, whether or not you feel that you have been told enough about the election and the candidates in your force area - the fact remains that the successful candidates will have an enormous amount of power and control over the way that the police operate in your county and can make a real difference (good or bad) to policing - so IMO we should all exercise our democratic right to vote, and to influence the choice.

AFAIK the elections will take place in all English and Welsh counties, but not in Scotland or in the Metropolitan police area.
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I'm not voting. I don't know enough about the candidates to make an informed decision. We have had no information about them or their policies so no point in voting.

I have no intention or inclination to vote for a candidate based only on a photo on a board.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Today's the day.

Whether or not you think it's a good thing to have a Police & Crime Commissioner, whether or not you are happy with the fact that, in most areas, there is only a choice of candidates that represent political parties, whether or not you feel that you have been told enough about the election and the candidates in your force area - the fact remains that the successful candidates will have an enormous amount of power and control over the way that the police operate in your county and can make a real difference (good or bad) to policing - so IMO we should all exercise our democratic right to vote, and to influence the choice.

AFAIK the elections will take place in all English and Welsh counties, but not in Scotland or in the Metropolitan police area.
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If you feel like you haven't been sufficiently informed about who the candidates are then how the hell are you mean to influence the choice? You could be voting for the worst candidate.
 
We received nothing to the house regarding the candidates, but there's plenty about them online.
 
viv1969 said:
We received nothing to the house regarding the candidates, but there's plenty about them online.
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I presume there may be something online regarding our Blackpool/Preston candidates but I have no intention of looking for it. If someone applies for a job with my firm I don't go trawling the Internet for information I expect them to give me the information I need. These candidates who are asking for the publics vote should have made sure we had all available information regarding them and their policies. If they can't be bothered neither can I.
 
I won't be voting because I simply do not feel informed enough about the candidates up for selection.

Maybe I should have done some reading, but I haven't so there we go.

And there's nothing worse than an ill-formed voter voting...
 
pepi1967 said:
I presume there may be something online regarding our Blackpool/Preston candidates but I have no intention of looking for it. If someone applies for a job with my firm I don't go trawling the Internet for information I expect them to give me the information I need. These candidates who are asking for the publics vote should have made sure we had all available information regarding them and their policies. If they can't be bothered neither can I.
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Like every job candidate, they'll give you the information they think you wanna hear :lol:
Sadly our bunch of wanabees would appear to be, on the whole, try-hard bell-ends :shake:
 
viv1969 said:
Like every job candidate, they'll give you the information they think you wanna hear :lol:
Sadly our bunch of wanabees would appear to be, on the whole, try-hard bell-ends :shake:
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:lol:
 
I'm not defending the system, or lack of it...

The problem seems to be that there is absolutely no funding for it. In the case of the political candidates, their parties can fund their £5000 deposit and election expenses, but there is nothing in the way of government funding.

In the case of the independent candidates, they have to pay everything themselves. I'm told that in West Yorkshire there are over 3 million potential voters - how can any independent afford to print and deliver even 1 leaflet for every address?

Hats off to the BBC, they seem to be the only organisation that has done anything to inform the public.

I will be voting, because I want to exercise my choice, whether it makes any difference or not.
 
I had no information on the candidates for Cambridge until a leaflet dropped on the mat from the Labour guy.

In it he said he would leave the Chief Constable to get on with the job "after all he is the best man in place" and fight against the appointment of G4. Sounds like my type of guy.

But, daughter works in Police HQ and has told us that the Chief Constable favours G4. :bang: :bang:

So, none the wiser. Like it has already been said - they only write what you want to hear and once they are in the job it will be different - now where have I heard that one before...
 
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first we really knew about it was seeing the polling board go up yesterday at the dance school at the end of the road, then literally 10 mins ago a flyer has been pushed through the letterbox saying 'vote Labour candidate thurs 15th' with instructions on how to vote... :thinking::thinking:
 
For those who feel they don't have enough information, then go and spoil your vote. It will still be counted and will give ammunition to those who argue that the elections were badly organised that will contradict the "apathetic voter" argument that will be trotted out when the turnout is published. I'm going tonight and will, in the now timeless Irish tradition, add "Dustin the Turkey" to my voting slip and vote for him.
 
i have no idea what i am voting for. I have no idea who the candidates are or what they will do if they "get in." No one has come door knocking... I don't understand why there has to be a political link to the police...

Surely this is the worst election ever?
 
We got leaflets from the main 2 candidates through the letter-box. And all my candidates were outlined on the BBC site somewhere or other. I can't compain about that really - enough info for me to get that depressed/cynical feeling and to fill in my postal ballot
 
Lynton said:
i have no idea what i am voting for. I have no idea who the candidates are or what they will do if they "get in." No one has come door knocking... I don't understand why there has to be a political link to the police...

Surely this is the worst election ever?
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Personally, I feel that it is totally wrong that the police will come under political control in this way. I thought that the whole point of the police, even though they are under the overall control of the government, is that they are politically impartial.

In a small minority of force areas, there are politically independent candidates. Here in West Yorkshire I am able to vote for a retired detective inspector if I want to, I have no idea whether or not he is suited to the job of police commissioner but at least he has 30 years of police experience. The other three candidates are political and 2 of them were heavily involved (one of them as chairman) of the police authority that supported the now disgraced ex Chief Constable...

In my 'other' home, North Yorkshire, there is a choice of just two political candidates, neither of whom has any relevant experience. One of them runs a business and it's obvious that if she gets in her £70,000 police commissioner job will be part time only...
 
So if you feel it is wrong why do you want people to vote? All that is doing is showing support for the system. Either don't vote are vote but spoil your paper.

Whatever we do at this stage these people will be elected, all we can hope is that it will end in legal battles etc. Unfortunetely whatever happens we will foot the cost
 
One of our candidates declares no political affiliations and has held no political office.
 
What a complete waste of time and money. Surely the powers in charge should stop all this messing about. There will be no benefit and no-one i know knows much if anyting about this. Even 2 friends who are coppers say its a waste of time.
 
munch said:
So if you feel it is wrong why do you want people to vote? All that is doing is showing support for the system. Either don't vote are vote but spoil your paper.

Whatever we do at this stage these people will be elected, all we can hope is that it will end in legal battles etc. Unfortunetely whatever happens we will foot the cost
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Well, even if we happen to feel that the whole concept is wrong, by voting we can influence the result.

If we have political affiliations then we can vote for the political candidate of our choice.

If we are able to vote for a non-political candidate then we can try to keep politics out of the police in our area, if that's what we want to do.

It's possible, because of the shambolic 'organisation' of this election, that the turnout will be extremely low. This means that every vote that is cast becomes much more significant. People have fought and died for the right to vote, it seems to me that we should not waste a right that people have fought for us to have.
 
I have researched the local candidates, which was trivially easy to do as they are all listed on sites found at the top of google searches for "police commissioner south gloucestershire" and all have their own websites linked from those sites. Took me about 10 minutes and I know who I will vote for even though they all say broadly the same thing.

Hopefully the polling station is open until 10pm as it will be around 9.45pm when I pass it on my way home.
 
Garry but as I said in my earlier post what the H@ll are we voting for.

I also find the comments about fighting for my right to vote and if don't vote I somehow dishonor the dead rather offensive.
 
munch said:
Garry but as I said in my earlier post what the H@ll are we voting for.

I also find the comments about fighting for my right to vote and if don't vote I somehow dishonor the dead rather offensive.
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That's what I personally feel. You have the right to feel differently.
 
Garry Edwards said:
That's what I personally feel. You have the right to feel differently.
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Indeed it is perfectly fine for people to have differing opinions, but if you have to resort to offending someone to defend your view, then perhaps it bears a re-think.

It is as much my right not to participate in the voting process, as it is your right to do so.
 
:nono: However....since this thread has taken a vaguely political turn, I'm expecting a Mod or two to be ambling along any moment....... :rules: :lol:
 
Garry Edwards said:
...In my 'other' home, North Yorkshire, .......
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I hope you are not claiming expenses for both homes Garry :lol:

On the subject of the election, it seems I join many others on this thread who have received little or no communication about any of the candidates (yes I realise I could go and find it) and therefore won't be voting as if I was to do so I would want to know exactly why I was doing so. This is both why for a particular candidate (although I believe in this case we have to vote for two) and a wider why in terms of the role itself.
 
Delta Skies said:
On the subject of the election, it seems I join many others on this thread who have received little or no communication about any of the candidates (yes I realise I could go and find it) and therefore won't be voting as if I was to do so I would want to know exactly why I was doing so. This is both why for a particular candidate (although I believe in this case we have to vote for two) and a wider why in terms of the role itself.
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Unlike in General Elections the state is not paying for the candidates to do a mailshot, so you have to go looking. I did, a cursory google search found a list with links to all of their websites.
 
Yes, of course people have the right to decide not to vote. That's the whole point of democracy. But personally I do find it strange that some people are offended by what I wrote.

And personally I don't find anything in this thread to be in any way political. This election isn't (or at least isn't supposed to be) about politics. In fact, as I understand it, the successful candidates will be required to take an oath of political impartiality.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Yes, of course people have the right to decide not to vote. That's the whole point of democracy. But personally I do find it strange that some people are offended by what I wrote.

And personally I don't find anything in this thread to be in any way political. This election isn't (or at least isn't supposed to be) about politics. In fact, as I understand it, the successful candidates will be required to take an oath of political impartiality.
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And yet the majority of them are "campaigning" under thier chosen political banner. So how will impartiality work, and who's going to believe in thier so-called impartiality for a single second?
 
I will be going to the polling station and writing " none of the above " across the paper.



Heather
 
I looked up my 3 local candidates a few weeks ago.

There's a conservative guy I really didn't like, an elderly ex-police officer who comes across a little fruity, and a labour candidate who didn't feel the need to answer all the questions defining what he'd aim to do.

Not only do I think the position is a joke, but the candidates in my area at least are absolutely pathetic!
 
For information Google 'numpty' ... will give all the information needed on the candidates in my area - another excuse for spending the taxpayer's money.
 
To return to the subject of PCC's. What real use are they? None.
I've read the manifestos of those in my force area that could be bothered to write them, and frankly they are in lala land.
Most are making promises they cannot deliver, because even if they won, they don't have the power to do what they claim. Some of the policies would be illegal for police to carry out (breach of PACE, abuse of powers), even if they had the ability or power to insist they did.
Will it bring more democracy to policing? Nope, it will just be yet another Politician to pay tax to support, not to mention the undoubted growing entourage that will follow.
The money this farce is going to cost should be spent on more police, not on a fantasy role.
 
I've voted in every election since I was 18 & have always been of the opinion :-

"If you don't vote, you cant complain"

However, in this particular election I can't decide whether to abstain from voting or deliberately spoil my vote :(

I think this whole business is just increasing our tax bill to pay for another layer of "suits full of b****r all"
 
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