Is new 'commissioner' role breaking the law?
Friday 09 November 2012
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EmailI have some worries about the forthcoming Police and Crime Commissioner election and that the election itself may constitute an infringement of the Representation of the Peoples Act.
Firstly, unlike elections for parliamentary and council representatives, the purpose of the Nov 15 election is to elect a senior civil servant about whose function and powers we the electorate know very little.
Apart from referendums (Is this election a referendum?) this Nov 15 election would seem to be without precedent. Does this mean that we will be asked to elect the next governor of the Bank of England? I doubt it.
If the post of police and crime commissioner for a certain area is a civil service post (or local government officer) then we have to be sure that whoever comes top of the poll is also eligible to work within the police service and they may not be.
Far better in my view is to have selection carried out under the auspices of the Home Office and for a trial period - say 18 months.
M Barrell
Billericay
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