General Chat

That is what I mean, it would be nice if everyone could stick to topic and state their opinions without getting personal. everyone, thanks.

Amen to that

We didn't have any info coming in our doors about the candidates. So I used Google & made my choice from reading the info online.

IMHO if you don't use your vote you have no moral right to complain about who gets elected, or the work they do (or not) as you could have changed that result by voting

Your vote gives you a moral right to moan about your choice if they don't fulfill their obligations, and on the other side of the coin gives you a moral right to complain about the person who you did not choose not fulfilling their promises as well.

So many people moan about issues they could have had a choice in shaping, but declined to.

I can only comment about my area, but I think the result has been reasonably good. Two Independents out of the four PCC's, and Alun Michael (Labour) is well-known and well-respected in South Wales. No idea about the Tory in Dyfed-Powys. Liberal and Plaid Cymru provided no candidates.

How I wish they could have postponed these PCC elections for a few months, as voters are thinking of Christmas and other things and not really bothered. Even in Corby, only 45% turned out to provide an 8,000 majority for Labour in an historical key marginal.

The voting system for PCCs does favour a good independent candidate, but how ridiculous that they have to be relatively wealthy with loads of spare time to even think about applying for the post.

I would have appreciated more debate about the pro's and con's of these PCCs. For the first time in my voting life, I have not really understood what or who I was voting for. :-(

Come to think of it, the season might have been a factor in the low turn-out.

In our residential neighbourhood, there are few or no street lights. When Elections are in May, it is quite common to see couples strolling to the Polling Station after their evening meal. Now that most curtains are closed by 5pm, who is going to want to go out in the dark and/or the wet?

Yes, I too googled. There was no information because, well, there was none to be had.

The point that not everyone has access to the internet seems to be lost on some posters.

"For the first time in my voting life, I have not really understood what or who I was voting for" Well maybe John, if you had not been so idle, you could have made it your business to find out! How very disappointed in you I am.

John
No mention of Newport having NO voters coming into the polling stations? apathy on a grand scale?
.....and, at the risk of being classed 'back biting', you state 'For the first time in my voting life, I have not really understood what or who I was voting for..... ???

Quote: {Conservative backbencher Conor Burns posted on Twitter: "I suspect we will live to regret creating these police commissioners. I regret voting for the Bill}

Mildred..... not voting, or indeed spoiling papers, is imo a very good way to moan about something you don't agree with and, I should imagine, sending a strong message to Government about the issues....

Edit: snap Island :-)

JohnLovesCocoa ...Re

"How I wish they could have postponed these PCC elections for a few months, as voters are thinking of Christmas and other things and not really bothered. Even in Corby, only 45% turned out to provide an 8,000 majority for Labour in an historical key marginal."

Good morning John,
This thread is about Police Commissioner elections and NOT By- Elections, so why bring those into this discussion?

Island, I so agree with you, and endorse every word you say.

Julia in Derbyshire

Island, if you had googled fairly close to polling day, and there was *still* no candidate information, you might have cause to complain to the Electoral Commission.

The link on our Polling Cards was

http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/

It still appears to be active.

Det, there were no elections in my area.

:-D Sorry - the way you wrote, I assumed there was......unless I was having a senior moment? :-D :-D

"No idea, Rose. But my simple plan would be to decide in Gwent, for example, how many police stations were required by the 600,000 population. They are closing them round here and it is difficult to know how far you have to travel to speak to someone and report a crime. I now have to travel 6 miles in a heavily populated area, which seems excessive."

well it's disappointing to me John that you think it's a good idea but have no idea how it will work :-D I was ( genuinely) hoping someone would tell me!

My nearest policestation , large, is 12 minutes away roughly by car, the community service officers are reasonably 'obvious', the response to a reported crime ( I can only go on my own experience of reporting a stolen bike) was very fast and although not resolved was offered victim support at the time and was contacted several weeks later. Any queries of a general nature are dealt with online very efficiently ( like the police stance and reaction to local marches by BNP etc, and advice where when and how to stay safe).

What worries me is that police forces which have hitherto done a good job will be 'picked at' by someone unqualified, inexperienced and most of all not local to the problem areas...and there is also a point which I don't think has been touched upon, ? that PCCs who will have control of how much is spent and on what in certain areas, have ( as far as I can find out) the job of telling local councils how much of the council tax is spent on policing...to me that may mean other services may suffer if council tax is not to rise overall?

.

well reading through this thread, my gripe and the main gripe of the majority seems to be the total lack of ready information

now had I been a candidate [unlikely :-D] I'd have put myself about a bit - knocked on as many doors as I could manage, enlist the help of some allies to do the same, take up a stand in a local shopping centre - I would have made my own flyers - very easy to do if you a computer or know someone who has one - at least I would have tried to make myself known - then I would have been happy that I did my best

methinks it's the candidates who were idle, and Alun Michael, the candidate I have to suffer is such an arrogant man - he was outspokenly rude and hostile to Lucy Owen, BBC Wales presenter when she interviewed him last evening following his election.

This is laughable, not


Our newly elected Police Commissioner was one of the first MPs to be charged over the expenses scandal, he fiddled £14,000 which he had to pay back.

How on earth was this man even allowed to stand for the office.

George

how indeed - he's a criminal - Simon Weston, Falklands Hero was going to stand but because he had been caught as a passenger in a stolen car when he was a teenager he was told he couldn't stand so how on earth has this thieving person been allowed to stand?

Indeed Ann, but i forgot that MPs dont have to live by the same rules as the rest of us.

John, Why did you not put yourself forward for the position in your area? I,m sure you would have done an adequate job explaining everything to the electorate,there seems to be ample supply of hot air eminating from you on here, you should have put it to good use.**M**

Some of these votes for Police Commissioner were very close. Quite a few got in on second preference.

I can understand why a lot of working age people did not vote. There are only a few hours of daylight, and it was even darker than usual on Thursday. I dragged my lot out after 8pm and they were not happy. But we all vote even if we feel our vote will be totally wasted.

I can understand why people without a computer knew little of what was going on.

But on a small vote, each vote counts so much. Particularly when you particularly are not happy with one or more of the candidates.

I think the "fiddling expenses" at a national or local level is worth following up. Any successful new PCC's with that sort of criminal record should be challenged and asked to stand down andf the one who came second should be given the job.

In my opinion this has been a complete farce from beginning to end. The organisation and management of the campaign was unprofessional and a shambling joke. There was no proper structure or content to any form of canvassing. There were regular “countdowns” to voting day on local TV, but no basic information to back them up. Regardless of what people might say, not everyone has access to a computer, and not everyone has mobility or the ability to gain information easily. With the size of the budget I would have expected more. I saw the new PCC for my area for the first time on TV last night. It showed him canvassing in the streets yesterday obviously meeting and greeting shaking hands with people he already knew, and having lunch at his daughters house. What was that all about for goodness sake?
Now the pundits are having a post-mortem as to why people did not vote. Perhaps they need to reflect on the the wider picture. Maybe it's a warning that many voters far from being apathetic, idle, uninterested or unconcerned (or whatever negative adjective you want to choose) with what is going on in the Country. People are disillusioned with all political parties and fed up of hearing the same old rhetoric and petty arguments and point scoring. Let us hope that lessons have been learned and the complacent attitude from all parties will take heed and wake up and smell the coffee.

AnnC I have just re read all of these threads and I must say sometimes the comments are rude and totally unjustified. I am reminded of my Father who said When they start throwing mud its a sign they are losing the argument. ;-)