Fears only 1-in-10 East Lancashire people will vote for police supremo

6:00pm Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter

Clockwise from top left: Labour’s Clive Grunshaw, Tory Tim Ashton, Lib Dem Afzal Anwar and UKIP’s Robert Drobny Clockwise from top left: Labour’s Clive Grunshaw, Tory Tim Ashton, Lib Dem Afzal Anwar and UKIP’s Robert Drobny

LABOUR leader Ed Miliband is in Lancashire tomorrow to launch the party’s campaign for the new county crimefighting supremo amid fears as few as one in ten people will vote.

He will launch the opposition’s national manifesto for the new police commissioners and tell local people that Fleetwood county councillor Clive Grunshaw is the man for the job.

Mr Miliband’s high-profile arrival comes as a Populus opinion poll shows that only one fifth of voters are interested in the November 15 election and some MPs fear as few as one in ten will actually go to the polling booth.

The other three candidates for the new post of Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner are:

  • Conservative – Lytham county councillor Tim Ashton
  • Liberal Democrat –Nelson barrister Afzal Anwar
  • UK Independence Party – Preesall councillor Robert Drobny

Blackburn with Darwen Council, overseeing the county poll, and the Electoral Commission are now joining with politicians to raise the turnout of voters.

The Commission is this week sending out an information booklet, which does not include local candidates details, in an awareness campaign backed by TV, radio and online advertising until polling day.

Their details are now available on the borough’s and the government’s candidate information websites and political parties are sending literature to all county households.

Former Blackburn with Darwen chief executive Graham Burgess, returning officer for the Lancashire poll, said: “There are a number of awareness campaigns running to promote these elections.

“They represent the first time the public will have been given the opportunity to vote for a police commissioner and I would encourage people across Lancashire to make the most of this opportunity.”

A Home Office spokes- person said: "The election of police and crime commissioners will give the public a real opportunity to choose who they want to represent their views on crime. Information about every candidate will be published online and, for anyone who wants it, delivered in written form.”

Comments(30)

alf-abett says...
6:33pm Wed 24 Oct 12

Why on earth do we require another person on the wage bill who will contribute zero to the reduction of crime or of the improvement of the police. He will no doubt be politically motivated erring to one of the main parties with only one priority, scoring political points!! and holding down a further two jobs. What the majority of law abiding people require is a strong justice system where crime will be punished and not airbrushed over.

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Scooby says...
6:41pm Wed 24 Oct 12

I'm not voting because it's a farce. I've already voted for the councillor I wanted to represent my area, and I've already voted for an MP to represent my area. Why on earth do I need to vote for another person to represent my area??

And knowing full well that most people aren't going to bother vote either means that it's going to be voted for primarily by political groups with something to gain from it rather than the actual public wanting a say.

Waste of money which would've been better spent putting more police on the street instead of more political rubbish

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burner says...
6:56pm Wed 24 Oct 12

I thought it was an independent policing role and non political. I am HORRIFIED to see candidates as belonging to political parties . . . no vote from me.

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amazed says...
7:27pm Wed 24 Oct 12

I too am most surprised that this is politically motivated.

I must have been naive to believe that the candidates would have had "hands on" policing experience - ex-chief constables for instance. I am now wondering if it is worth voting and if I don't, it will be the first time I have not voted in any elections (apart from Darwen Council!) Has the list of candidates been announced yet?

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onlyonesimongarner says...
7:29pm Wed 24 Oct 12

why should this be Based on Party Politics ??

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Scooby says...
7:30pm Wed 24 Oct 12

Within the article Amazed, all political party representatives, all with their own political agenda rather than a neutral background.

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amazed says...
7:31pm Wed 24 Oct 12

Sorry, I did not read the article before I wrote the above - what a plonker. Well, I am even more inclined not to vote now that I have seen the list of candidates!!

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cj00 says...
7:40pm Wed 24 Oct 12

Let's just say Afzal Anwar got the job. He is also a practising barrister, would that not be a conflict of intrest, say he had to defend a suspected criminal in court, who was being prosecuted by the CPS/Police? Or would he have to give up his barrister job, in order to do the Police Commisioners job? Have the Lib Dems thought this one through?

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mumof3 says...
8:00pm Wed 24 Oct 12

If no-one votes...if 1 in 10 votes.....if everyone votes...... the end result would be the same... They already know who is going to be the "winner"

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mavrick says...
8:41pm Wed 24 Oct 12

The big problem is the cost for individuals to stand. a deposit of £5000 and 100 signatures from the electoral role when the deposit for an MP is 10 signatures and £500 deposit. so I am inclined to think the election rules have been designed to attract party candidates. Not many individual s can risk the loss of such a large deposit. But like other posters have said, it won't make a blind bit of difference until courts dish out more appropriate sentences. Is it worth a vote I think not.

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ste.g says...
8:44pm Wed 24 Oct 12

no votes from my household

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psch says...
8:44pm Wed 24 Oct 12

The only time this vote would be valid if there was a no commissioner option. I always vote but this time for the first time I will be spoiling my paper

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Excluded again says...
8:50pm Wed 24 Oct 12

This has been a complete waste of police time and scare resources.

Does anyone have the foggiest idea what the views of the four candidates are on policing or how they say they would make a difference?

This was a farce when it was proposed by the Tories before the last election, a farce when it was kept in the coaltion agreement and will be a farce on election day. The winner could quite easily be voted for by ony 3-4% of the population.

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ste.g says...
8:59pm Wed 24 Oct 12

just by the poor turnout it will get should tell the government NO ONE wants this

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Reality50 says...
9:21pm Wed 24 Oct 12

I will not be voting on principle.The elections are to politicise the police force further.

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superfly agaric says...
11:04pm Wed 24 Oct 12

As we are being asked to vote based on political party, none of the candidates are independent. When decisions are needed to be made then these independent commissioners will tow the party line and therefore their whole point is negated by the fact that they are afilliated to a political party.

Imagine the scenario: Our town votes in someone who belongs to Party X, Party Y meanwhile win a general election. Our commissioner has to show that Party Y is the evil party and ensures no-one votes for them next time by cutting all front-line police and causing crime to rise. The public suffer unnecessarily.

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english rose 1 says...
12:07am Thu 25 Oct 12

Police Commissioners were in the Conservative Party manifesto at the last General Election. None of the other parties wanted this. Hands up all those folk who voted Tory at the last General Election ?! No use in moaning now is there ?!
*
I'd rather not have Commissioners but I'll be voting as I'd prefer a Labour Commisssioner than a Tory one. At least he will at least speak out against the 20% cuts and will support PCSO's and front line policing.

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guinless says...
5:42am Thu 25 Oct 12

what a load of rubbish at a time when the police are facing massive cuts they go and waste what must be millions of pounds on this none job i for will refuse to vote then hopefully it will be a position that is scrapped

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Nelson J says...
7:38am Thu 25 Oct 12

....and what is the cost to the tax payer for these elections?

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A Darener says...
8:17am Thu 25 Oct 12

A Commissioner, a PA, an office, clerical staff. Meetings, travel costs, personal expenses, the list goes on. How many more police would this Quango's wasted money employ?

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bow1974 says...
9:58am Thu 25 Oct 12

No vote from me i'v never voted for any election whats the point they only look after thier own.

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Izanears says...
10:40am Thu 25 Oct 12

A waste if time and a waste of money. This election is costing 75 million pounds. The Salary for the P&CC will be in the region of £100k per year plus pension, plus perks, plus Deputy etc. Mutiply this by the number of PCC's in the the countyry 41, and the taxpayerb will have to find one L of a lot of money each year just to pay their wages. And for what? They will have no operational over the police, merely over budgets, oh! and they will have the power to employ or sack Chief Constables. This is where we will see the political aspect kick in.

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Izanears says...
10:46am Thu 25 Oct 12

A waste of time and a waste of money. This election is costing 75 million pounds. The salary for the P&CC will be in the region of £100k per year plus pension, plus perks, plus Deputy etc. Mutiply this by the number of PCC's in the the countyry 41, and the taxpayer will have to find one L of a lot of money each year just to pay their wages. And for what? They will have no operational control over the police, merely over budgets, oh! and they will have the power to employ or sack Chief Constables. This is where we will see the political aspect kick in.

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english rose 1 says...
11:06am Thu 25 Oct 12

bow1974 wrote:
No vote from me i'v never voted for any election whats the point they only look after thier own.
Obviously you would prefer a dictatorship then ? Great - let's get the likes of Saddam, Stalin, Hitler, Amin, Pol Pot etc etc ruling over us. Then let's have a big war killing millions !

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superfly agaric says...
12:14pm Thu 25 Oct 12

english rose 1 wrote:
bow1974 wrote:
No vote from me i'v never voted for any election whats the point they only look after thier own.
Obviously you would prefer a dictatorship then ? Great - let's get the likes of Saddam, Stalin, Hitler, Amin, Pol Pot etc etc ruling over us. Then let's have a big war killing millions !
As you quoted in your earlier post, you always vote Labour, English Rose - Dictatorship ruling over us, A Big War.

Does the name Tony Blair ring any bells?

At least bow1974 can't be directly blamed.

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bow1974 says...
12:39pm Thu 25 Oct 12

english rose 1 wrote:

bow1974 wrote:
No vote from me i'v never voted for any election whats the point they only look after thier own.
Obviously you would prefer a dictatorship then ? Great - let's get the likes of Saddam, Stalin, Hitler, Amin, Pol Pot etc etc ruling over us. Then let's have a big war killing millions !

Nah just get the bnp or edl in but oh no we can't vote for them we'd be Rasist wouldn't we

B T W i'm not rasist just fed up to the back teeth with our so called government .

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A Darener says...
12:41pm Thu 25 Oct 12

English Rose voting for a labour candidate, not because he is the best man for the job. But because he is not Tory. Great way to run a Police force.
Better not voting at all.

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BridgeAccrington says...
1:19pm Thu 25 Oct 12

If you don't vote for a police comissioner then the only people who are going to get their say are "Disgusted of Accrington" who writes to the papers every week and the rev. Kev.

This will mean that we will end up with some stick in the mud that prioritises so-called road traffic offences and "antisocial bahaviour".

Like all elections, you have to vote for what you don't want rather than what you do, but if you don't want some nob who goes after speeding drivers then you need to vote.

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ste.g says...
6:24pm Thu 25 Oct 12

BridgeAccrington wrote:
If you don't vote for a police comissioner then the only people who are going to get their say are "Disgusted of Accrington" who writes to the papers every week and the rev. Kev.

This will mean that we will end up with some stick in the mud that prioritises so-called road traffic offences and "antisocial bahaviour".

Like all elections, you have to vote for what you don't want rather than what you do, but if you don't want some nob who goes after speeding drivers then you need to vote.
Like all elections, you have to vote for what you don't want rather than what you do, but if you don't want some nob who goes after speeding drivers then you need to vote.

i dont want a commissioner full stop,where do i vote??

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ste.g says...
6:28pm Thu 25 Oct 12

Izanears wrote:
A waste if time and a waste of money. This election is costing 75 million pounds. The Salary for the P&CC will be in the region of £100k per year plus pension, plus perks, plus Deputy etc. Mutiply this by the number of PCC's in the the countyry 41, and the taxpayerb will have to find one L of a lot of money each year just to pay their wages. And for what? They will have no operational over the police, merely over budgets, oh! and they will have the power to employ or sack Chief Constables. This is where we will see the political aspect kick in.
how many policemen/woman have lost their jobs to balance the books for this one?i know which i would rather have.

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