What's all this about Police and Crime Commissioners?

Good question.  Many people aren't aware that in England and Wales (except for London) we will all be asked to vote for a Police and Crime Commissioner in less than 4 weeks time on Thursday 15 November.  In this election Woking votes elect a Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey.

What is the role?

A Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for each county is a Conservative idea to give the public more control over local policing.  The Home Office web site tells us that having a PCC will make police more accountable to the public and cut crime.  The Surrey Police Authority sets out the role of the PCC in more detail here.

Independent candidates

It was originally suggested that elections for a PCC would attract good Independent candidates.  It was implied that it wouldn't be politicians that stood for the roles.  Take a look at the Home Office web site and there is lots of talk about how anybody can stand for these new roles.  David Cameron says it is "a big job for a "big local figure" and the Home Office says "This is an opportunity for people from all walks of life to stand and to make a difference".

Sounds great but the reality is rather different.  A candidate needs 500 signatures to stand.  Political parties have access to the electoral roll all year round so it is easy find signatories.  Independent candidates will only get access when they are nominated and nominations only closed this week.

National elections such as the General and European elections include a Free Post - allowing candidates to send a piece of literature to the electorate at no cost to themselves.  They have to pay for design and printing of the literature but the Royal Mail delivers it free of charge. There is no Free Post for the PCC election.

Party political

Having said the roles would primarily attract non-political candidates the Conservative and Labour parties have gone about putting candidates in every county.  These candidates include several former MPs.  Michael Mates is standing in Hampshire and former Woking MP Humfrey Malins tried to get the Conservative candidacy for Surrey.   Among the Labour party it is also a popular role for past MPs.  John Prescott and Alun Michael are in the running.

Initially the Liberal Democrat position nationally was not to run candidates.  The party recommended that we back good Independent candidates instead.  There was some logic in this approach but when it became clear both Conservative and Labour parties were to stand candidates it seemed illogical to a majority in Woking and Surrey not to give the electorate the choice of a Liberal Democrat candidate as well.

Then came the issue of a candidate. I heard there was a Member in Mole Valley who was interested.  He was a local businessman and former district councillor with experience of policing.

Nick O'Shea Lib Dem PCC candidate

In fact Nick O'Shea is the ideal candidate.  If elected he is excellently qualified to be Surrey's first PCC.  Nick comes from a line of policing. Both his father and his grandfather were policemen in Surrey.  He lives in Dorking now but has lived all across Surrey at various times including in Woking.  He is a trained accountant and he runs his own business so he knows how to budget and make the numbers add up.  He has much knowledge of policing in Surrey.  

On selection he set up a programme to spend time in each of the eleven Surrey boroughs.  In Woking I took him around Horsell and we talked to residents in Graylands about local issues including policing.  Colleagues took him to Goldsworth Park to hear of local issues in that part of Woking.

Nick has a clear manifesto and knows exactly what he would do if elected on 15 November.  See his website here.

Other Runners and Riders in the race for PCC

Julie Iles - Conservative candidate 

Current member of the Police Authority and magistrate.  She supported abortive plans to privatise policing which cost Surrey taxpayers £160k.  Has held positions in the Tory party such as Chair of Southern Women's Conservative Association.

Robert  Evans - Labour candidate 

Former London North West MEP.  Despite being MEP for the area he failed to hold the parliamentary seat of Brent East for Labour being beaten into second place by Lib Dem Sarah Teather. He has also been beaten by Conservatives in Uxbridge .  He appears to have Iived in Weybridge throughout his time of representing London in Europe.  He made a big issue of opposing police privatisation but now that is ruled out he seems to have run out of ideas.

Peter Williams - Independent

Current Chairman of Police Authority and magistrate. 

Kevin Hurley - Independent

Beaten in race to be Tory candidate so is going it alone.  Former police Borough commander.  Says he is standing for the zero tolerance policing ex chief party.

Robert Shatwell - UKIP

Ex police officer and past UKIP agent for local elections in Woking. 

Here in Woking polling cards have started dropping through letterboxes ready for the election on Thursday 15 November.