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This is taking the piss though....
Because it's laughing in the face of the democratic process, I presume?
I won't vote in any election that uses AVPR. It was rejected by 2:1 in last year's referendum so why was it adopted for these elections?
I haven't had any information, other than the official postal voting bits and bobs. I could probably do some research into who is standing, but if they're not making any effort to tell me about them then I'm not sure I want to vote.
Even if they did they'd have to say something special to get me to cast my vote, I'm sure I should, but I just don't care...
John Prescott is standing...
I haven't had any information, other than the official postal voting bits and bobs. I could probably do some research into who is standing, but if they're not making any effort to tell me about them then I'm not sure I want to vote.
This. It's a complete and utter waste of time and money.
I wasn't going to but then I found that in Stafford a really genuine bloke is standing. He used to be a county councillor and was chairman of the police committee until last elections when he got defeated by the tories. He's the poshest left-winger ever, and the fact he drinks in my local doesn't influence me at all. No sir.
Normally scathing of people who don't vote but am worried that by actually turning up I might be seen as expressing enthusiasm for the bloody thing.
About time we had a “none of the above" option.
I have a choice of political candidates and a few randoms so going to add a box and tick it
"None of the above"
I didn't think it possible but there is actually less information about ho stands for what in this fiasco than there was for the last local election.
Doubt I'll vote-don't have a clue who is standing, and I don't think that the police need anymore political influence than they already have. Cuts to frontline policing and positions like this being creating data huge cost don't sit too well with me. Hopefully a woefully low turnout will kill off the idea. What turnout is predicted?
Hmm.. postal vote just arrived. A list of random people whom I have never heard of with absolutely no information about what they represent.
Added to the recycling bag, hopefully that way something positive can come from them.
I have no flipping idea why we try and copy the USA at everything...mayors, polis commissioners, polarisation of politics...like it really works over there. 🙄
I can't help thinking that the Police should be entirely independent of politics.
beckykirk43 - Member
I haven't had any information, other than the official postal voting bits and bobs. I could probably do some research into who is standing, but if they're not making any effort to tell me about them then I'm not sure I want to vote.Even if they did they'd have to say something special to get me to cast my vote, I'm sure I should, but I just don't care...
Exactly - How can I vote for someone who know absolutely nothing about...It's chuffin daft.
Hmm, seems I have someone to vote for!
Local chap who's been a policeman for 35 years and believes "Politics has no part to play in the role of Police Crime Commissioner for Essex"
Think I might have to haul my butt round to the polling station after all
I haven't had any information, other than the official postal voting bits and bobs. I could probably do some research into who is standing, but if they're not making any effort to tell me about them then I'm not sure I want to vote.
This. It's a complete and utter waste of time and money.
I sort of agree, but since one of them is going to end up being paid £65-100k pa I'll be doing a bit of research to find a "least worst" option.
Not worth the time it takes to marks the box.
Info on all candidates etc. Having said that, I'd like a "none of the above box" too.
www.policecrimecommissioner.co.uk/
piedi di formaggio - MemberHmm, seems I have someone to vote for!
Local chap who's been a policeman for 35 years and believes "Politics has no part to play in the role of Police Crime Commissioner for Essex"
Think I might have to haul my butt round to the polling station after all
I utterly applaud his sentiments, but does that mean that he'll immediately resign in the event of securing the post?
brilliant name
There is a "non of the above" option - it's called a spoiled vote paper - ticking 2 boxes/scribbling etc etc all have to count as votes but in the "spoiled vote" category. This is normally (never) reported as it isn't seen as in the best interests of voting, but if enough people did it, we could have proper anarchy. And the numbers are never enough to warrant reporting.
Spoiled paper for me then. Bring on the anarchy...
+1 for spoiled vote.
Not bothering to vote will be seen as apathy. A spoiled vote is a positive message that the whole idea is wrong.
I'd vote if any of the candidates surname was Gordon
gonna vote against the reactionary candidates in my area-- where half the population speak welsh, only one candidate is campaigning bi-lingually = the others either can't or won't- some old retired colonel blimps from england have put themselves forward !!
Got a roaring fire going with my voting slip.
Toasty warm.
Tim
Bit surprised by the animosity. I'll be voting, postal for everything makes this much easier to do
Hmmmmm....no.
A spoiled vote is a positive message that the whole idea is wrong.
except in Scotland where 100,000 spoiled votes means the ballot papers are fubared 🙂
People are confusing democracy with politics.
Democracy is about having a say in who represents you, and that representative needn't be aligned to a political ideology.
The guy in Essex represents that option.
I'm voting for the independent candidate here in Sussex.
Don't know if its the same everywhere but whoever gets elected here will take home approx 70,000 a year salary. Hhmmm.
Unless they can put more officers on the beat, which they can't because of budget cuts, they ain't gonna make a bit of difference so no, not me.
I don't want to vote for anyone aligned to a political party but there's not much information about the candidates and I don't want to vote for a nutter by mistake (like the guy who's now stepped down but was standing because the police had objected to his extensive gun collection), or to be responsible for a nutter getting the job through my inaction. It's a dilemma. 😐
Not
On
Your
Baton.
Pointless excessive money wasting excersise.
A vain and pathetic attempt at thinking we have any say in any policing matters.
Pointless.
Just had a leaflet through for a local candidate.
"Vote for me and you will get a police force working for law abiding people" Really radical stuff !
The guys a retired Chief Executive so probably has a high pension with a decent pay off.Now he wants another 60K a year from taxpayers.
Yes, but pointless. Thames Valley Police serves 2 million people. That's the same size as Slovenia and half the size of Eire. How this adds to "localism" I don't know.
The Tory standing for Avon and Somerset ,Ken Maddocks ruled the council as it fell into massive debt but says having run the council and been a buyer for Marks and Spencer that he is the man to have control of the massive police budget.
The Liberal standing is harping on about female genital mutilation and how he wants to get it stopped .Whilst this is abhorent I dont see it as one of the main aims of the police commisioner.
Good article in the Guardian today that pretty much [url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/05/elections-police-commissioners-political-charade ]sums it up[/url]. Advocating spoiling your ballot paper.
A complete sham. Its costing an estimated £75 million. There's absolutely zero information out there. Its exclusively populated by failed politicians, who know eff all about policing, trying to get back on their taxpayer-funded gravy train. Turnout will struggle to get over 10%
There's a huge great school-desk-style spunking cock-and-balls being scrawled on my ballot paper. I hope that contributes to the 'shove it up your chuff' votes topping that of any of the candidates
Had no information in Cheshire about who's standing either. I've never not voted before and feel wrong about doing so now but if those standing for election are the apathetic about it now what are they going to be like once they get into the position where they should be doing something.
What worries me even more however is that Teresa May said on the radio this morning that the new Commissioners will have absolutely no powers over the day to day front line policing of the forces.
So what's the point then? 70k a year for sitting at a desk, pushing a pen around but with no real power? Sounds like a job I'd love to do if my conscience would let me do it.
If someone held a gun to my head and forced me to vote it would have to be for a politically independant (assuming someone like that is standing for my area)
As that is currenly unlikely to happen, I'm struggling to decide between not turning out and a spoilt ballot.
Trouble is a spoilt ballot shows that I do care and do actually have an opinion and thus giving the vote some small legitimacy, but by not voting I struggle to accept someone landing a £70k a year job on the back of apathy!
In the end it'll probably come down to 2 things
1) Is it raining?
2) Do I fancy a pint on the way home?
Good article in the Guardian today that pretty much sums it up. Advocating spoiling your ballot paper.
I had every intention of doing this.
However, I oppose the media manipulation of democracy more strongly than I oppose the idea of choosing a police commissionaire, and so will now be forced to select a candidate. Bar stewards.
Funny, I keep hearing [i]everyone[/i] saying that they would vote for the independent (ie non-party political) candidates, but since there's no chance they'll win they'll not bother... well, maybe, just maybe, there's others who want the independent candidate to win as well 😉
Nice raido 4 interview with the Home secretary struggling to explain how it matter sgiven they have cast iron agreements the police will remain independent
Does anyone think another politician suggesting stuff is the solution to whatever the percieved problem is?
There was community involvement and from more than one mouthpiece and not just one froma political party
Utter waste of money
