Criminal waste of money

I don’t remember anybody asking me if I wanted one in the first place. And I have yet to hear of a single soul – with the possible exception of the candidates for the new job - who regards the abolition of police authorities as a national priority.

These authorities are going to have to be succeeded anyway by ‘police and crime panels’, with a remarkably similar membership of councillors and do-gooders, to keep an eye on what the commissioners are up to.

At a time when our country is struggling to maintain basic public services and when local health chiefs are busy plotting how to cut nurses’ wages (though not their own), it all strikes me as a criminal waste of money.

The winner will have to swear an oath of impartiality. In which case, if we have to have this gimmick of an election at all, why run it on tired old party political lines?

At the time of writing, there are only two declared candidates – Conservative Angus Macpherson and Labour’s Clare Moody.

Most people won’t know either of them, so I imagine they’ll back whichever party they usually support in general elections.

No offence to Mr Macpherson or Ms Moody – I’m sure they’re very committed and talented people - but I do hope the electorate will be offered a box to tick stating ‘neither of the above’. That would get me interested enough to go out and vote.

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