We now know three candidates will fight the Leicestershire Police Commissioner election on November 15th.
The Conservatives and Labour are joined by an Independent, Suleman Nagdi.
My first impression is that Nagdi will get my first preference vote. His web site promises a progressive approach to policing. His experience is also impressive: a magistrate, community work and involvement with various aspects of police work. I don’t agree with his anti-political party stance. To me political party affiliation is a shorthand for a candidate’s beliefs. It gives voters an initial indication about where a candidate stands.
Labour will get my second vote. Their candidate is a local councillor and an Assistant Mayor in Leicester. The Labour manifesto on their site looks a bit off the shelf. There is not a lot that stands out about their candidate that shows an awareness of policing issues across the whole county. However their main selling point as ever, is that they are not the Conservatives.
The Tories are behind the whole failed attempt at populism that is elected Police Commissioners. Their candidate has a great military C.V. but no indication that he has experience of the day to day requirements of front line policing in the county and city.
I am opposed to elected Police Commissioners. As with elected Mayors it concentrates too much decision-making in the hands of a single elected representative. We are stuck with electing one though and I think it is up to all us voters to ensure that our preferred candidate gets elected.
