Police commissioner elections: I'm spoiling my paper

I sort of object to it being politicised as many of the things the police are involved with should be beyond politics and outside of a political agenda. Around here, that leaves me with one option so I guess that will be by choice.

If you don't vote, you don't get to complain about the result.

Mecil - the fact is someone is going to be elected and has influence over your policing. By all means lobby your MP for such a decision to be reversed but the fact of the matter is someone will be elected. I want to be engaged and help to decide who that someone is. If you all spoil you papers and I am the only one that decided your policing and that cannot be right.

If there is no money for a leaflet, there is no money for an extra level of crappy snout in trough politicians either. Let's save a few pennies and abolish them after this electoral disaster in the making

We did receive a leaflet from the Tory candidate, but no-one else.

There are no elections here

There are no elections for police and crime commissioners taking place in the area you have specified. The London Mayor is the police and crime commissioner for London. The Mayoral elections that were held earlier this year determined the police and crime commissioner for the London area

Ah, that explains it then.

If you put yourself forward for anything in politics you now open up your entire family to crappy invasion of privacy by partisan media. Why would any 'normal' person choose to do that? There is no reason at all for party politics to becxome part of policing. It was not asked for by the electorate. We do not have a 'duty' to vote for something so stupid. We have a duty not to vote for it imo, so that is why I shall be spoiling my paper.

I heard about this only today, I havent got a poll card though?

How is this meant to work?

I am definitely registered on the electoral roll at this address.

Next Thursday? Phew, not too late then.

I

You have a duty to vote, if you have ever lived in a country where politics has failed the community you'd feel differently. Make the effort read through the leaflets. A vote is a preference to the way you want policing to go not an agreement to very policy they have. If you spoil you paper that makes no difference to the outcome.

I will take my DC along with me and explain what I am doing and why.

Very useful thread. I didn't have a clue who our candidates were but have had a read. There is a big thing going on between the local Tory and Independent Candidate over an alleged CCJ and a history of companies liquidated leaving debt.The Independent has just reported him to the police as he believes the Tory guy misled the public, breached election law and apparently Conservative HQ were advised of this 4 months ago.

Thanks for the link LtEveDallas. Will be voting for the only candidate who mentions DV/child exploitation as a priority. The others seem a bit hang 'em and flog 'em. Am I right in thinking that even though there's an option to choose a second preference, your paper is still counted if you only vote for one candidate?

Jinsei voting is next Thurs.

Oh shit! Forgot to vote! What an idiot!

Useful thread! I have now read up about local candidates and had a think about who to vote for. Excluding all those who mentioned 'bobbies on the beat' made that a little easier.

The reason you haven't seen many leaflets is because in a general election central money funds a posted leaflet for each candidate. This is an expense too far for these elections so if you get a leaflet either the candidate or their party has put their hand in their pocket - which you could perceive as tough on the independents (especially given the size of the areas covered).

If all politicians are **s then vote for an independent. There are a lot of them standing:

info on candidates in all areas

This is coming and the best way to influence it is to vote - this time it will just take a little more research. If you have a really strong view apply to be an independent member of the police and crime panel in your area - they will scrutinise the comissioner's performance.

If everyone thinks that politicians are liars, thieves and twats, then why are we all not doing something about it!
If that is the kind of person our current political system attracts, then surely we should be working to change it, non?

I worked with our candidate. Rude, entitled, homophobic, disorganised, useless are the words that come to mind. Wont be voting.

The extremist thing is precisely the danger of this kind of stupid policy with zero publicity for candidates. It also reminds me of the time I was given a questionnaire and asked to prioritise about 15 policing targets, ranging from anti-terrorism to vandalism. Why would my uninformed opinion be useful in any way? I would rather an actual trained police officer made an informed decision, thank you. But I'd rather decide than some fourth rate politician

I've already voted by post - for the local candidate who's on the record stating they think its a huge waste of time and money - so at least they won't be milking it for expenses

I object to mixing policing and politics. I have spoiled.

Politicians are too keen on the quick fix.

We were unaware there was an election coming up. Ballot papers and publicity were so late, its meant my DH is now disenfranchised as he is out of the country for a month and won't be able to make alternative agreements to vote.

I would probably either vote for an good independent candidate or spoil my ballot.

Some of the none Lab/Lib/Con candidates are truly dreadful. One for Merseyside makes my blood boil by saying:
"Police will be recruited on merit alone and the St George?s Flag will be flown above police stations at all times."
followed the wonderful
"50% of my salary will be given to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign."

I'm not sure if its worse to have candidates of that calibre or the ones where there are just two mainstream candidates with having the wonderfully descriptive manifesto of "I will oppose all the other party's policies".

Total fiasco, and it'll do nothing to achieve the goal of making the police accountable for anything at all. If you want that keep parties out of it completely and actually force them to have some policies rather than relying on football supporter voter mentality.

I completely disagree with this election but as we have a 'British Freedom' (AKA EDL) candidate I will be voting as apathy could let him in and he is really not the kind of man I would want heading our police.

wasn't sure at all about this but used the link - thanks LtEveDallas and now feel ready to decide and take part. You can't not vote or spoil and then moan about who the others have chosen

I have voted but I do think it's a waste of money & time. DC off school for the election, too.

Just cos the current system isn't perfect, doesn't mean that this is the right course of action, cogito