Police and Crime Commissioner elections - important

[Needmoresleep]

All sorts of elections are taking place in early May. Postal votes will be dropping through letter boxes any day now.

The expectation is that many will vote either for the party they have always voted for, or to express dissatisfaction with the current government, and the worry is that the PCC vote will go the same way.

Please don't do this. If we want Stonewall to stop training and advising our police forces, we need people vote for the PCC candidate who explicitly says they won't allow Stonewall to influence their force.

In some cases this will be the Conservative or a Conservatively minded independent, which might not be a bad thing. The next Government is very likely to be Labour with a strong majority. Labour along with LibDems and Greens will also dominate Local Authorities. PCCs who are willing to stand up and protect their forces against Stonewallification will be a useful, indeed essential, brake.

I understand that one of the women's organisations are surveying candidates across the country and, once they have responses, will give more guidance. In the meantime think before using your postal vote.

And, FWIW, David Sidwick the incumbent in Dorset, is a good bloke, who works hard and takes his job seriously. (I know him!)

Our Tory was relected but there was only 260 votes in it

It's intersection, because we're TVP and my 18yo dd's method was to talk to the only serving officer she knows (sort of adopted family). Barber was considered and discarded because he hasn't effected as much change as he promised. Frustrating, I agree. But equally, it's bloody hard effecting change in an organisation that at best, its impartial to change.

We agreed to disagree, enjoyed another cuppa and moved on in discussion. Yes, DD1 and I both voted, for different people but she's allowed her opinion!