On the front line

Given that he was Deputy Prime Minister at the time, there is every chance that he was privy to confidential Cobra-level briefings on the level of threat – a luxury that will not be open to newly-elected commissioners.

What is required, however, is clarity from the Government on the responsibilities of the proposed commissioners – and how Ministers intend this work to dovetail with chief constables.

This task takes on greater urgency after individuals like Lord Prescott of Kingston-upon-Hull and Meredydd Hughes, the recently retired Chief Constable of South Yorkshire, confirmed that they intend to seek the Labour nomination for their respective patches.

These are high-profile individuals who will inevitably have clear agendas of their own, and which could be at variance with the priorities of the existing chief constable and police authority.

For example, Lord Prescott also says that routine policing matters should be left to officers, and that commissioners should control the purse-strings. How is this going to work when a decision, for example, to target a police resource in a certain way, such as gathering undercover intelligence on gang warfare, might be at odds with the priorities of an elected individual who might prefer more officers on the beat?

Given that the Government has little attention of thinking again on this policy prior to November’s inaugural elections, the Home Secretary must now define the role of commissioners, if only to enhance the quality of the debate now underway.