Party positions

WHEN the idea of elected police commissioners was first put forward by the Government, it was the clear intention of Ministers that the ideal candidate would be a strong, independent individual who could rise above the vested interests of political parties and police organisations to hold chief constables to full public account.

The reality, however, has turned out somewhat differently. Not only are most commissioners affiliated to party organisations, but they are also bringing with them their own deputies, a fresh cost to the public purse that was scarcely mentioned during the campaigns.

The Commissioner for West Yorkshire, Mark Burns-Williamson, then, can hardly be blamed for giving his deputy’s job to one of his Labour colleagues. Given the nature of the system, this type of appointment is inevitable, galling to voters though it might be.

The problem is that, however able and effective deputy commissioners prove to be, the post is now tainted by a whiff of cronyism which can only increase public antipathy towards this unwanted tier of bureaucracy.

It had been hoped that commissioners would use their time in office to win much-needed public support, but the unseemly rush to give jobs to their colleagues has made this task all the more difficult.