Deputy police tsar under more fire for his ‘incompatible’ role

The East Riding councillor came under fire after being selected by fellow Conservative Coun Matthew Grove for the £45,000-a-year, four-day-a-week job.

He says he has “overwhelming support” from his constituents to continue representing his Howdenshire ward.

But Labour councillor Paul Hogan will next week move a motion to East Riding Council, which could win some Tory support.

It says “this council considers the role of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner to be incompatible with holding office as an elected member of this council”.

Coun Hogan admitted that even if it was carried it could not force Coun Robinson to stand down, but said he wanted it to stand as a “marker for the future”.

He said: “As Matthew Grove quite rightly said, there’s nothing in the regulations – he can appoint who he likes. The motion is not intended to have a go at the decision he has made because he has made it now and the crime panel can’t do anything about it.

“But we want to put down a marker for the future.”

The Conservative chair of the Humberside crime panel which rejected Coun Robinson’s appointment, Coun David Rudd, said if it was a free vote he would “definitely” vote for the motion. “One of the main reasons why we rejected him was because he wasn’t going to do the job full-time,” he said.

“I am minded to speak for the motion because I know that’s the hierarchy’s view as well.”

Coun Robinson, who is stepping down from two committees, said the move was “mischief-making” – and it was up to residents to decide whether he should stay on – in 2015.

He said: “I am disappointed that the Labour Group have chosen to politicise the role of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner. I am looking to take petty politics out of the role.”

Coun Grove defied the crime panel’s recommendation by sticking to his guns over the appointment of Coun Robinson.

Coun Grove, who earns £75,000 as a commissioner, intends to stand down as a councillor in the spring.