Why I’m fighting for crime tsar role

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post, Lord Prescott, one of dozens of high-profile victims of phone hacking, claims he was “constantly lied to” by the force and wants to ensure corruption does not spread into the regional police if he is elected to the post in November, when police authorities are being replaced by the commissioners.

Police and Crime Commissioners will set force budgets and have the power to hire and fire Chief Constables.

“This is a chance to shape this community policy and police and make it more accountable,” he said. “If there’s another reason that I felt I had to get transparency into the police, it was fighting 
the Met who constantly lied to me.

“I don’t believe regional forces are anything like the Met Police which is in a terrible situation.

“I never thought the police would lie to me. It’s like a military, there is not much discussion that goes on with the police. It is an order passed down and people implement it. And the Met is a very effective force, no doubt about it.

“Then you find the police are connected to the Murdoch press, then you find the police in this case telling me it’s a lie what you are saying. They did three enquiries, I’m sure they were very exhaustive.

“Then the Met came to me and said John, we are holding our hands up, we were wrong, we apologise. You weren’t told the truth.

“If power is less accountable and not publicly accountable, it taught me you have to be careful that doesn’t come out in the country areas were we have less corruption.

“We are talking about perjury here and corruption and lying.

“But our own police are still in the good yard and I think talking with them about what they do and implementing what the electorate have decided in this area, is an interesting step forward. But that depends on the personality elected.”

Lord Prescott has also called an announcement that candidates will not be given a free mailshot to voters in the upcoming elections as “scandalous”.

Critics say the polls will be unfairly weighted in favour of those hopefuls backed by political parties because information will not be going to every voter.

The Home Office insists, however, that information about every candidate will be published online and, for everyone who wants it, delivered in written form. The first elections for Police and Crime Commissioners will take place in 41 regions on November 15.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “The election of Police and Crime Commissioners will give the public a real opportunity to choose who they want to represent their views on crime.

“Every household will receive information about the November elections for Police and Crime Commissioners from the Electoral Commission. Furthermore, information about every candidate will be published online and, for anyone who wants it, delivered in written form. Everyone will be able to get the information they need about every candidate standing.”

The Electoral Commission warned in March that, as a result of the Government’s decision, up to seven million people who did not use the internet could be disadvantaged..

Policing Minister Nick Herbert said a mailshot would be too expensive and suggested candidates should turn to local and social media to raise their profiles.