Only four candidates have come forward for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections which are taking place on 5th May.
The salary for the post is over £70,000. The current, Northallerton based, PCC also spends around £1 million a year on management expenses
The candidates are:
- James Christopher Blanchard – Liberal Democrat Party Candidate
- Julia Rosemary Mulligan – Conservative Party Candidate
- Mike Pannett – Independent
- Stephen Howley – Labour Party Candidate
All have managed to keep a low profile although both the Police and the Crime Commissioner web sites are still advertising Julia Mulligans “surgeries”, despite the fact that we are now well into the “purdah” period during which public resources may not be used to promote individual candidates.
The keenness of the North Yorkshire police web site authors to promote the current PCC is in marked contrast to their ability to keep up to date more useful information on their site.
Crime stats – which compare trends and performance against comparable areas – is not up to date. However, figures for York, up to last September, confirmed increasing crime rates and that crime is higher locally than in comparable City’s
It is many months now since the what’s on feature was updated on the Police web site, nor is there an identified Police Officer nominated as the lead for each ward (as was the case until 2011).
So what do the candidates say on these and other pressing issues?
No one knows.
The government has not provided a Freepost facility for candidates and even the comparative booklet (in which all candidates list their polices) will only be available on the web. If you don’t have internet access then there is a telephone number that you can ring to get a copy of the booklet by post – however it is only advertised on the web (Catch 22!).
The telephone number is 0800 1070708
The independent Electoral Commission blamed poor voter turnout rates at the last PCC elections (held in 2012) on lack of communication from candidates
The government could have easily asked for manifesto information to be circulated with the Poll Cards that all electors will shortly receive. They could also have saved money by holding the election on the same day as the Euro referendum.
As it is, the £70,000 a year post doesn’t look like it will be seriously contested with another lamentably low turnout in prospect.
This would be a shame because the support services for the PCC are very expensive while the attitude of some of the staff working for the current incumbent have beenvariously patronising or evasive (see responses to questions posted to candidates).
Time for a change… but to what?
