Reading residents are being offered the opportunity to grill candidates who will be standing in the up and coming Thames Valley Police Area Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
The free ‘hustings’ event will take place on Wednesday October 24th, between 6.30pm and 9.30pm, at Reading Town Hall. Local residents, businesses and organisations are all being invited to attend the session and ask the candidates questions on the issues which affect them.
Residents of Reading will have the opportunity to vote for the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley Police Area on 15th November 2012.
The Home Office states that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will ensure the policing needs of their communities are met as effectively as possible, bringing communities closer to the police, building confidence in the system and restoring trust.
The aim of the role will be to ensure the police focus on the crimes that matter to local residents, whether it’s tackling anti-social behaviour, reducing burglaries, reducing domestic violence or cracking down on drug dealing. They will set the police and community safety budgets, decide where the money is best spent and the intention is that they hold the police to account for delivering the kind of policing local residents want to see.
Three of the potential candidates for the new role have already confirmed that they will be attending the October 24th hustings in Reading, which is being organised by Reading’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP).
The event is open to all and there is no need to book a place. Residents or organisations who would like to find out more about this event should contact Anthony Brain on 0118 937 3179 or via e-mail at anthony.brain@reading.gov.uk.
The official Notice of Election was published today (October 8) which confirms that on 15th November residents across Thames Valley will have the opportunity to vote for their first ever local Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). Each of the 41 police force areas in England and Wales, outside of London, will directly-elect a Commissioner.
Nominations for the election are now open. The full list of candidates for the election will be published on 23rd October, although candidates have until noon on 24th October to withdraw if they wish.
For local residents, the deadline for people to ensure they are registered to vote at these elections is 31st October. Poll cards will be issued around 22nd October to confirm the date of the election, the hours of poll and where to find their polling stations.
Registered voters who find it difficult to get to a polling station on election day, who are away on holiday on 15th November, or those who simply wish to vote in the comfort of their own homes need to get their completed postal vote application form in by 5pm on 31 October. Their name must be on the Electoral Register before they can vote by post.
A booklet explaining about the PCC elections and the Supplementary Vote system will be sent by the Electoral Commission to every household from 22 October. Polling stations across Thames Valley will be open from 7am to 10pm on 15th November so that people will be able to express their preferences on the candidates on offer. The count of the votes for each candidate will take place on 16th November.
Imagine this: you are about to appoint someone to a new job. This job will require the person to build trusting relationships with many customers & colleagues. The person will be handling lots of confidential and sensitive information. The job will need someone who is extremely well organised. This person will need to be trusted by large numbers of the public.
You selected a shortlist and at the interview, and you are inclined towards one person. Then you look at his application form again and realise that the facts he has given about himself are not consistent. They are small details really, but the statements he makes just do not add up to a coherent story about the current or previous jobs he has held.
This makes you wonder whether to appoint this person.
Do you…?
This is not far from what could be happening with this election for the Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner.
I have researched the background of Anthony Stansfeld and found that by his own declarations he both is and is not currently chairman of a company. The name of the company that he may currently be chairman of varies between his West Berkshire Council register of interests, the register of interests for Thames Valley Police Authority and his LinkedIn account. There are other inconsistencies too and all the information (with evidential support) can be found here: http://ajustfuture.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/anthony-stansfeld-facts-do-not-add-up.html
Are these some minor inconsistencies arising from being just a bit too rushed perhaps? Is he just not a ‘details person’? Or does this make you wonder about his credentials to occupy high political office?
It is your choice… it is your vote.