Lib Dems choose new police commissioner candidate (From Watford Observer)
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Liberal Democrats selected Christopher Townsend as police and crime commissioner candidate
4:57pm Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News
By Mike Wright, Chief Reporter
The Liberal Democrats have selected a new candidate who hopes to become Hertfordshire’s first police and crime commissioner after their initial challenger withdrew.
Christopher Townsend, who stood as a parliamentary candidate in south west Hertfordshire in 2010, has been chosen to challenge for the £75,000-a-year political job overseeing the county’s police.
News of the selection comes nearly a month after it emerged that Liberal Democrat’s original candidate, Ron Tindall, had withdrawn from the race.
Mr Townsend, a councillor on Dacorum Borough Council who lives in Tring, will now face off against Conservative David Lloyd and Labour’s Sherma Batson in the November 15 election.
He moved to to Tring from London in 2003 and has worked as a senior risk manager for a bank in the City of London.
Comments(9)
LSC
says...
9:33pm Tue 2 Oct 12
There is not a 'Liberal way' of arresting a shoplifter. There is no such thing as a 'Labour run car chase'. The Tories will not act differently to a bank robbery in progress.
What is the POINT of this job as a political posistion?
Someone please tell me!
LSC
says...
9:57pm Tue 2 Oct 12
A politically motivated police force.
Think about it.
It isn't unprecedented; the USSR did it for years all over Russia and Eastern Europe, and I'm sure that everyone was treated equally whether they shared the same politics as the police or not.
I'm confident people weren't targeted for arrest, charged with all sorts, held for longer for questioning or ever fell down the stairs because politics met policing.
Nah, never happened, and never could.
Steve, Abbots Langley
says...
10:24pm Tue 2 Oct 12
They're trying to palm people off with a second choice candidate. It smacks of complete desperation.
This contest is really between Labour's Sherma Batson or the Lib Dems' best friends in government - the Tories.
LSC
says...
10:50pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Steve, Abbots Langley wrote:Once again, Cheerleaders because it is party political trying to score points.
All a bit late in the day from Calamity Clegg's party with just weeks to go.
They're trying to palm people off with a second choice candidate. It smacks of complete desperation.
This contest is really between Labour's Sherma Batson or the Lib Dems' best friends in government - the Tories.
I ask again, in big letters.
WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN IT MAKE TO POLICING?
I had a pizza delivered on Friday, and it was definatetly delivered by a Lib-Dem driver. Therefore I didn't like the pizza at all.
That is how logical all this is.
drunkenduck
says...
11:40pm Tue 2 Oct 12
John Dowdle
says...
8:26am Wed 3 Oct 12
My guess is the requirement to post £5,000 before being allowed to stand as a candidate might have something to do with it.
The deposit is refundable but only if the candidate secures at least a 5% share of the vote.
So, drunkenduck: what are you waiting for? All you have to do is stump up £5,000 and you too can be a candidate. Of course, without a party "machine" behind you, there is a very real risk you could forfeit your £5,000. Are you ready to take a risk like this?
What is interesting is the number of declared candidates who have had to withdraw their candidacies due to some long forgotten youthful indiscretion. It has been estimated that around 10% of all UK males have a criminal record of some sort.
Even cautions count so some minor indiscretion can effectively rule out prospective candidates who may have lived a blame-free life since they committed those youthful indiscretions. How good they have been since simply does not count.
What I would like to know from the new Liberal Democrat candidate is where he stands on the question of allowing G4S to take over the back office functions of the police service.
After their Olympics fiasco, I - for one - do not want to see the G4S cowboy outfit handling all our private and confidential information. I would not trust them not to lose our personal information or allow it to be sold-on to commercial interests.
Nascot
says...
8:53pm Wed 3 Oct 12
LSC wrote:Who gives a t*ss about these elections anyway? Just you wait until the expected record low of turnout proves this!
I'm actually amazed I'm the only one up in arms about this. A politically motivated police force. Think about it. It isn't unprecedented; the USSR did it for years all over Russia and Eastern Europe, and I'm sure that everyone was treated equally whether they shared the same politics as the police or not. I'm confident people weren't targeted for arrest, charged with all sorts, held for longer for questioning or ever fell down the stairs because politics met policing. Nah, never happened, and never could.
LSC
says...
12:39am Thu 4 Oct 12
Nascot wrote:Actually it does matter. A political police force is frightening.
LSC wrote:Who gives a t*ss about these elections anyway? Just you wait until the expected record low of turnout proves this!
I'm actually amazed I'm the only one up in arms about this. A politically motivated police force. Think about it. It isn't unprecedented; the USSR did it for years all over Russia and Eastern Europe, and I'm sure that everyone was treated equally whether they shared the same politics as the police or not. I'm confident people weren't targeted for arrest, charged with all sorts, held for longer for questioning or ever fell down the stairs because politics met policing. Nah, never happened, and never could.
Suppose a Tory is elected and soon after there is a march in town protesting against National Tory policy on something or other?
Might the arrest rate amoung the crowd be different to if it was a pro-Tory march?
History says yes.
Mike Ribble says...
5:22pm Tue 2 Oct 12