Police and Crime Commissioner Elections

The Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner candidate in Cumbria, Richard Rhodes, speaks at the end of this short film.

I know a lot of people have great doubts about the need for a PCC, but having been centrally involved in the organisation of the process to find and select a candidate in Cumbria, I've had the chance to hear many times what the role is about and what Richard (and othe other potential candidates) would make of the role.

In Cumbria, we have been fortunate to have had Councillor Ray Cole as the Chairman of the Police Authority, and we're unlucky to be losing his expertise, but in Richard we have a superb candidate.

I won't bang on about it too much, except to say that while the Police Authority worked for us in Cumbria, because we have been fortunate to have an excellent Chairman, I'm looking forward to having someone accountable to the county-wide electorate who is responsible for policing.  Of the four bodies that set the level of your council tax, the police authority is the only one you don't get the chance to vote for, and as a fan of democracy I'm glad to see that change.

Take a look at the video, and see Richard in action.  He's an impressive guy.