We always welcome a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers. This one from Badgie Thomas on keeping politics out of local authorities. Ed
Although I heartily disagree with the creation of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) role, and therefore did not vote (a first for me), I have read the profile of our new incumbent.
For this election he stood as an Independent, although I think as a local councillor he has previously stood as a Conservative.
Interference from the party machine
In making my point, his party affiliation doesn’t matter. What I read in his profile underlined my views about politics in local government.
I quote the following from his profile:-
“With the expectations and pressure put upon elected individuals by the party machine, my fear for policing is that such interference will inevitably dominate and steamroller the views of the wider public”
In my view, this coming from a District and County councillor says it all.
Mirrored on the Island
We have just that problem on the Island.
Like a number of your readers, I hope that in our local elections next May, we may rid our council of party politics and have independent representatives who work in the best interest of the Island rather than the nonsense we have now with political block voting.
