Conservative man Dwyer named as Cheshire's first police commissioner (From Knutsford Guardian)
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Conservative man Dwyer named as Cheshire's first police commissioner
6:42pm Friday 16th November 2012 in News
By James Wilson
John Dwyer is Cheshire's first police and crime commissioner
JOHN Dwyer has been named as Cheshire's first police and crime commissioner.
The Nantwich-based former borough councillor clinched the vote after defeating nearest candidate John Stockton (Lab) by more than 11,000 votes.
Pickmere resident Sarah Flannery, standing as an independent, finished in third after gaining 18,596 votes.
Ainsley Arnold (Lib Dem) came fourth, while Louise Bours (UKIP) came last.
Nationally, the turnout rate has been low but in east Cheshire the figure seemed to be above the national average.
In the Cheshire East area 47,736 people cast a vote on who should become the new commissioner, which accounted for 16.68 per cent of the electorate.
A spokesman for Cheshire East said the percentage of votes per head was the highest out of Halton Borough, Warrington and Cheshire West and Chester councils.
What do you think about the election? Did you vote? If you didn't, why? Leave a comment below or email yourviews@guardiangrp.co.uk.
Comments(7)
L Byrne
says...
12:57pm Sat 17 Nov 12
The person who will be in charge of Cheshire Police is a former police officer whose election campaign was expensively supported by the Tory party. He will receive a basic salary of £75,000 per year.
Mr Dwyer will replace the Cheshire Police Authority which was composed of elected councillors from the spectrum of political parties nominated by the various borough
councils as well as members of the public appointed after responding to newspaper adverts.
Welcome to democracy 2011, David Cameron style.
47thmoon
says...
1:09pm Sat 17 Nov 12
DiscoBear
says...
9:13am Mon 19 Nov 12
PetersRock
says...
4:01pm Mon 19 Nov 12
Why was there no free leafleting for so important a change? That left the independent candidates - ie non-political - in a financially very disadvantaged position. Even so, they did remarkably well across the country. Just think what they might have been able to achieve had they had any sort of parity with the large
political funding organisations.
Why did no-one insist that candidates must not be party political, nor aided by party politics?
Why was an ex-high-ranking Cheshire Police officer, allowed to stand, in Cheshire - of all places?
Why was there a second choice vote?
Who is trying to trap us with 'jobs for the boys', which will do us even less good than the previous - failed - police authority?
Who has decided that a 13.7% vote - with less than 5% to the 'winner' - gives any mandate to act?
Who has stamped on our democracy? I know it was ill, but it comes closer to death with every such manoeuvre.
Assuming this political-party chicanery might come into the realms of misconduct in public office, would the successful candidate be able to sack the Chief Constable, before the Chief Constable could arrest him?
L Byrne
says...
5:01pm Mon 19 Nov 12
The reason why there was no free leafleting was because it would have given less well off candidates or those without financial backing, particularly independents, a fair chance.
In my case, I received a four page tabloid size PR rag published 'on behalf of Rt Hon George Osborne MP' ,no less, which devoted most of its contents to singing the praises of Mr Dwyer. I discovered it was paid for by his well-to-do constituency mates.
Needless to say, that removed any doubt and Sarah Flannery got my vote.
chatrouge
says...
3:39pm Wed 21 Nov 12
Absolutely agree. Why were ex-police staff allowed to stand at all? They are highly unlikely to be objective. It's like asking Dracula to supervise the blood bank. His "zero tolerance" stance against "yobs" is cliched, populist and glib. As part of his role is to implement political decisions, with his backing friends, there is no doubt which colour of decision-making his will be. I was very disappointed that the independent was not chosen.
J Bear says...
11:30am Sat 17 Nov 12
Is that what they are there for? I don't think so. I had the idea their job was to manage the country and not politics first. Country, this country not overseas countries, first! Politics second. The lack of voters proves Joe Public does not listen or is interested in what they ALL are pushing at us. More and more Westminster talk, even now after the vote they are still calling each other over it. As you must have gathered I did not vote for another political issue.