Candidate dismisses police impartiality pledge (From Knutsford Guardian)

Candidate dismisses police impartiality pledge

7:20pm Thursday 6th September 2012 in News

THE proposed wording of the oath of impartiality police and crime commissioners (PCCs) will be required to swear before taking office in November has been dismissed as ‘weak and vague’ by Cheshire Independent candidate Sarah Flannery.

Sarah, along with all PCC candidates and the police, has been consulted about the wording by the Home Office and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners “I set up an impromptu focus group of people aged 18 to 86 to find out what the oath said to them,” said Sarah.

“The overwhelming response was ‘it’s weak and vague’.

It was also interesting to hear from two of the younger people in the group, students Nathalie, 20 and Madeleine Kitcher, 18, of Knutsford, who said they felt it would be impossible for political party candidates to sign any oath of this nature.”

Sarah has now called on the Home Office to adopt a far more robust oath based on the Bell Principles.

The Bell Principles were formulated in 2009 by the Independent Network and former independent MP Martin Bell, based on the Nolan Committee’s recommendations on Standards in Public Life in 1994.

“Seven crucial words are ‘selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership’,” said Sarah.

“So I have drafted and submitted for consideration a revised oath, which I feel is far more robust and will make clear to the public how elected PCCs will publicly commit to tackling their new role with the utmost integrity.”