Is there a secret plan to derail localism?

Fearful of Conservative plans to make policing more democratically accountable, certain senior police chiefs seem determined to derail the proposal. 

Is this a deliberate and coordinated strategy, or just coincidence?   

The Guardian reports that Ian Johnston, president of the Police Superintendents' Association, will next week lay into the proposal for directly elected police commissioners.  This follows Sir Hugh Orde's ill-judged broadside last week.

Several months ago we saw a number of fatuous scare stories placed in newspapers, including the Times. 

We already know that public money has been used by the Association of Police Authorities in an effort to quash more democratic accountability.  For the first time since Labour created this quango, the APA is apparently attending party conferences - suggesting they're ramping up their campaign against localism.

What role do you think that the unaccountable, publicly-funded Association of Chief Police Officers is playing in all this? 

If this is part of deliberate plan to derail localism, it is extraordinarily ill-advised.  In the age of old politics, such backroom fixing may well have worked.  Today it is totally counter productive. Opinion forming in SW1 has been democratised.

Posted on 12 September 2009 by Douglas Carswell

Comments

Not really a conspiracy. Just people who move in the same elite, cloistered circles, all being (not surprisingly) of much the same mind. Just as different trade union leaders will all publicly speak against legislation that affects the trade union movement- no conspiracy required. Common interest (class interest as marxists would call it).

Posted on 12 September 2009 11:12 by Ian B

The extent to which parties are being lobbied & paid, by government departments, quangos & fakecharities is an unreported national scandal.

Having, several times, sent letters to the papers mentioning this & not having them published, though others from me have been, I suspect that advertising revenue from such bodies is also not negligible.

Since, by definition, such governmental advertising is going to be for more government, regulation, & employees cutting budgets by double the amount of advertising of such bodies should be done instantly on taking office.

Posted on 12 September 2009 12:07 by Neil Craig

When the few have too much power tyranny is brought about.
History shows this time and time again.

Posted on 12 September 2009 15:12 by chris southern

I have no direct experience of Common Purpose. My knowledge is limited to that which I have read online. What little I know however, does seem to point in the direction of CP.

This link may explain my suspicions.

http://rinf.com/alt-news/breaking-news/what-is-common-purpose-and-why-should-you-care/1370/

Posted on 12 September 2009 17:46 by wonderfulforhisage

From the APA website:

Commenting on recent media coverage of comments by Sir Hugh Orde, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Association of Police Authorities (APA) Chairman Bob Jones said:

"I fully support Sir Hugh Orde's analysis of the very real and tangible risks of introducing party politics to policing.

"I was also very pleased by recent reports that Chris Grayling has been watching The Wire television programme. I hope he will watch more episodes, as the message most viewers pick up from the programme is that the biggest problems with policing in America are political interference and a lack of funding.

"When comparing statistics like murder rates, where the highest rates for any UK areas are a tiny fraction of The Wire's, Chris Graylings comparisons are clearly political hyperbole. What Chris Grayling should reflect on is that the main Conservative policies would add the problems portrayed in The Wire to British policing, thereby increasing the chance that The Wire's policing could be how Britain looks in the future.

"For the first time ever, the Association of Police Authorities and our policing partners will be speaking to politicians during the upcoming party conferences. At these events politicians will have a chance to speak with senior police figures including Sir Hugh himself, about police accountability and confidence issues, including recent international reports which show that most comparable American policing is seeking to move away from direct party-political influence."

http://www.apa.police.uk/APA/Press+Releases/2009/10+September.htm

Now, it would be interesting to know how many Tory members were consulted about this political statement issued on 10 September - which has a lot of "I" in it - and how many supported it.

I'm sure they'd respond to you as a Tory MP.

Posted on 12 September 2009 20:30 by John Page

ACPO wield an awful lot of unaccountable power in the way laws are applied in this country.

They decide the policy that determines the way laws are applied in this country. From speeding and drug enforcement, to how child abuse and how alarms are answered are all decided nationally by ACPO. Yet you cannot vote for them. They are accountable to their friends in the Police Authority; and there is much socialising carried on between the police heads and Police Authorities.

No wonder ACPO does not want elected polic commissioners

Posted on 13 September 2009 21:10 by Ian Coghlan

This is at a bit of a tangent, but councils' lax attitude to council tax single person discount fraud may throw an interesting light on the power - or otherwise - of localism.

http://benefitfraud.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-much-does-single-person-fraud-cost.html

Posted on 15 September 2009 20:05 by John Page

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