The Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate in Wrexham and former Deputy Chief Constable of North Wales Police, Bill Brereton has welcomed moves by the Liberal Democrats in Westminster to disrupt plans to introduce elected police commissioners in Wales.
Liberal Democrat peers, led by Baroness Sally Hamwee, want the idea at least piloted for three years before it is implemented nationwide and say they will disrupt the timetable by introducing amendments to legislation.
Mr Brereton is quoted: "I am already on record expressing my concerns about the Conservative proposals for Police Commissioners. I am deeply worried that elected police commissioners will take policing back 200 years. These proposals would put far too much power in the hands of a single individual and politicise the police service. The Liberal Democrats in Westminster are acting as an effective brake against the worst excesses of the Conservatives.”
The BBC and Daily Post reports are here and here. My previous comment is here.
2 comments:
Brereton also states,
“I am also concerned at proposals to devolve policing to the Assembly – I do not think that is right and will argue the case against it strongly.”
This directly contradicts Welsh Lib Dem policy as stated in their manifesto.
Comment please Frank.
Dr Robert Tyler
First thought that occurs to me is that if we had control over policing in Wales, we wouldn't be in danger of having wild ideas like directly-elected commissioners imposed from Westminster. ;-)
Scotland (admittedly under a diffrent judicial system) and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own policing. NI shows that a separate police authority is no barrier to career progression.
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