Labour Candidates for Police Commissioners

Thanks to Valleys Mam ,we can see Labours Candidates in for the forthcoming election for Police Commissioners in the Wales


So who are the Candidates?

Gwent

SANDISON, Hamish 494 Elected

WORRAD, Joshua 306

Hamish Sandison according to the Labour Party Website, is a solicitor, specialising  in law and technology. He has law degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of California at Berkeley. He is dual-qualified as a US attorney, having practised law in Washington DC for 8 years.

Which may make him sutiably qualified if the real intention of the creation of Police Commissioners, is to copy the American system of electing Law Officials. Which results in the politicisation of these roles and means people run on a ticket of being tough on crime: But alas not he causes.

Dyfed Powys

GWYTHER, Christine Elected Unopposed

Christine Gwyther was the Assembly Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire1999 – 2007 briefly being the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Economy where eyebrows where aised and  there was some hostility where it was disclosed she was a vegetarian.She failed to regain her seat in 2011 and then failed to defeat Jonathan for the Carmarhen East and Dinefwr Edwards seat in the UK Parliament.


Smaller Parties do tend to have perpetual candidates but Gwyther may be a sign that Labour have very little quality candidates in Dyfed.


South Wales


CANNON, Paul 1,058

MICHAEL, Alun 1,142 Elected


Alun Michael is the best known of these and his narrow victory may show that there is some animosity to him from Labour members.


In 1999 whilst still the member for Cardiff South and Penarth he was proposed by Tony Blair into the first Assembly in an attempt to stop Rhodri Morgan leading the party in the Assembly. Since the Party had already selected a candidate for his constituency . Michael stood for the Mid and West seat top up seat.


He was First Minister for 1999-2000 where on  loosing a vote of confidence he resigned his Assembly seat and returned to the Commons as if nothing had happened.


He will not have the option this time as must resign his Westminster seat before standing. He must either win or enter into the political wilderness of the Lords.

North Wales

HANSON, Margaret 276

MICHAEL, Tal 548 Elected


Tal Michael is the son of Alun Micheal and returned to Wales two years ago as Chief Executive of North Wales Police Authority. so he is already place d in the role which the election is set to abolish. 

On his website however he makes mo mention on his website on his time on Islington council prehapd fearing that he may be seen as a outsider. or his role in the Labour row over the banning of aleft-winger Liz Davies as a parliamentary candidate which resulted in Ms Davies issuing libel writs against him. and his amission in court that Davies had not

'heckled' at the education committee meeting in November 1994; 'nor did she incite violence on that or any other occasion'.Councillors Tal Michael, Phil Kelly, and James Purnell, had also agreed to make a contribution to the election campaign fund of Islington North MP, Jeremy Corbyn, and Ms Davies had agreed to pursue the action no further. (More Here)

So not inspiring Bunch and we can only hope that there are better candidates coming foward 

One potential  Simon Weston. seems likely to find a teenage  conviction for a teenage crime may well  find him disqualified which makes a mockery of how rehabilitation process.


Personally I would like to see Political Parties excluded in directly contesting this role . I f we are to have -Political Police Commissioners I would much prefer they Independent of narrow politics and saw the role as serving the electorate and not their own political ambitions.Some hope.