PCC Winston Roddick under investigation

The new Police and Crime Commissioners have  not started well.  Already we have stories if abuse of powers.  

Now we have allegations that two of them ,Winston Roddick and Hampshire PCC Simon Hayes face investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission after it is alleged they were living outside of their respective force areas on the day they were elected to the post in November

Winston Roderick has already come under controversy  after his victory in North Wales . When he dismissed claims that he hid his membership of the Liberal Democrats by standing as an Independent.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed it was in the early stages of investigating Winston Roddick  following  a “referral” about alleged electoral fraud.

It is claimed that Mr Roddick,  a QC and a former leader of the Wales and Chester judicial circuit, listed his brother’s house in Caernarfon in a nomination form for last November’s PCC election, when his main home is 160 miles away the Welsh capital. Under electoral regulations, candidates must live within the force border on polling day.

Mr Roddick has insisted that he acted in a  “right and proper” way.

Plaid Cymru MP Elfyn Llwyd, the party’s legal affairs spokesman and a barrister, said

: “As a supporter of his, who remains a supporter, I believe it’s proper for the matter to be investigated although I take the view that it is a very minor matter and of very little consequence.”

Western Mail 25 August 2013

Well minor it may be: But if it its true then we have a person who has been elected to defend Law and order who has deceived the electorate.

So what can the outcome be if the allegations are true should Mr Roddick resign?

Well it depends on the Independent Police Complaints Commission report  but Mr Roddick  may  have to resign and there will be a By-election.

Last Time  on a paltry 14.83 turn out Roddick defeated Tal Michael in the second round run off.

Second round
Candidate	Party	Final total	%	Status
Winston Roddick	Independent	35,688	56.8	Elected
Tal Michael	Labour	27,128	43.2
First round
Candidate	Party	1st pref	%	2nd pref
Winston Roddick	Independent	25,715	33.07%	9,973
Tal Michael	Labour	23,066	29.67%	4,062
Colm McCabe	Conservative	11,485	14.77%
Richard Hibbs	Independent	11,453	14.73%
Warwick Nicholson	UKIP	6,034	7.76%

By-elections usually have a fall in turnout . How low a turnout can there be before the whole process becomes invalid?

Wil Tal Michael run again after his humiliation in the recent Ynys Mon by-election or will it be another Independent that comes through ?

Frankly the best  thing we can do is scrap the whole idea of PCC altogether