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Parish Councillor for Sandgate. |
Tim Prater |
50 Days and Counting
September 26, 2012 11:02 AM
By Katie Ghose, Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society
By Katie Ghose, Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society
It's 50 days and counting to the election no one's heard of...
November's Police and Crime Commissioner Elections are set to have the lowest turnout in British history. Today we have been joined by candidates from across the political divide to call on Theresa May to tackle the rockbottom turnout. [1]
The Police Federation have already warned that low turnout is an open door to extreme candidates. [2] The Government insisted on elected police commissioners - and with the clock ticking they need to listen to the police, the candidates and the public and start fulfilling their side of the bargain.
The Home Office seems to think that if you build it, they will come, but this isn't how elections work. If the Home Secretary is serious about people having a say she needs to listen to the warnings coming from all sides and take action now.
Just click here to tell Theresa May, if you're going to do it, do it right.
Katie Ghose
Chief Executive
Electoral Reform Society
[1] See Theresa May told to do more to improve turnout in police elections, The Telegraph The letter to Theresa May is available on the ERS blog: http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/blog/open-letter
[2] Warning over 'extreme' candidates, PoliticsHome
[3]See The Daily Telegraph, Turnout of 18% predicted for police commissioner election'shambles' The Guardian Police commissioner polls could have'record low turnout' For the original dossier see the Society Blog - How not to run an election.