Police chiefs need beat experience

I'm relatively relaxed about the bulk of Damian Green's proposals to shake up the recruitment of senior police personnel.  It's clear the service suffers from a lack of external expertise and modern management.  It has very few women in senior positions and even fewer from ethnic minorities.  Its closed shop nature makes it easy for it to act as a law to itself - even trying to fit up senior ministers for political gain.

But the police's strength is that every single serving officer has spent time on the beat, dealing with community crime and misbehaviour.  It's the cornerstone of policing by consent that the police understand the neighbourhoods and people they police.  It's vital, but unglamorous, which is why community policing is increasinlgy squeezed out in the chase for resources, new kit and technology, special units, fast cars and helicopters.

It's a trend that has made the police more remote from the people, made neighbourhoods appear less safe for those who live there and, by way of response the authorities, have encouraged the use of more authoritarian policies such as extensive CCTV and databases.

And encouraging people with no experience on the beat to take over senior management positions will only speed up this process of making the police more remote and putting more barriers between them and those they are supposed to police.

The Home Office has a Lib Dem minister - Jeremy Browne - and in the unlikely event he reads this blog I hope he insists that a significant time on the beat is part of the induction process.  Otherwise comments can be made to the Home Office here.

Boundary opposition is a strategic mistake for Lib Dems

The defeat of the bill to equalise the electorates of constituencies for the 2015 general election on the back of Lib Dem MPs votes appears to have been supported pretty much across the Lib Dem blogosphere. 

But I'm not so sure.  It appears to be both a strategic and tactical mistake.  It's strategic because equal representation is a long held liberal aim.  In fact it's been an historic goal of the Labour movement - starting almost 175 years ago with the People's Charter of 1838:

The Chartist's six demands-
1. Universal male franchise
2. Secret ballots
3. Electoral districts of equal size
4. No property qualification for MPs
5. Payment for MPs
6. Annual elections for Parliament.









By failing to argue and vote for this historic electoral reform - Liberal Democrat MPs make other incremental constitutional refoms less likely (like reform of party funding) and allowed Labour off the hook for its rank hypocrisy.  Labour, of course, stopped arguing for equal constituencies as soon as it became clear it was not in their electoral interests to do so. 

And that leads to the tactical error - Labour are currently ahead in the polls and it is possible they could win a majority at the next election with something around a third of the vote (hence their support for unequal constituencies).  They might even be significantly outpolled by the Tories and still be the largest party.  Any measure that deprives Labour of 20 odd seats makes a hung parliament more likely and a Labour government less likely - and that is in the electoral interests of the Lib Dem. 

And alllowing the Tories to be seen as the only party interested in reducing the numbers of unpopular and expensive MPs also hands them some powerful ammunition for those wanting to clean up politics.

Friday favourite 95

It's Burns' Night so to get you in the mood...

Social work death cover up threatens senior Kingston Lib Dem councillors

Kingston council's child protection department has been the subject of various enquiries since serious failings were uncovered by OFSTED last year.  This latest report from the BBC suggests that social work managers engaged in a deliberate cover up following the murder of Charito Cruz in 2011 - despite her circumstances having been repeatedly reported to the council.

So far Cllr Trish Bamford, Lead Member for Children and Young People, has resisted opposition calls for her resignation, as has council leader Derek Osbourne.  But the news of the timing of the former director's departure (plus the obligatory six figure golden handshake) and the fact Lib Dem councillors are asking Kingston taxpayers to fork out even more council tax to 'protect services' will put more pressure on them.

People may be prepared to pay extra to safeguard children and vulnerable people.  But I can't imagine there being much enthusiasm for tax rises if the tax paying public simply see it ending up in the back pockets of incompetent council staff. 

Lib Dem councillors in Kingston will have to do a lot more to prove they have sorted out the mess in social services and explain exactly how the additional money they are asking residents to stump up will make a difference - particularly for those at risk.

Cheese headline of the day...

Norway goat cheese fire closes tunnel

Best snowman of the winter?

Spotted while walking the dog in Richmond Park...

David Rendel to return to Parliament?

Ex Newbury MP, David Rendel, is one of three names on the shortlist for the Lib Dem candidate to take on maverick Tory and Euro-loon Zac Goldsmith in Richmond Park in 2015.

He is up against local activists Jane Dodds and Robin Meltzer in what is likely to be a close fought and high profile selection campaign.  The result should be known after the final hustings meeting on 25th February.

Lib Dem councillors in Kingston back maximum tax rise

News reaches LOWA Towers that the majority Lib Dem council group on Kingston Council is to propose a £30 a year rise in council tax - a few pennies short of the level that would trigger a local referendum on the increase.

Kingston already has the highest council tax in London and with the party seeking to defend its marginal seat in the traditionally Tory Berrylands Ward on the 28th February one can only speculate on the effect of this decision on the ward's hard pressed voters.

Friday favourite 94

From the OGWT archive, the New York Dolls with Jet Boy.  In 1973 (yes 1973)!

Sledging in Richmond Park

With schools closing early Richmond Park was the place to be this afternoon...