After last Sunday’s blog on the inter-dependency of the Press and Party Politics I wonder if I am becoming obsessed with the subject. Last week I wrote about the failure of the Observer, along with the Guardian and the BBC (regional politics show) to represent anyone other than the conventional three/four party system in the forthcoming elections for Police and Crime Commissioner. In case you are not aware I am standing in the election as an independent and you are most welcome to visit my website.

The failure to acknowledge that independents are standing is frustrating but not surprising. After all the poor journalists have to do a bit more work to find out about the independent candidates you might think. Well not exactly. All of the national websites listing candidates for this election such as the one run by my friend (and Conservative candidate in Lancashire, Sam Chapman) include all of the independents that they know about.

It is clear that not all of the current list of independents are certain to run and indeed some of them don’t respond to emails or provide telephone numbers. That said none of the Party candidates are certain to run (Col. Tim Collins was feted at the Conservative Party Conference in October 2011 as their Kent candidate, but by May had dropped out of the running). However a few of the independents do write things on websites that are a bit suspect, although again not all of the party candidates sound like they have really understood the role.

Where I get really frustrated is when the journalists decide to speak about the role of independent candidates, yet all of the people in the room are from Political Parties. This is surely stupid or arrogant or perhaps a bit incompetent? After all despite the comments above, there are plenty of very sane independent candidates for this forthcoming role and some of them (us) are fully accessible with phone numbers, email addresses, twitter accounts and facebook pages etc. (in some cases this puts us ahead of the well resourced political parties).

So the Lemon of this week must go to Andrew Pierce who usually writes for the Daily Mail and today hosted the Week in Westminster BBC Radio 4 programme. He took the trouble to invite into his studio two Police and Crime Commissioner candidates. Vera Baird Northumbrian candidate for Labour and Craig Mackinlay Kent candidate for  Conservatives. Andrew took the time and trouble to ask about the suitability of an independent candidate standing. Of course this is like asking Turkeys if they think Christmas is a good idea. Baird suggested not and Mackinlay was a bit more circumspect.

The funny thing is that the Conservatives who devised the PCC concept, considered banning political parties from standing altogether untill they realised that none of the parties would follow the rules. On the other hand when Labour was in power Jacqui Smith as Home Secretary considered a PCC look-a-like policy and decided against it because it would politicise the Police. In opposition Ed Balls spoke against the policy (which labour ‘opposes’) in the Commons because he felt it would politicise the Police.

I have registered my complaint with the BBC about the lack of an independent voice in the discussion and await their response. I should stress it is the first time in my life I have complained formally about a broadcast. I suggest if you are in any way bothered that you listen to the programme the PCC element is included after 21 minutes and if you feel as I do, complain too. As I wrote in last weeks blog, something of a pattern is emerging. It has to be cock-up, but even if it was conspiracy, if enough of us demand a voice for independent candidates over the next 5 months, one or two might actually get a chance to speak.