The legislation which establishes the Police and Crime Commissioner also sets up a panel to hold the PCC to account. At the time that these proposals were being debated in Parliament there was a strong line from the Conservative party that the PCC was to be someone who was Independent of Party Politics. My view is that this explains why the balance in the PCP is 90% Political and 10% Independent, which compares to the balance in the preceding Police Authority which was 53% Political and 47% Independent. A more cynical view might be that the Government were expecting the PCC to be party based and they were determined to shut out the voices and experience of Independent members.
The members are nominated from their Councils and then the Councillors determine who the Independent members will be. Check out my earlier blog which refers to the first meeting of the Sussex Police & Crime Panel and the selection of the Chair and Vice Chair. The current members of the Sussex Panel are:
Conservative Brad Watson – WSCC & Horsham – Chair Dave Elkins – ESCC & Eastbourne – Vice Chair Andy Smith – Lewes DC Paul Wotherspoon – Arun DC David Simmons – Adur DC Tony Dignum – Chichester DC Brian Donnelly – Horsham DC Claire Dowling – Wealden DC Christopher Snowling – Mid Sussex DC Tom Wye – Worthing BC Robin Patten – Rother DC Nigel Boxall – Crawley BC Liberal Democratic John Unger – Eastbourne Rosalyn St Pierre – ESCC Andrew Smith – WSCC & Chichester Labour Warren Morgan – B&H Trevor Webb – Hastings Green Ben Duncan – B&H Independent Graham Hill Sandra Prail
ianchisnall 