Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

 

It is a polling day today for the election of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire police area occasioned by the premature departure of the previous incumbent who said something silly.  I sat in and observed the selection process for my party’s candidate.  Mere members were prevented from participation in any questioning or clarification process so each candidate, of the all-female short list of two, enjoyed a session with a single inquisitor whose benevolence afforded both copious opportunity to declare their “passion” for fighting crime and their determination to stamp out this and that and any other blight on society. Assuming the other candidates on the ballot paper are of a similar standard, I see no point in voting today.  I wondered how best to register my disgust with the whole charade and decided that it would be more effective to turn up at the polling station in the village and then spoil my ballot paper, which would, at least, be recorded, rather than just to ignore the whole process.  Anyway, it is a nice afternoon for a walk.  Meanwhile, in a nearby layby, a police constable is eating his sandwich whilst monitoring his speed detection device.