Roger Posted November 20, 2014 Report Posted November 20, 2014 Police and Crime Commissioner tells "farcical" meeting that he won't stand for re-election by Bill Tanner, Senior Reporter WEST Mercia police and crime commissioner Bill Longmore has confirmed that he will not be standing for re-election in 2016. The confirmation was one of the few answers Mr Longmore gave to a Q&A session with Worcestershire County Council described by turns as “heated, farcical and bizarre.†The £75,000 a year figurehead appeared before a meeting of the council for the first time in 18 months to be grilled by politicians. Amid the scenes that followed: - Mr Longmore turned up late for the meeting, meaning his appearance had to be delayed by around an hour. - He asked his unelected deputy Barrie Sheldon to answer questions for him, leading to furious exchanges in the chamber. - Mr Longmore then got into a dispute with Labour councillors, where he accused them of "sniping at him" and suggested they were trying to smear the police as "racist". - The chairman of the council, Councillor Pam Davey, apologised to him for "discourtesy" and said the rows in the chamber were "showing a bad example to children". Cllr Richard Udal got things started saying: "It's been about 18 months since you were last here, at the time you said there are 'no racist police officers' and that racism in the police 'didn't exist'. "You also said, and I quote 'domestic abuse didn't exist in the 1970s'." Cllr Udall called the comments "insensitive and inaccurate" and asked Mr Longmore for his views. Mr Longmore was also asked a list of questions on budget cuts, the paperwork faced by police officers and the impact turning off street lights could have on crime, before his deputy stood up to try and answer them instead. Cllr Luke Mallett said: "Nobody in Worcestershire elected Mr Sheldon to any role - he is an unelected aide. "We all know Mr Sheldon will be putting himself up for election in two years, but it is up to Mr Longmore to answer these questions." During the row, Cllr Davey intervened and said Mr Longmore has "been invited as a guest" and could stay quiet if he wanted to. Cllr Peter McDonald said: "We cannot stand this farce, he didn't say when he was elected that he'd refuse to answer questions. "We want to hear from the organ grinder, not his monkey." Mr Sheldon then stood down and Mr Longmore got on his feet to say he had gone to County Hall to "listen, and not be sniped at in every way". He said Cllr Udall's views on his comments were "completely misconstrued", insisting he meant domestic violence was not reported as widely in the 1970s. He added: "And to think you've tried to insinuate that West Mercia Police is institutionally racist is just wrong." Hereford Times
Ubique Posted November 20, 2014 Report Posted November 20, 2014 I am aware that the PCC has been ill recently - I sincerle hope that his recovery is full . Good to hear that he is standing down ....in two years . I personally do not agree with the PCC , the Post is expensive , suppose to be cheaper than the previous Police Authority .....was reading Midland News anspd saw that Northamptonshite PCC had cost , to date this year £400,000 more than the old Police Authority. In connection with "our" PCC Office some time ago I read that he had given West Mercia Police £1.5 million a year for 3 years to fight Rural crime - out of interest I emailed his Office to ascertain how and what they were going to do with this money .......easy question I thought ........well after about two weeks I received an acknowledgement that I would receive a reply in a given period of time , I then received an email asking for my phone number and availability because the PCC wanted to speak to me , gave times of availability, not suitable to him , gave more times etc . Was advised that he would phone in a three hour window , he didn't . Further exchange of availability,still no phone call so I gave in , surrendered etc .didnt hear anymore except a very slight apology . I know that some Posters would have taken it further , felt that in my time of life sitting in the sun away from the phone suited me. To date I have not read or heard how this money was being spent -
Roger Posted November 20, 2014 Author Report Posted November 20, 2014 The Bill Longmore + his unelected deputy saga has rumbled on from the start so I'm not going to rehash that sorry state of affairs again ... But I think Barrie Sheldon might have been fatally wounded in his bid for glory next time. He is surrounded by the toxic fallout of his appointment to his current role. The fallout seemingly generated by more people than turned out to vote for his 'boss'. The PCC system itself has been mired in grief ever since it appeared. Not least in the inability to have a system to shift out of post a Commissioner who later appeared unsuitable. The makeshift method currently used is to drag them through the mud in the papers often enough so that they resign out of pressure/shame. The system obviously needs replacing/amending before next time ...
Glenda Powell Posted November 20, 2014 Report Posted November 20, 2014 Whether you approve of Bill Longmore position or not, the man has been seriously ill undergoing life saving surgery in the past few months, so let give him a little slack
Ubique Posted November 20, 2014 Report Posted November 20, 2014 Whether you approve of Bill Longmore position or not, the man has been seriously ill undergoing life saving surgery in the past few months, so let give him a little slackCllr please read my first paragraph where I said just that plus a bit more . I will further add that I do not want to get into a war of words relating to the PCC.
Roger Posted November 20, 2014 Author Report Posted November 20, 2014 Whether you approve of Bill Longmore position or not, the man has been seriously ill undergoing life saving surgery in the past few months, so let give him a little slack This is not about giving Bill Longmore some slack as every post I have ever read anywhere understands his health issues ... It is more about the fatally flawed system and more locally it is about apparently getting Barrie Sheldon as PCC for the duration (as that is what i perceive it to be) on the back of no votes ...
Ubique Posted November 23, 2014 Report Posted November 23, 2014 Just my thought .........why do we and Warwickshire Council Tax payers need two PCC 's plus their Support Staff ? Warwickshire Police is the smallest Police Service in the UK and West Mercia not far in front ........added to that we have two CC plus their Support Staff etal . This Alliance between the two Forces is a merger except in name .....just get on with it and save money so that the residents of the two Police Services receive a better Service .
dippyhippy Posted November 23, 2014 Report Posted November 23, 2014 If I was Bill Longmore, weighing up my health issues, and the stresses and strains involved with this role, I too would announce in 2014 that I would not be standing again in 2016. But then again, if I was Bill Longmore, I would think two years was too long, and I would stand down immediately. I can't understand why he hasn't. Somebody remind me what the salary for this job is again............. Maybe there are seventy five thousand reasons why he'd like to remain in post a little longer.......
Ubique Posted November 23, 2014 Report Posted November 23, 2014 With his health issues he should make the decision to step down - to continue for another two years drawing £75000 a year plus expenses etc. brings another thought ......money plus PCC Pension plus his Police Pension . A lot of us are released ( that's the best way I can say it ) from the profession we have served loyally for a good number of years BUT the PCC can " soldier " ( excuse the pun ) on way into his 70s .
Ubique Posted November 23, 2014 Report Posted November 23, 2014 Should of added Mr Longmoor is about 76 years old . He was 74 when he was elected by others . I did not vote for anybody , nor I will in future ! I accept that because I did not vote a lot of money was wasted ...........I am sure that if people in Business wasted so much money on such an appointment it wouldn't take them long to be bankrupt . As I said earlier and I will say it again - the sooner West Mercia and Warwickshire complete the joining up to become one Force / Service the better it will be - and of course money should be saved .
Roger Posted November 23, 2014 Author Report Posted November 23, 2014 The PCC Election in the West Midlands recently .... (held as the sitting PCC died) reportedly cost £3.7 Million to hold ... I don't know who paid that ... Probably a Central Govt. pot of money ... With the massive budget cuts being imposed the PCC has got very limited scope to impose there own personal mark or make any difference. The area's to cut will dictate themselves ... 80% of costs are staff salaries so cutting down on buying paper clips is not going to achieve anything ...
Roger Posted March 31, 2016 Author Report Posted March 31, 2016 Election for this role is on 5th May 2016.... I have zero interest in the process. That said Barrie Sheldon is standing as an independent candidate on the back of sliding in as Bill's unelected deputy last time. I've had my polling card through the letterbox yesterday and will unfortunately have to drag myself down to the polling booth to vote to keep him out. Based on the sleazy 'jobs for mates' stuff surrounding his current appointment.
Glenda Powell Posted March 31, 2016 Report Posted March 31, 2016 Roger, it isn't the case of "jobs for mates" when Barrie came to a meeting when Bill Longmore was elected we all found him very compident, infact we thought he was the candidate not Bill. having seen him work I will be voting for Barrie, and hope he gets in!.
Roger Posted March 31, 2016 Author Report Posted March 31, 2016 Roger, it isn't the case of "jobs for mates" when Barrie came to a meeting when Bill Longmore was elected we all found him very compident, infact we thought he was the candidate not Bill. having seen him work I will be voting for Barrie, and hope he gets in!. He might well be competent. The nature of his arrival was controversial. Unelected and probably ended up running the show. But I consider how it panned out did not look good at any stage.
Glenda Powell Posted March 31, 2016 Report Posted March 31, 2016 well being an ex-police officer I am sure you feel competent in making your statement! I have always found him very competent in what he was doing, and I always speak as I find!
Roger Posted March 31, 2016 Author Report Posted March 31, 2016 I have always found him very competent in what he was doing, and I always speak as I find! Why didn't he stand last time ?
Slim Posted April 1, 2016 Report Posted April 1, 2016 I too received my polling card. Who are the candidates? Nobody has bothered to tell me so I shall not bother to vote.
Ubique Posted April 1, 2016 Report Posted April 1, 2016 I too received my polling card. Who are the candidates? Nobody has bothered to tell me so I shall not bother to vote. Slim , can only agree with you , wondering who are the Candidates standing plus still waiting for my polling card ( I accept that there is still a few weeks to go )
Adrian symonds Posted April 1, 2016 Report Posted April 1, 2016 Same here I too received my polling card. Who are the candidates? Nobody has bothered to tell me so I shall not bother to vote. Same here and i have a postal vote, forgot to put it back to normal and I still can not be bothered to pick up a pen, tick a box and post it. We don't need the PCC and I agree with Roger, jobs for mates, but then that is country wide is it not?
Roger Posted April 1, 2016 Author Report Posted April 1, 2016 jobs for mates When Barrie Sheldon was appointed in crony type circumstances (which he is obviously complicit in as he didn't have to accept the role in the dodgy circumstances) it caused uproar in Worcester. Three Worcestershire MP's opposed it. As did his own crime panel.. As did numerous Councillors. As did the Worcester News Bill Longmore and Barrie Sheldon just dug their heels in prompting a 'no confidence' vote in Bill Longmore from Worcestershire County Council which he survived. I too received my polling card. Who are the candidates? Nobody has bothered to tell me so I shall not bother to vote. It's been low key stuff about this upcoming election but the main Political Parties are represented. Including UKIP. The probable winner, John Campion (Tory), has been most active. He moans that Bill Longmore has wasted millions on 'Agency' type temporary staff in the backroom. NHCA link Locally those temporary agency staff will be on something like the Christian Bagley murder enquiry. I disagree that employing temporary staff is a total waste of money but if the workforce hadn't shrunk then people from a larger permanent base could be shifted around as and when something big happened somewhere in one of the three Counties.
Ubique Posted April 2, 2016 Report Posted April 2, 2016 John Raine is standing for election as the Green Party candidate in West Mercia for Police & Crime Commissioner.
Slim Posted April 2, 2016 Report Posted April 2, 2016 Ok thanks for providing the names. However, don't you think that applying for a position at the head of Police for three counties, you would tell/inform the people that you are there to protect and help, what exactly you stand for and how you are intending to protect and help them. I would. Then again, I don't have my nose in the trough of Public Money.
Ubique Posted April 2, 2016 Report Posted April 2, 2016 Slim , you are correct - I searched for the Candidates and only found the Green Party candidates , do we now know who three are , present deputy Barrie Ind. ? plus John Raine Green Party and John Campion Tory . Very low key at the moment as the turnout will be !
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