Best candidate wasn’t the winner

There must be major enquiries in the Conservative party at both local and national level to investigate how the party managed to lose the election for the police commissioner in a county in which they hold all six constituencies and fielded an exceptional candidate. This county was not alone in finding that the “independent” tag had a cache not normally seen in elections in this country.

All the more galling for the party when the “independent” elected in Warwickshire was in fact a Conservative whose attempt to become the party’s candidate failed at the first hurdle as he was not one of the five applicants who passed the initial interview. Only after this failure was he converted to the benefits of independence. His position as an independent was much assisted by the backing of the Lib Dems who, in a masterstroke of inspired and heroic cynicism urged their troops to vote for this conservative. This tactic was enough to ensure that the weakest of the three candidates topped the poll.

Thus the police commissioner for Warwickshire will be a retired airline pilot, not one would think the finest background for the position when one compares this with failed candidate Fraser Pithie with his success in a major business, previous experience as chairman of the police authority and his eight years as a Special Constable.

Many will be critical of the assistance offered to Fraser both from local and national party organisations. None will be critical of the work that he put in which deserved a successful outcome. - Name and address supplied.

Taking off on empty

As an attendee at one of the hustings I am amazed of the result of the PCC election for Warwickshire.

The winner waxed on about his time as a pilot but had very little to say about policing and crime other than agreeing with the other two candidates and bumbling his way through. All he could say is keep politics out of policing. He no doubt got elected on that but spending public money now makes him political.

Now that the election is over I fear Warwickshire has taken off with empty fuel tanks. - R. Edgington, via email.