Plans for direct elections to police authorities have been dropped by the Government amid fears that they would lead to extremist politicians being able to control forces.
Ministers also decided that the controversial proposal would run into strong opposition on the back benches and in the House of Lords, leading to another embarrassing defeat.
The leader of Labour’s 5,000 local government councillors had previously complained that the plans could lead to British National Party members holding positions of power over policing in England and Wales and being able to dictate priorities.
The decision comes just weeks after the ousting of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, a move that many senior police officers saw as overt political interference in policing.
Ministers were anxious not to get into a public argument with senior police officers who have become increasingly alarmed about political attempts to try to control the police.
Ministers also decided that the controversial proposal would run into strong opposition on the back benches and in the House of Lords, leading to another embarrassing defeat.
The leader of Labour’s 5,000 local government councillors had previously complained that the plans could lead to British National Party members holding positions of power over policing in England and Wales and being able to dictate priorities.
The decision comes just weeks after the ousting of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, a move that many senior police officers saw as overt political interference in policing.
Ministers were anxious not to get into a public argument with senior police officers who have become increasingly alarmed about political attempts to try to control the police.
5 comments:
...they would lead to extremist politicians being able to control forces.
Like the Labour Party.
Like the Labour Party.
18 December 2008 07:30
Indeed
The police can now look forward to even more paper work.............
They mean extremists other then themselves ...
Does this mean that the Labour party anticipate us "extremists" obtaining actual power?
Perhaps we could use the Police force to enforce the Law?
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