Meet Robert Evans, Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for Surrey.
Robert has been campaigning all over Surrey. Here are just some of the future events where you can meet him.
Monday 22 October – 7.30pm Camberley Working Men’s Club. Hustings organised by Politicos, the cross-party debating club. More details here
Thursday 25 October – 6.30pm Ashtead Memorial Hall organised by Victim Support
Monday 29 October – Chobham 7pm Village Hall. Hustings.
Tuesday 30 October –8pm Merland Rise Baptist Church Tadworth
Wednesday 31 October – Fetcham organised by Dorking Advertiser & Leatherhead Advertiser
Thursday 1 November – to be confirmed
Tuesday 6 November – Camberley. Shoppers can meet Robert from 1pm
Wednesday 7 November –7.45pm Tatsfield WI Hall arranged by residents’ association
Thursday 8 November – 9 am BBC Radio Surrey live hustings. 7pm Hustings, Wheatsheaf pub, Stanwell.
Saturday 10 November – 10am Street Stall, Leatherhead. 2pm Street Stall, Dorking.
Monday 12 November – 7.30pm Churches Together Farnham Hustings. St Joan’s Centre (next to RC church), 19 Tilford Road, Farnham GU9 8DJ.
Tuesday 13 November – 7pm Runnymede PCC Debate. Runnymede Council Chamber.
Check back here for regular updates.
Could I ask you the following please:
1 In what respect do you believe is the office of PCC an improvement on the arrangement up to now?
2 What would be the significance and importance to you as a PCC of your belonging to and being the nominee of a political party?
3 How would you go about the appointing of a Chief Constable?
With kind regards ESH
Although I was not originally a supporter of US -style directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) I still hope the PCC will be an improvement on the current position. At present there is an undemocratic, unelected and unaccountable body, the Police Authority that oversees Surrey Police.
No-one knows who they are, what they do and they don’t interact with the public meeting almost in secret.
The PCC, certainly if I am elected, will be highly visible and readily available to everyone across the county.
Being a member of the Labour Party will not impact on my role as PCC. Of course I bring with it my values of which I am proud, but I am only supported by my Party not controlled by it.
Unlike some other parties there is no Labour national manifesto for these elections. We recognise that policing in Surrey is very different from, say Merseyside or anywhere else in the country. Individual candidates and elected PCCs must make policies in the best interest of the areas they represent not the party who supports them or of which they are a member.
Surrey has a very good Chief Constable at present so I would not expect to be making an appointment any day soon. However were the situation to arise and having been involved in many selection panels before, I will ensure that the process is as open and as wide as possible. There are guidelines that should be followed and I would adhere to them. There would be no back room deals but an open process which would be in the best interests of the public, the people of Surrey and the force itself.
I do not beleive people with formal political affiliations should be standing for these posts.
Previous police experience (managerial or operational) would seem to be more relevant
Hi Mike,
I heard Robert address this issue recently and he disagrees with you that the police should oversee themselves. In fact, ex-police officers should be barred from becoming Police and Crime Commissioners. What would happen if a PCC who was a former mid-ranking police officer, such as one Surrey PCC candidate, disagrees with operational decisions taken by the Chief Constable? Confrontation, deadlock and eventually the resignation of one or other.
The role requires managerial, diplomatic and negotiation skills which Robert has aplenty. It is also very political with a small p. Dealing with politicians at local, national and international level requires serious political skills, i.e. it’s no job for an amateur.
For my own personal views on how inappropriate ex-police officers would be in this role, look here: http://www.windleshamlabour.org.uk/politicspolice.html
Thank you for your comment.
Best regards,
Richard Wilson