Businessman Savage to run for role of Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon & Somerset.

“Sue Mountstevens gets my vote. The rest are senior party figures out for themselves and their dogmatic party lines, no doubt hoping to finish their careers with lots of long lunches discussing the intracacies of the preparation of steak diane,
Vote for Sue”

“VV, i think the hobbit is a bit peeved.”

“I also compared the number of UK representatives with those in Australia, Japan and the Netherlands. I could also have included many others with fewer members per capita than the UK, but i am intrigued to know why you equate more with better ?

Halving the number of MP's would probably only save £60millions pa which as a proportion of Government expenditure is small, but not only would this fund a few schools or hospitals but your rationale could also be applied to other unecessary expenditure such as the monarchy. Also, it would enable everyone to have a seat.

I thought regional assemblies was a John Prescott proposal, and do not understand why this would concentrate more power in the hands of fewer MPs.”

“I predict words like "challenging" "no choice but to" "streamline" "neighbourhoods" "flower displays" and "removal of benches, bus shelters and popular youth hang out places". Followed by "Independent" "won't politicise" "never really liked Clegg/Cameron" and "bureacracy/paperwork". There, fill in the gaps!”

“If you're a PCC you can't "Stand against", that's the job for activists and politicians...but you can ensure you "fight the impact". How will the other two word what is precisely the requirement when our core services are being blatantly privatised?

I'd be interested to know their "vacuous political spin" on the 20% cuts and outsourcing of frontline duties. It's a simple ask I'd have thought??
I honestly can't see how two politicians from the current coalition parties will be able to defend it. I'm eager to see if they try.”

“That's the Labour voice on the PCC, can I have a statement from the other two candidates declaring a similar stand against police privatisation??"

Perhaps you should re-read his speech. Its typical vacuous political-speak. He doesn't say he's taking a stand against police privatisation, just fighting 'the impact' while at the same time signing up to government cutbacks with his support for "a new approach to resource allocation in these testing economic times".

.”

“I was not arguing for a Federalist US styled system..."

No but you should have been if you're going to use the USA as a model for the size of central legislature appropriate for the UK.

Reducing the number of MPs has a negligible financial effect as a proportion of government spending. However you're not only reducing democratic representation, you're effectively giving more power to each of the remaining MPs and even greater control over Parliament to the government. It's just a populist measure which, not surprisingly, appeals to the Tories.”

“"It is an honour to be Labour's Candidate in this election. I am determined to use my skills and experience to stand up for local communities in these elections. I fully understand the need for a new approach to resource allocation in these testing economic times but the Government is making the wrong choices on crime, taking frontline police off the streets, weakening powers to deal with anti-social behaviour, and opening the door to the privatisation of core services – I will fight the impact of these reckless changes."

That's the Labour voice on the PCC, can I have a statement from the other two candidates declaring a similar stand against police privatisation??”

“Re. population statistics i did say candidates per head of population.

I was not arguing for a Federalist US styled system, merely for a redistribution and fewer politicians, however i would like to see tax raising powers decentralised.

Re. the European Parliament i agree that it is a rubber-stamping institution, but aren't all Parliaments ? And CouncIls ? And isn't this the source of general disaffection with politics, which is why i attach so much importance to an enquiring media.”

“The point of federal systems is that the federated areas exercise power and raise taxes in their own right with legislative authority guaranteed by a constitution. Regional Assemblies, even if we had them, are not going to have either tax-raising or law-making powers - their budget and powers will be in the gift of Westminster. As for the European Parliament, it has little authority, no tax-raising powers and is largely irrelevant in any constitutional way.”