Labour Police commissioner attacked over “CRONYISM”

Labour Police commissioner attacked over “CRONYISM”

Last week’s decision by Merseyside’s Labour Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy to appoint yet another Labour councillor – the third in a row – as her Deputy Commissioner has come under attack from Southport’s former Lib Dem MP John Pugh.

The post is on a 3 day a week basis pro-rata to a full-time rate of £53,000 a year, and was reported here last week

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https://www.otsnews.co.uk/merseyside-police-commissioner-announces-preferred-candidate-next-deputy/

Despite being elected just under 5 years ago on a pledge not make such an appointment, Former Liverpool MP Jane Kennedy soon changed her mind and chose a Liverpool Labour councillor as her first Deputy Commissioner.

The manner in which that first appointment led to serious concerns being voiced at the time by the cross-party watchdog, the Merseyside Police Panel, particularly as the well-paid post was unadvertised.

“Having appointed one Labour councillor from Liverpool as her Deputy in early 2014, Jane Kennedy followed this up in August 2015 by appointing another Labour councillor, this time from St Helens, as her new Deputy” commented John Pugh.

“Now, within the last few days, she’s announced her third Deputy Commissioner and this time we are back to yet another Liverpool Labour councillor.”

“Back in 2014, Jane Kennedy stated quite openly that membership of the Labour Party was a key requirement of the publicly-funded Deputy role. In contrast, in many places the Police Commissioner role itself has no party affiliation.  Sadly this is the sort of cronyism that is all too prevalent in the Labour Party.”