Kent Police Authority use taxpayers' money to attack the Government

Kent Police Authority have launched an attack on the Government plans for elected police commissioners.

Their press release in its headline says the proposals are "naive and disastrous".

It says:

“There is no place for political interference in policing as recent public spats between ministers and senior police officers have proved,” said Ann Barnes, Kent Police Authority Chair.

She speaks as a former diplomat warned that British policing is on a ‘disastrous slide’.

A vocal challenger of the rationale for, and implications of, the Government’s proposed Police and Crime Commissioners, Mrs Barnes supported fellow Kent Police Authority member, Stephen Hiscock’s statement after he felt compelled to speak out.

Then it carries on in similar vein. Turkeys don't vote for Christmas. So on one level the statement that the Kent Police Authority opposes the abolition of the Kent Police Authority is unremarkable. However the intemperate and highly political language used is not something that should have been put out at taxpayer's expense.

Labour councillors are entitled to use their own money to campaign against Government spending cuts. when they carry out such campaigning at Council Taxpayers expense this is quite wrong. Similarly Kent Police Authority members should not use political funds for their political campaigning.

There are several Conservative councillors on the authority. I don't know whether they approved the press release or not. Some may feel that if they did then spending our money for press officers to campaign against Conservative policy is acceptable. I suspect it would still be a breach of the rules.