We keep seeing and hearing the word democracy being used but how many people really know the meaning of the word?
In the name of democracy we have just had an election for the police and crime commissioner, the first thing the winning candidate did was to name his unelected deputy commissioner.
I assume they will stand in for him when he is unavailable, in the same way as the Deputy Prime Minister stands in for the Prime Minister – the difference is he is an elected Member of Parliament and the deputy commissioner is nothing. Is that what they call democracy?
Personally I think we should have kept the police authority but instead of them being appointed, they should all be elected. Not with a first and second choice but just a straight vote, as in other elections.
That way I am sure far more people would understand what they were voting for and would turn out and use their vote, unlike last week’s fiasco when only 13.3 per cent of voters turned out.
KEITH BROOKS
Gateley
Horspath
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