John Ashton slams 'sense of entitlement from ex-ministers' over police commissioner jobs
Labour party stalwart Professor John Ashton has slammed the process for selecting candidates for the police and crime commissioner job.
The former North West Regional Director of Public Health, and now director of public health for Cumbria, said many like himself were interested in standing but found the process is sown up by ex-ministers.
Prof Ashton who lives in Childwall has been a member of the party for 50 years.
"The problem it seems to me, about what is going on at the moment, is that the parties behave in ways that aver very monopolistic.
"You have got all these ex-ministers who have got this sense of entitlement that they should be able to walk into jobs.
Former ministers and ex-Liverpool MPs Jane Kennedy and Peter Kilfoyle are the frontrunners for the Labour party nomination for the police and crime commissioner elections in November.
"Modern politics is like smoke filled rooms, without the smoke," added Prof Ashton.
"There are lots of people like myself who have done other things in different walks of life who would like to contribute for a few years, drawing on extensive experience, but find that it's sown up.
"From a Labour party point of view, until they start listening to this they are not going to be in tune with the public mood.
"I am not saying that I am going to put my name in the hat, I am thinking about it at the moment."
He said he was in favour of directly elected positions, and their expansion into the health service.
"I have been in the Labour party for almost 50 years. The big problem with it, as with other parties, is they are run by cliques.
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David Bartlett
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I am sorry that John Ashton has taken such a jaundiced view of the selection process for a Labour candidate for Police Commissioner .As a former MP, I can assure him that I have no sense of entitlement to this or any other post, nor am I aware that the process is " stitched up " as he would have us believe .John is perfectly entitled to stand , and should do so if he believes that he is the person for the job .After all , it will be local Labour Party members who will choose their candidate ,not MPs or party officials .
Peter Kilfoyle
Let us face it, it is a job that does not need to exist. It is one that someone can do as little as one chooses with and still get a nice little earner out of it.
Someone, who in reality, no-one has heard of puts across credentials of having being in the labour party for 50 years must make him rather old.
A director of public health for Cumbria does not immediately suggest Liverpool Police commisioner. I suppose getting the job would remove the need for the travel and give a salary far in excess of the renumeration for the mature B and Q worker.
But maybe if this job is to exist it should be more about what one could put in rather than what one wants to take out.
Having said that the opposition is an ex MP and another ex MP who are also maybe thinking nice little earner and dont fancy minimum wage in B and Q.
Whoever gets the labour nomination will probably walk this on an apathy turnout of people who think it is actually a general election.
Frankly it is tiresome to hear repeated in every selection contest that people have it all sewn up, that they have been parachuted in, that it is all decided in smoke filled rooms and other such cliches.
Peter is exactly right.
Local Labour Party members - and nobody else - will decide - and always do decide, on a vote, between candidates standing for election.
In the case of the elected mayor, Labour candidates will have been self-nominated. I had a letter yesterday inviting me to put myself forward if I wanted to and felt I met the challenges of the post, as will all other members have done.
I don't think we know the process for the selection of the candidate for the police commissioner yet.
All Peter Kilfoyle and Jane Kennedy have done is to contact the press and say they would like to be considered - which has naturally garnered them publicity. If Professor Ashton wishes to do the same, that is entirely up to him.
And if he doesn't want to vote for an ex-minister when the ballot paper finally arrives, he doesn't have to do that either.
Interesting comment on the mayor and other labour people have been asked do they want to be considered.
If no non politico big hitters enter the frame, then it will certainly go to Labour.
If this is to be an Alternative Vote system, then one could even risk 2 serious labour contenders to make it more interesting as with AV there is no real danger of splitting the vote.
The lack of referendum amd more so the 'stretching it far too much' reasons for not doing so are raising questions about Joe following on from questions of his money management.