26 April 2012

BPIF criticises Home Office plans to rely on internet to publish information on police commissioner election candidates

The BPIF has criticised Home Office plans to rely solely on a central website to host information about candidates for the forthcoming Police Commissioner elections, warning that they will disadvantage people who have low levels of internet access such as the elderly and those who live in rural areas. In a letter to Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert MP this week BPIF CEO Kathy Woodward urges the Home Office to reconsider this proposal, which it describes as "ill-advised" and "to the detriment of due democratic process".

The Police Commissioner elections are due to take place on 15 November this year in 41 force areas across England and Wales, and the Home Office plans to create a website in place of the usual process of a freepost mail-out from candidates or sending households a booklet containing candidates' messages that is currently used for elections of MPs, MEPs and Mayors.

Woodward’s letter acknowledges that Government departments and agencies are under immense pressure to reduce costs, but warns "care needs to be taken to guard against false economy." The letter highlights the need for Government to ensure optimal levels of participation in these crucially important ballots, as well as stressing the importance of being able to demonstrate that every effort has been made to ensure all members of the Electorate have had sufficient and timely information on candidates to enable them to vote on an informed basis.

Although the Government intends to establish a helpline that will provide a print-to-order service for members of the public to request printed candidate information, the BPIF says this will not guarantee that voters receive candidate information at the right time, since the onus will be on the voter to call the helpline and to do so in good time. Making the case for printed mailings, Woodward says "the issue that needs to be addressed here is that of ensuring maximum value for money, rather than minimum cost. Utilising the power of printed mailings, delivered automatically to every household, is the only sure-fire method of ensuring that the requisite candidate information reaches every voter".

For more information please contact Andrew Brown on 07801 981306.