*I sometimes have difficulty in getting motivated, particularly when I'm working nights, which is one reason, why I didn't give you the benefit of my concise and opinionated ramblings yesterday, one thing that has effect of motivating me, is when what used to be referred to as civil servants, get up off their bottoms and start venting what must be their personal opinions.It may be going to far but to my mind but large swathes of the civil service, have become politicised, an example I think of is that of the chief executive of a large local authority, who seems whenever I hear of him, to be driving his authorities policy, being assisted by a compliant conservative leader.
The way I always understood that our society was governed, was that it was safeguarded by separation of various functions in society, so basically in our democracy elected representatives would create laws and policy, these would be applied by agencies of the state Treasury, Home Office, Local authorities etc., finally the lawyers judges and juries would in our system be the final arbiter.
Currently our police force have been given a pay rise backdated to December 1st, rather than September 1st, now disappointing as this may be, to those of us outside the public pay gravy train this seems trivial and it is if you put it in the context of the thousands of people in the county of Kent who work in manual unskilled industries who consider themselves lucky not to be receiving cuts in the wages, due to the governments failure to protect low income groups.
So the imagine the irritation of seeing Mike Fullers (Chief Constable of Kent) interview on the front page of Kent on Sunday, apparently criticising the Home Office's pay deal to police officers. Outside of publicly funded institutions any senior manager in a private company or Plc who openly criticized the boss for not being more generous to staff would probably find themselves updating their CV.
The police earn their money but so do many of us, who earn considerably less, I don't know whether its the same in the police force but in most workplaces if you moan about your employer, the advise is generally the same, get another job.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I would find refreshing if occasionally paid civil servant could refrain from venting the own opinions in public that's what we have politicians for.
Currently our police force have been given a pay rise backdated to December 1st, rather than September 1st, now disappointing as this may be, to those of us outside the public pay gravy train this seems trivial and it is if you put it in the context of the thousands of people in the county of Kent who work in manual unskilled industries who consider themselves lucky not to be receiving cuts in the wages, due to the governments failure to protect low income groups.
So the imagine the irritation of seeing Mike Fullers (Chief Constable of Kent) interview on the front page of Kent on Sunday, apparently criticising the Home Office's pay deal to police officers. Outside of publicly funded institutions any senior manager in a private company or Plc who openly criticized the boss for not being more generous to staff would probably find themselves updating their CV.
The police earn their money but so do many of us, who earn considerably less, I don't know whether its the same in the police force but in most workplaces if you moan about your employer, the advise is generally the same, get another job.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I would find refreshing if occasionally paid civil servant could refrain from venting the own opinions in public that's what we have politicians for.
Maybe if Mike Fuller reckons that Jacqui Smith has made a mistake perhaps he could hang up his truncheon and see if he would make a better politician, I feel he should concentrate on policing Kent not criticising the Home Office.
*I omitted the first two paragraphs when I posted this yesterday, probably makes little difference to anyone except me, and the first 2 comments where prior to this addition.
He should be out catching crooks, not scratching his b*ll*cks and moaning to the press.
ReplyDeleteBut then chief coppers seem to lead a charmed life. Just look at that Ian Blair. And then there's the mad chief constable of North Wales who seems to think the crime of the century is to do 31 in a 30mph zone, and parades the severed heads of bikers who have had the misfortune to, er, lose their heads whilst speeding to the press.
Spot on here, Tony! Look at how much of our Council Tax Bill is a kent Police Charge and then see how much 'income' for Kent Police is then spent on the amzingly generous Police Pension Scheme. So we have Kent Pensioners, on lower Pensions than retired Police, being grossly taxed into penury by the Council Tax system to pay these fat cat Police pensions.!! Chief Con is how I view the man!
ReplyDeletePLEASE NOTE the first two comments were made prior to me inserting a couple of paragraphs which I failed to copy to the original post. not that I think it makes any difference to my general drift.
ReplyDeleteThe Home Office is not the boss of the police.
ReplyDeleteThe office of constable (not to be confused with the rank of constable) is a Crown Office going back, pre Magna Carta, to the Anglo Saxon Tythingman.
The Office of Constable is obtained on oath ... to well and truly serve our sovereign lady the Queen.
The Queen is sole fount of justice in mercy. She took this role when she "Wed" the people (to make a marriage called the Crown if you like) at her Coronation.
The administration of justice is by independent ministerial officers of the Crown, Constables, Judiciary, Coroners, Magistrates.
This is the system by which the government is under the law.
A constitutional monarchy system of checks and balances.
If you think back to Bodie and Doyle (The Professionals) and how they would meander up to a copper and announce "CI5 shove off sonny we are taking this case over".
A government agency able to suspend the admin of justice by ordering a constable away ?
The problem seems to be that people now have been indoctrinated (including the police themselves) that the Home Office is boss .. the Chief constable is a civil servant told what to do by the Home Office and that the police are all ordered what to do by the Chief constable.
Last year a Chief constable chose to invoke limitation (must bring the action within a year) to successfully defend a charge of malicious falsehood.
The litigant promptly wrote to CPS and his police authority that as a sworn constable he is not allowed to place a limit on his answerability at law. Magna Carta.
Well he retired aged 53 and the Common Law challenge never had an airing in the courts.
Magna Carta commits the monarch to appoint as constables only those who know the law of the realm and who are minded to keep it well (unto death not unto one year has elapsed)
It is the Home Office who should wind their necks in and stick to provisioning police forces. These are constabularies which is merely a noun for an organised group of constables.
Parishes could still, if they wished, hold elections and appoint their own constables.
I was carrying out some Thanet research. I found published in a local paper some thirty years ago a letter.
ReplyDeleteIt said that there was an "Upward power shift" in the police. That discretion would be removed first from the lower ranks and then higher and higher. That such a momentum would build that power would pass beyond the Chief constable to the Home Office.
People disagreed with that prediction.
The letter was written by a Richard Card.