I WOULD like to reply to the comments made by Mr Johnston’s supporters for police and crime commissioner who appear to be mainly ex-police officers. The idea that an election should not be political is farcical. This election, like all elections, has candidates who are seeking support for their policies – that’s politics. The bizarre and meaningless slogan employed by the Independents of ‘Keep politics out of policing’ is like saying ‘keep Santa out of Christmas’.

Being an ex-police officer does not bar anyone from standing in this election, nor should it. However, as two ex-police officers are standing, any thinking person would ask themselves, can this person really act independently? The post of commissioner is to hold the police to account with the power even to sack the chief constable. Would anyone argue that MPs should oversee their expenses or that the BBC should investigate itself over recent events? I think not. I believe that the post of police commissioner should be truly independent of the service they seek to manage.

Cllr Nigel Dix, Blackwood