Kentish Express Ashford & District
Campaign to be crime commissioner included pledge to set up domestic abuse response team
An ill-fated bid to run as a candidate in the Kent crime commissioner election last year showed another side of Fergus Wilson,
He launched his campaign long before other candidates but did so under the shadow of a conviction for an assault that he had disputed and was challenging in the courts. His campaign largely involved a series of policy pledges and commitments set out in regular newspaper adverts – that often indicated some confusion over the nature of the role of commissioner.
His policy platform included a pledge to set up a reward scheme via a phone hotline for anyone who spotted and reported illegal immigrants. And he said he was particularly concerned by two domestic abuse cases involving Kent Police and would have used his £85,000 salary to fund a rapid-response team of four officers.
Other promises strayed into the territory of the chief constable but he brushed aside the criticism he did not fully appreciate the strategic rather than operational nature of the commissioner.
In the event he was disqualified from entering the race after failing to get his nomination forms in on time. Even had he done so there was every likelihood he would have been barred from standing because of the assault conviction. Although he to contest the ruling over his nomination papers, he accepted the court’s ruling.
He even seemed philosophical about outcome, declaring he would not be trying to stand for public office again. However, has recently said had he been able to he could have won – an unsurprising vote confidence in himself.