Experience not politics

Appointing decision makers to public positions based on the colour of a rosette and not on their suitability or experience for the job is a profound mistake.

Former frontline Hampshire policeman David Fryer surely hit the nail on the head when he characterised the Police and Crime Commissioner post as a model of ineptitude (July 14).

He rightly points out the need for efficient policing has not diminished and support by politicians both national and local for decimating the police public protection role by implementing unprecedented savage cuts to police budgets was a vast lethal mistake.

In the real world no one would secure a well-paid job on the basis of unproven competence and if not delivered fail to offer a public apology, contrition and their resignation.

But let’s not kid ourselves, politicians and political appointees are not known for the application of sound judgment or the willingness to admit their mistakes, but being hell-bent on learning nothing. We all make mistakes and although facing up to the truth can be hard, it’s right and helpful so that lessons can be learned.

A politician’s skill is in selfeffacing public relations and shifting the blame for getting things wrong. ‘Sorry’, is their hardest word.

Donna Jones, the recently-elected Police and Crime Commissioner, is a prime example. Her track record for competence and judgment remains open to question.

As a Portsmouth city councillor, she was consistently behind strident supercharged support for Victory Energy, a company that never generated one single kilowatt of electricity but went spectacularly bust with the loss of

£3.32 million of taxpayers’ money, and debts of over £131,000.

Will she say sorry I got it wrong, or remain true to form? We’ll have to wait and see but we already know which side the betting will be on.

R Thomson Gosport