Bad luck those of you who voted for a Tory Police and Crime Commissioner because she was … well … a Tory because now she can’t talk about politics.
“A newly-elected police and crime commissioner under investigation over election expenses can continue in her role, a panel has ruled.
Alison Hernandez faced allegations she failed to declare expenses as election agent in Torbay in the 2015 Election.
At an emergency meeting, the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel said she was still able to discharge the functions required of her role.
It would continue to scrutinise decisions made by Ms Hernandez.
The panel also told her to stop making political statements.
In its recommendations, the panel said: “The panel notes that whilst the commissioner is subject to allegations she has not been charged with a criminal offence.”
It says that the functions of the police and crime commissioner are able to be discharged by Ms Hernandez.
Read more on this story as it develops throughout the day on our Local Live pages.
The meeting heard a series of hostile questions from the public and councillors into how Ms Hernandez could continue in office with investigations into undeclared election expenses ongoing.
Miss Hernandez told the panel she had done nothing wrong and there was no legal requirement for her to stand aside while the investigation was ongoing.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission will also review the allegations.
The referral to the watchdog was made by the chief executive of the office of the police and crime commissioner, Andrew White.
The watchdog will decide whether to investigate, or refer the matter to another police force.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-36399080
Should have voted Independent!
East Devon Watch 
Alison Hernadez says that the police investigation is politically motivated. However whilst the original complaint might have been made by a political opponent…
1. That doesn’t in itself make the complaint politically motivated – it could equally be motivated by a sense of honour and integrity and an expectation of fair-play.
2. But even IF the original complaint was politically motivated, the investigative reporting was news-motivated – there was a news story regardless of the political affiliations.
3. Either way, the police investigation is NOT politically motivated. The police believe that they have been shown sufficient evidence of potential criminal behaviour (i.e. election expenses fraud) to justify an investigation – and they would investigate regardless of political affiliations.
But the BIGGEST ISSUE is that (regardless of ALL of the above and regardless of how the police investigation has come about)…
a. Alison Hernandez simply does not see that a police investigation is any sort of issue with her doing the job.
b. It doesn’t matter that she is being investigated for a possible criminal act because apparently none of the members of the public she has talked to see this as a problem. Sorry, but I don’t see the connection.
I just cannot see how someone so insensitive to the issues and so lacking in critical perception can be right for the role of PCC.
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