PCC Olly Martins to discuss ballot paper concerns with elections watchdog

THE chairwoman of the elections watchdog will meet with the police chief who triggered Bedfordshire’s first council tax referendum following the police and crime commissioner’s claim the wording on ballot papers was ‘misleading’.

Residents rejected Police and Crime Commissioner Olly Martins’ proposals to raise the police’s share of council tax by 15.85 per cent on polling day last month, with 69.5 per cent of people (207,5512) voting against the plans.

PCC Martins has since claimed referendum question and information provided on the polling papers given to voters was ‘inadequate’ and this week he has been invited to discuss his concerns with Electoral Commission chairwoman Jenny Watson.

Mr Martins said: “I believe that many voters faced with the referendum question asking about a 15.8% rise would not have known that the cost to them would be just 48p extra a week, amounting to £24.80 a year, for a Band D property.

“The information provided on the ballot papers needs to be unequivocally clear so that the voters can make a properly informed decision.”

The questioned posed on the ballot paper on May 7 was:

Part of the council tax in your area goes to the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner. For the financial year beginning on 1st April 2015 the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner has set an increase of 15.8% in the amount it charges.

If most voters choose ‘YES’, the increase will be 15.8%.
If most voters choose ‘NO’, the increase will be 2.0% instead.

Do you want the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner to increase the amount it charges by 15.8%? YES NO

Mr Martins will be accompanied by the chief cxecutive on the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Tracey Bleakley.

PCC Martins is also demanding changes to the rules that put restrictions on how and when publicity and awareness-raising can be conducted in the lead-up to a referendum.

“In preparing for our council tax referendum I was unable to explain the case for increasing the policing precept during the 28-day purdah period running up to the vote.

“So, for example, it would have been enormously helpful here in Bedfordshire to have been able to inform the public closer to voting day what my proposed 15.8% increase meant for them in monetary terms.

 Bedfordshire Police is classified as a rural force, meaning the force receives less funding per head than the national average although Bedfordshire has an unusually high risk for terrorism and organised crime for a force of its size.