By Isle of Wight Observer
Dear Editor,
Unlike parliamentary elections, which cost prospective candidates £500 to stand, Police & Crime Commissioner candidates have to stump up ten times that amount, £5,000.
It is unclear whether these sums of money are reimbursed to the candidates by their political party should they happen to represent one.
That is a huge sum of money to potentially lose, and is clearly there to exclude the poor from standing. It is a great shame, not least because it might be for example a disabled candidate who is about to lose their disability benefit under the Conservative government, who might make a very good and informed commissioner, not one that’s there to protect primarily a very narrow section of society.
A Saunders, Northwood.