Article by Cllr Dick Cole to be published in the Cornish Guardian newspaper (10th May 2024)

The recent election for the position of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the “Devon and Cornwall Police Area” was not a good advert for democracy.

A total of 82,011 people voted – a turnout of only 18.8% – which I must admit was higher than predicted by many people, myself included. But 39,464 of these came from postal voters who were automatically sent ballot papers, while only 42,547 people actually visited polling stations.

The amount of publicity surrounding the election was truly woeful and I did not receive or see any leaflets from the candidates. I understand there was a single one-hour debate on Radio Cornwall, while material appeared in the Cornish Guardian on the day before polling – by which time postal voters had already sent in their votes!

I have heard a number of reports of people turning up to vote – because they knew it was election day – though they were unsure what election it actually was. Without question, this was down to the low profile of the contest.

If PCCs continue to exist in the future and such elections endure, the whole process needs to be taken more seriously. In Westminster elections, “freepost” leaflets are delivered for all candidates by Royal Mail. This also happened in the European parliamentary elections prior to Brexit. Surely such distribution of information should happen in PCC elections as well.

Whatever people think of politics at the present time, democracy and democratic processes need to be protected and enhanced.

I must also add that this week marks a quarter-of-a-century since the first polls to the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Parliament.

I remember it all so fondly. Those elections took place on Thursday 6th May 1999 – the same day as I was first elected to Restormel Borough Council. For me, the count took place immediately after the polls closed. And I spent the following day carrying out an archaeological survey on the remains of historic structures within the clayworks at Wheal Prosper near Roche – while listening to the election results coming in from Wales and Scotland on a portable radio.

I was so chuffed to be a MK district councillor and it was so exciting to see MK’s sister parties winning seats in the new devolved institutions. The desire to see Cornwall match the democratic renewal achieved in the other Celtic nations has certainly fuelled so many campaigns over the last 25 years that I have been involved with. And these must continue until we secure a better deal and more powers for Cornwall.