Huhne scrapes home over police boards

Chris Huhne pleaded with delegates to get the motion passed

Sunday, 14, Sep 2008 12:00

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Chris Huhne narrowly succeeded in winning over uncertain conference delegates this afternoon after a challenge to his policy change on police governance.

An amendment to his policy paper, Cutting Crime by Catching Criminals, opposed the proposal to create directly elected police boards based on local authorities.

The Lib Dems' Local Government Association group leader Richard Kemp said the plans would "destroy the relationship that is needed between the police as specific service provider and the council with its responsibility for managing and encouraging all services to work together in a coherent and joined-up way".

But home affairs spokesperson Chris Huhne, summing up, said representation was a key issue that needed addressing. He claimed his own borough of Eastleigh was not represented but was heckled by delegates.

He concluded: "I don't pretend that everyone who supports this motion will be happy with the outcome. The height of my ambition today is to make everyone here today modestly unhappy with the compromise."

The vote, which took place by a show of hands, appeared too close to call. But the session's chair declared the amendment was clearly defeated, prompting grumbles from frustrated delegates.

Derek Osbourne, leader of Kingston-upon-Thames council, told politics.co.uk afterwards the creation of directly elected police boards would confuse local government still further.

"You don't help accountability by setting up whole new structures which the public don't understand," he said.

"We seem to have a party leadership that doesn't trust its base."