CAMPAIGN: Somerset Independents Wants Criminal Records Checks For All Candidates And Elected Representatives

 

Somerset Independents was formed to stand up for residents, because Somerset's elected representatives are not doing their jobs. 

Worse than that, some of Somerset's Parliamentary, council and Police Commissioner candidates and even those who have served in office, were and/or are dodgy. The facts are there. Some of the proof is documented on this very website.

Somerset residents deserve better representation.

So to stand up for better representation, we have started the Somerset Independents Campaign to ensure that it is the LAW that:

1. To be a valid candidate for public office, all candidates should show evidence of a Standard DBS check to be declared a validly-nominated candidate. If the Standard DBS check does not come back as "Clear", then the person cannot be on the Statement of Persons Nominated issued by the Returning Officer for that election.
   
2. ALL MPs/PCCs/councillors should be subjected to Standard DBS checks annually if and when they are elected.
   
3. If an elected representative is found in the Standard DBS check when in office to not have a clear result, then this should be a Standards matter and grounds for censure. The grounds for censure must include the option for recall of the councillor/MP/PCC by their constituents, in the same manner for PCC and councillors, as is possible now for MPs.

There should be consistency on the law for all elected representatives - not one law for councillors, one law for MPs and one law for PCCs. It is a mess and needs to be clarified.

Obviously, the law is currently a long way from the above three objectives. So in the meantime, until the law implements the above, Somerset Independents believes that it is incumbent on those with the power to do so, to perform these checks and to take whatever steps are possible to achieve the above.

And if these authorities do not, Somerset Independents will work with other Somerset residents to hold those in authority to account and if necessary, expose their failures to do so.