Yesterday, Monday 19th July 2010 saw the surprise (for some) announcement by Home Affairs Minister, Senator Ian Le Marquand, that Acting Chief Police Officer David Warcup no longer wants to become the Chief Officer.
Among the “reasons” for Mr Warcup’s decision is that he is/was facing “political hostility” and slurs have been made on his character. Which, to my way of thinking, brings into question the calibre of Mr. Warcup as a potential Police Chief, or Deputy Police Chief for that matter.
During the “Historic” Abuse investigation, former DCO Lenny Harper, it has been reported, was subject to DEATH THREATS, IMMENSE POLITICAL INTERFERENCE AND PRESSURE. Ridicule, character assassination, the list goes on, so too was Chief Officer Graham Power, although I’m not sure about the death threats. But like seasoned professional cops THEY GOT ON WITH THE JOB of attempting to bring the guilty to justice without FEAR or FAVOUR. Can the same be said for Mr.Warcup?
Acting Chief Police Officer Warcup, believes, unless I am mistaken, that due to the political opposition against his appointment as CPO that his position is now untenable……and there’s the rub.
Home Affairs Minister, Senator Ian Le Marquand has said that if David Warcup does not receive the confidence of the House, then he (ILM) would resign. Now I have repeatedly asked the question what does he mean by “the confidence of the House?” We all know that “the establishment” hold the majority vote in the House, so it could be seen as an empty promise.
In ILM’s own words, he knows that there will be between 18-20 votes against the appointment of Mr.Warcup so he would not have had the full confidence of the House. With so many predicted votes against Mr.Warcup, it would appear, his position would be un-tenable.
So time to fall on your sword Senator and salvage what little credibility you have left. David Warcup does not have the full confidence of the House, you backed the wrong horse. Do “the honourable thing” and resign as Home Affairs Minister. But before you do you might want to consider an apology the Former CPO Graham Power QPM for the disgraceful way he has been treated by you and this government. And then ask yourself, what self respecting Law Enforcement Officer would want to apply for the job as Chief Police Officer in Jersey knowing that what has been done to CPO Graham Power, could be done to them?
Submitted by VFC.
Well said. Agree with every word.
ReplyDeleteVFC - you have written what I have written elsewhere and I concur with you 100%.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how Mr Le Marquand will justify his NOT resigning now, or will he bumble through this one, or maybe even hope after the summer recess we will all have forgotten and the whole thing will fade into the background.
Not a hope.
He actually said he would resign if he didn't get the support of the house in the proposition for the appointment of Mr Warcup, so as that's never going to be put to the test, it is quite justifiable if he does not resign.
ReplyDeleteTony.
ReplyDeleteBy the same token, it's also justifiable if he does resign.
It is really only within the context of the States that the resignation statement made sense, because if his proposition had failed, it would be pretty well a vote of no confidence in him as Minister of Home Affairs.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that is what he would say, and I think that argument has some merit. Unless someone brings a private members proposition as a vote of no confidence in him for handling the Wiltshire inquiry, that situation won't arise.
Tony.
ReplyDeleteSenator Alan Breckon did "promise" to bring a vote of no confidence against ILM and Terry Le Sueur some months ago, by e-mail.
I have subsquently asked him by e-mail if he is going to make good on his "promise"? and have not recieved a reply.
I would think it extremely unlikely that he would do so, especially since Geoff Southern brought a vote of no confidence in Terry Le Sueur and failed.
ReplyDeleteWhat will they be looking for in the new Chief Of Police?
ReplyDeleteA good guy? Or a bad guy?
Realistically it all depends on whos on the interview panel?!
Got on with their jobs! Chuckle!
ReplyDeleteYes we read how they did that last week at the expense of all of us!!!!
Interview panel will I assume include Bill Ogley!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJersey is gaining quite a reputation and not a good one ,I might add in respect of the way she treats her employees
ReplyDeleteA few names spring to mind
Graham Power
Simon Bellwood
Mr John Day
Karen Huchete
Stuart Syvret
Ian Black
We are heading for extremely hard economic times and I think it will be even worse due to the fact no one will want to take on these top jobs
Le Marquand is a useless buffoon who needs to attack others to try and distract from his morally bankrupt bungling. As for resigning, he never should have had the job in the first place.
ReplyDeleteIt gets worse. In the next couple of days I plan on publishing a Blog, on just how petty and juvenile, I believe Senator Le Marquand is.
ReplyDeleteIt will further go to demonstrate, why finding any Chief Police Officer for this island will be an uphill struggle while ILM is at the helm of the Home Affairs.
TonyTheProf said...
ReplyDelete"He actually said he would resign if he didn't get the support of the house in the proposition for the appointment of Mr Warcup, so as that's never going to be put to the test, it is quite justifiable if he does not resign."
Tony,
Probably for the first time, I find myself disagreeing with you.
Le Marquand promised to resign if there was a failure to select Warcup as Chief of Police.
Why?
Because in his view such a decision would show the States to have no confidence in him as Home Affairs Minister.
Now prior to the selection of a new Chief of Police Warcup himself has resigned, citing as his primary motivation, "political hostility".
The fundamental benchmark in this case for the "failure" of Le Marquand as Home Affairs Minister remains unchanged - political "lack of faith" in his judgement.
Had Warcup risked holding out for the Chief Officer's job, the reason given for his resignation suggests he would have been rejected by Le Marquand's fellow politicians.
Therefore, staying true to the principle inherent within his earlier promise of resignation, Le Marquand should now resign.
I see Stuart has crawled out of the woodwork and is on Rico's blog slagging off the 'progressives'. I always though Stuart was a 'progressive' but much as I admired him I would have to conclude that you guys and a handful of brave States members have achieved more in the past couple of months than Stuart did in the last couple of years.
ReplyDeleteJust take a look at Senator Le Marqaunds proposers for his election campaign . It makes you realize what a cosy interbred little club we have
ReplyDeleteNomination Paper
Adv. Sarah Fitz (Proposer), Deputy Ian Gorst, Deputy Jackie Hilton, Deputy Deirdre Mezbourian, Deputy Anne Pryke, Mr. Richard Dupre, Dr. Sarah Williams, Mrs. Nicola Santos-Costa, Miss Renata Puczek and Mr. Tom Perchard (Seconders).
I have just listened to the phone in with Chris Stone. Marina called to speak and if she reads your blog i would just like to say well done to her. She spoke calmly and quietly but boy ,she made an impression.
ReplyDeleteKeep going Marina, the truth will out in the end.
It's Chris Rayner who does the phone-in, and I have heard Marina on there before. I briefly heard her today, and I think what she might have been trying to put across is that she had confidence and trust in Lenny Harper and Graham Power but not Gradwell and Warcup.
ReplyDeleteWhen she said people might want to look on the internet, I think she might have been trying to encourage people to google "Operation Rose"
I'll not publish the comment (as requested) so as the author can submit it to the correct place.
ReplyDelete