A CALDERDALE councillor has criticised plans for a £56,000 politician.

Clr Pauline Nash (pictured), who sits on the Calderdale Cabinet, has criticised plans to create a post of Deputy Police Commissioner, who must be a Labour Party member and who will be paid up to £56,571 per year.

Clr Nash, a member of the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, who is unpaid for her time on the panel, said: “We have two main objections to this proposal Firstly, if there ever is a good time to create a post for a politician who will receive £56,000 a year, it is not now.

“Secondly we object to applicants for this post being drawn exclusively from within the Labour Party.

“We on the Crime and Policing Panel can make our feelings known to Crime Commissioner Mark Burns Williamson but he can ignore them. At the last meeting he did not inform the panel he was going to appoint only from members of the Labour Party.

“He has to date not shown the Panel any job description and, when he first indicated he was going to make this appointment, he was unable to give a clear answer as to what the post would entail.

“Times are hard in the public sector and the police service is no exception.”

She vowed to oppose the appointments at the next Panel meeting, adding: “Coppers not cronies is our very clear message to the Commissioner”.