The public of Nottinghamshire expect better
Tom Hollis is a 29-year-old man who lives in the Nottinghamshire village of Huthwaite. At Nottingham Magistrates' Court this week, he has been found guilty of careless driving and harassment.
Alongside a law-breaking Police and Crime Commissioner, residents of Ashfield now face the prospect of having a deputy council leader who caused a member of the public to fear for their safety. Having a criminal record makes it harder to find a place to live and to take out loans, but it seems that having a conviction on your CV is no bar to holding elected office in Nottinghamshire.
Having the confidence and self-belief to be a politician is quite an incredible thing. By standing for office, wannabe councillors, MPs and other officials are declaring that they are a person who is fit to take decisions day in, day out, which affect people's lives. With such responsibility comes a much greater focus on the personal lives of politicians than there is on people holding most other jobs. Whilst expecting public officials to be total puritans behind closed doors is perhaps asking too much, it seems reasonable to expect that the behaviour of Hollis outlined in court this week should not be the actions of an elected councillor.
In regards to Hollis' driving, the court heard that Hollis was "bouncing all over the place" on his way back from bingo. The judge found that he initially refused to stop for police and, at one point, the court heard how he sped across a petrol station forecourt and made a member of the public fearful for their own safety.