Ex-MP Flick Dummond quits Hampshire Deputy Crime Commissioner role after just two months amid fallout with Tory chief
Quick Exit Sparks Nepotism Row
Flick Dummond, former Portsmouth South MP, has dramatically resigned as Hampshire’s Deputy Crime Commissioner just two months after being parachuted in by Tory boss Michael Lane. The appointment was slammed as blatant nepotism by critics, but insiders say it was Lane’s big-headedness that doomed their partnership.
Arrogance and Clashes Behind the Collapse
Lane, who pockets a tidy £85,000 salary, made a bland announcement on Dummond’s sudden departure, saying: “The relationship between a PCC and his deputy has to be close and, unfortunately, it has become apparent this could not happen in this case.” After talks, both sides agreed to part ways.
Dummond’s statement was just as diplomatic: “Sometimes it is not possible to build a professional relationship between two people.” But insiders spill the beans – they say she found Lane “impossible” to work with.
Office Sources Reveal Power Struggle
Staff inside St Georges Chambers, where the Crime Commissioner’s office is based, gave the full lowdown. One source said: “Mike has a controlling personality and a hubristic belief in his own talents.” This immediately grated on Flick, known for her calm and diplomatic style.
“It was blatantly obvious from the start that Mike’s pig-headedness and arrogance would make teamwork impossible,” the source added.
Lavish Salaries for Bureaucrats While Crime Watchers Cry Out
Lane hasn’t just stirred controversy with the deputy role. He also hired Superintendent Paul Bartolomeo on a massive £70,000 salary. Critics, including watchdog group Spotted Solent, hit out at the eye-watering combined salaries topping £200,000 a year.
They argue the cash would be better spent putting actual bobbies on the beat rather than padding the pay packets of bureaucrats in their plush Winchester offices.
Background: The Crime Commissioner role was created back in 2012 by David Cameron’s Coalition government to oversee local policing.
