Merseyside will elect a new Police and Crime Commissioner on 6 May 2021. Jane Kennedy, who is the current PCC for Merseyside announced in 2019 that she would not be standing for re-election.
Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) are elected representatives with responsibility for policing in each police area in England and Wales. Each police area (with the exception of Greater London and Greater Manchester, where the directly elected mayor is the policing authority instead) elects a commissioner every four years.
The elections for PCCs was due to take place in 2020, but were postponed until 6 May 2021, due to COVID-19. In the 2016 PCC election, Merseyside had a turnout of 302,253, representing 30.2% of the voting population. Jane Kennedy was reelected taking 186,661 votes, representing 61.8% of those who voted.
Wirral residents will be able to vote for the PCC candidate from the following list of declared candidates for Merseyside.
In alphabetical order:
- Kris Brown Liberal Democrats – Councillor for Woolton, Liverpool City Council
- Emily Spurrell Labour – Councillor for Mossley Hill, Liverpool City Council
- Bob Teesdale Conservative – Association Secretary for Southport Conservatives
birkenhead.news asked each candidate for a 200 word summary of their manifesto. Below, in alphabetical order, is each of their responses.
How to place your vote for Police and Crime Commissioner: You can vote for your first and second choice candidate. Mark a cross in column 1 next to your first choice candidate. Mark a cross in column 2 next to your second choice candidate. Your first and second choices should be different. It is not compulsory to vote for a second choice. Whether or not you choose to make a second choice, your first choice will still be counted.
Kris Brown – Liberal Democrat PCC Candidate
In 2012 only 12% of people turned out to vote and not many more did in 2016.
The interest in this role simply isn’t there and it’s failed to provide the link between the public and the police we were promised.
I will start a process to scrap the role from day one. By removing the role we can save £800,000 a year. Money that can go straight back into front line policing.
In scrapping the role I will disperse power to you by creating a neighbourhood forum model in your local area, where you can meet your local police team, raise issues and hold them to account.
In the meantime I will work to crack down on violent crime by tackling the root causes linked to inequalities in health and education.
- I will take a zero tolerance approach to traffic crime and crack down on speeding and pavement parking offences.
- I will make sure we put more bobbies on the beat in our local communities.
- Last but not least I will always stand up for your civil liberties, your right to peaceful protest and ensure we ‘police by consent’.
If you agree with me, please vote for me on 6th May.
Find out more at www.krisforpcc.org.uk
Emily Spurrell – Labour PCC candidate
This year has demonstrated just how important it is to have strong leaders at the local level, standing up for communities after they’ve been let down by a Tory Government.
We’ve seen police officers and public sector workers play a key role in keeping communities safe. But the devastating programme of cuts to all our public services has taken its toll.
Merseyside local authorities have seen some of the highest cuts in funding and, despite promises of more police officers, there is a long way to go to replace the numbers we’ve lost. Meanwhile our communities continue to be affected by knife crime, gang violence, anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse and hate crime.
If I’m elected Police and Crime Commissioner, I will stand up for Merseyside, demanding more from Government to invest in public services that stop someone turning to a life of crime.
I will:
- Get more police officers back on the streets
- Develop a strategy to tackle violence against women and girls
- Support police to get criminals off the streets and protect young people
- Work with local councillors and community groups to tackle ASB
- Tackle dangerous driving to make our roads safer
Find out more at www.emily4merseyside.com
Bob Teesdale – Conservative PCC candidate
I served as a Bobby for 30 years retiring as Patrol Inspector, i.e., finishing as I started out – on the streets
– working 3 shifts.
I have also been a private citizen for even longer so I have lots of experience of the other side, of looking
to the Police for mine and my family’s safety and wellbeing.
I believe the intense professionalism of the Merseyside Police is admired round the country but it comes
at a price, a tendency to move away from a direct connection to the communities they serve.
So, I am putting re-connecting with the people of Merseyside, at the at the heart of my plans for the
Force.
- Ensuring that the extra officers gained by the Force from the 20,000 being funded by this Government are spread evenly across the 5 Boroughs.
- Ensuring that community groups who work to benefit us all in so many ways are properly supported and widening the victim support scheme to bring victims of serious Traffic offences within its scope.
- Expanding and properly utilising the willingness of our community to help directly by expanding and properly using the Special Constabulary.
Find out more at https://www.southportconservatives.org/conservative-pcc-candidate-bob-teesdale
On the same day as the PCC election, 22 of Wirral’s 66 council seats will be contested, as well as the Liverpool City Region Mayor.
Council elections will be taking place in all 22 Wirral wards:
Bebington – Bidston and St James – Birkenhead and Tranmere – Bromborough – Clatterbridge – Claughton – Eastham – Greasby, Frankby and Irby – Heswall – Hoylake and Meols – Leasowe and Moreton East – Liscard – Moreton West and Saughall Massie – New Brighton – Oxton – Pensby and Thingwall – Prenton – Rock Ferry – Seacombe – Upton – Wallasey – West Kirby and Thurstaston
The Liverpool City Region Mayoral election will also take place. The candidates are:
Gary Cargill, Green Party – Jade Marsden, Conservative – David Newman, Liberal Democrat – Steve Rotheram, Labour
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