Labour candidate Emily Spurrell has been elected as Merseyside’s second Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

The former Mossley Hill Councillor and community safety lead for Liverpool City Council thanked voters across Merseyside after she took more than half the first preference count and was elected the winner by the Police Area Returning Office Tony Reeves at the Liverpool Tennis Centre in Wavertree. The result was declared just after 4pm today (Saturday 8th May).

Emily collected 178,875 votes, compared to Liberal Democrat candidate Cllr Kris Brown with 51,979 votes, Conservative candidate Bob Teesdale with 71,961 votes, and the Reform Party’s Mal Webster who received 11,662 votes.

With Emily taking more than all the other candidates combined, there was no need to go a second ballet.

Throughout her campaign, Emily has promised to deliver visible and accountable policing, give victims and communities a greater voice and push for a fairer and more effective criminal justice system.

Within her manifesto, she has pledged to introduce police scrutiny panels, hold regular public meetings with the Chief Constable, and give victims a louder voice by establishing a Victims’ Panel to give victims and survivors the opportunity to highlight how services can be improved and hold the police and her to account. She has also spoken of her commitment to working with key partners to create a Violence against Women and Girls strategy.

Emily said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the public of Merseyside have given me the mandate to serve as their next Police and Crime Commissioner.

“I promise to be a visible and proactive Police and Crime Commissioner, acting as a powerful voice on behalf of all the communities of Merseyside on policing and community safety issues. I want people to see the value and the importance of this role and I will demonstrate it over the next three years by standing up for our region and demanding better for local people.

“I’m also determined to give victims of crime a greater voice. Sadly too many victims still feel let down by the police because they have moved on to their next crime. I want people on Merseyside to feel the police and the criminal justice system is on their side and I will challenge all the agencies involved in this process to do better for the people they are there to protect.”

Emily will officially take office on Thursday 13th May.

Turnout for the election was 30.82% – up slightly from 2016 when the turnout was 30.2% and significantly higher than the first election, when the turnout was just 12.7%.

PCCs were introduced in 2012 to replace Police Authorities to act as a visible and accountable elected official working on behalf of the public on policing and community safety issues.

Their role includes appointing the Chief Constable, holding them to account on police performance on behalf of local people, setting the local police and crime priorities, and setting the police budget.

Jane Kennedy was first’s Police and Crime Commissioner, holding the post from November 2012. She officially remains in post until Wednesday 12th May, with the new Commissioner taking office the next day.

This is a totally unnecessary and costly role.
However, if we do have to have these people, why oh why does the position have to be politicised? People would have far more respect for a public official who was truly independent and put the needs of the community before those of his/her political party.