West Midlands PCC role in line to be scrapped by 2020
The office of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner is in line to be scrapped under plans signed off by council leaders at a heated meeting.
Tory Mayor Andy Street wants the elected position, which is currently held by Labour's David Jamieson, to come under the mayoral remit from May 2020.
It comes after council leaders on the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) agreed to push through a move to ditch the role, which was outlined in the West Midlands second devolution deal.
They debated the process at a meeting of the WMCA board today.
Initially the board was divided over party lines on the issue, with Tory council leaders Mike Bird and Patrick Harley backing them.
Mr Bird told the meeting a failure to sign off on the merger could see the region 'lose out on devolution deal two' altogether.
On behalf of the office of the PCC, Assistant PCC Councillor Lynnette Kelly objected to the management of the process, saying the benefits of combining the two roles had not been made clear.
However, following an adjournment by Wolverhampton Council leader Roger Lawrence, an agreement was finally reached to move towards incorporating the PCC role within the duties of the Mayor.
Members also agreed to receive a further report on the governance review and scheme at the next WMCA board meeting in September.
Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward said: “All I’d ask for is recognition that the leg work needs to be done on this, so as not to end up back here in two months.
“I’ve always believed that compromise is the art of politics. So it’s really about the willingness of all of us to find a way forward here.”
The plans will go out to public consultation in November before being submitted to the Home Secretary in March next year.
