Labour police commissioner candidates

The Conservative Party recently suspended their candidate choice after members complained that only one runner was approved to replace Matthew Ellis, who is stepping down after his second term as the Conservative commissioner for the county. The election is scheduled for May, 2020.

Mr Ellis previously beat Labour’s George Adamson in 2016 with 75,000 votes to 66,513.

Now, Labour have chosen Barry Downey, a former Fire Brigades Union boss and Councillor Tony Kearon, leader of Newcastle council’s opposition Labour group, to go head-to-head to run for the office.

Each candidate has provided 200 words detailing why they are the best pick. Labour members will be invited to hustings across the county in the run up to a final vote which will choose the party’s contender.

Mr Downey said: “I would make the best Labour candidate to fight the election because my 30 years’ experience as both an operational firefighter and latterly as a senior Fire Brigades Union national official with a track record of fighting public sector cuts and campaigning, make me ideally suited to engage with the public on their doorstep and successfully contest the election.

“As a lifelong socialist committed to getting a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour Party, with a radical transformative agenda, into Government and bringing socialist values to the local governance of these two vital emergency services, my campaign will resonate with the needs of our communities throughout Staffordshire.

“A Tory austerity driven rise in poverty, unemployment, inequality and homelessness has caused a surge in demand for Police and Fire Services which have suffered from a decade of budget cuts leading to huge job losses in both operational and, equally important, support staff. Merging the two services merely exacerbates the problem of fewer staff spread ever more thinly and struggling to cope.

“The PFCC must provide the additional financial resources needed to deliver a first-class level of response but also the vital and effective early intervention initiatives that our communities need and deserve.”

Mr Downey has been endorsed by the Unite union, the FBU regionally and locally, and his local Labour Party Branch.

Councillor Kearon said: “I put myself forward as a candidate for PFCC because the person who is elected in 2020 needs to have the skills, understanding and commitment to work with police, fire, councils, community groups and residents to deliver a safer Staffordshire for us all.

“As a councillor, I’ve chaired a community safety partnership, was cabinet member for community safety in Newcastle for five years and was a member of the county’s Police and Crime Panel, scrutinising the work of the commissioner. I’ve worked with partners and residents to help to support victims, prevent crime and make our communities safer on a shoestring budget.

“I was able to do these things as a councillor because it’s also what I do for a living. I’m a criminologist with over 20 years experience working with police, fire, government, councils, the NHS, charities, community groups, victims, and people who commit crime.

“Over the last few years we’ve all seen how cuts have impacted on services locally, and increased the burden on our emergency services. Our emergency services can’t carry on as the safety net. We need properly funded services, working together in an effective partnership for a safer Staffordshire. I think I’ve got the experience to make that happen.”

Councillor Kearon has been endorsed by Staffordshire’s Police Unison branch, who represent PCSOs, emergency call handlers, crime scene and forensic staff within the force.

Party members will have have the opportunity to vote for a chosen candidate after hustings take place in the coming months across the county.