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Police and crime commissioner elections begin

Voters go to the polls in elections for 41 of England and Wales's first police and crime commissioners

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• Nicholas Watt and Hélène Mulholland
• guardian.co.uk, Thursday 15 November 2012 09.24 GMT

Police commissioners will be accountable for how crime is dealt with in their police forces. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

David Cameron faces one of the biggest electoral tests of his premiership on Thursday when voters go to the polls to elect 41 new police and crime commissioners in England and Wales.

In what is likely to be a challenging day for the Tories, three byelections are also being held, notably in the bellwether seat of Corby after the resignation of the novelist Louise Mensch.

The Tories are expected to struggle to retain Corby, which is invariably won by the victorious party at general elections. Mensch captured the seat from Labour at the last election with a majority of 1,951.

Downing Street is likely to dismiss a Labour victory in Corby as a classic example of a government's mid-term blues. But there may be questions about whether the Tories are a disciplined electoral force after the MP running the party's byelection supported a rival candidate who is opposed to onshore wind farms.

Theresa May said Chris Heaton-Harris was "guilty of some silly bragging" after he said that the possibility of a rival candidacy had hardened Tory opposition to wind farms. James Delingpole, the Telegraph columnist, decided not to stand when the new energy minister John Hayes signalled a government change of heart on wind farms.

The elections for the 41 new police and crime commissioners will be a battle between Labour and the Tories and a handful of independent candidates. The Liberal Democrats, who forced the elections to be delayed from the spring to the middle of November, are saying in private that they do not expect to have much of a presence of any of Thursday's elections.

Sam Chapman, of the TopOfTheCops website, estimates that Labour could pick up 19 of the new posts, with the Tories taking 14. Chapman says the other eight contests are too tight to call.

But the greatest challenge for Downing Street, which has staked its authority on the directly elected police commissioners, may be low turnout. The latest polls showed that turnout may be 25-30%. This is around the level of turnout in some local elections. But Labour, which regards the PCCs as a poor use of stretched resources, will use a low turnout to say that the government has failed to win support for a flagship policy.

The elections may see the return of former ministers to high profile office. Lord Prescott is standing to become the PCC in Humberside. The former solicitor general Vera Baird is standing in Northumbria. Michael Mates, the former Tory Northern Ireland minister, is standing in Hampshire.

In a column in the Daily Mirror, Prescott, urged people to come out and vote for Labour, while criticising the elections as a "total shambles".

He wrote that "providing too little information, holding it in cold, dark November with a helpline that doesn't work" was designed to keep voters at home. "David Cameron and his cronies don't want you to come out and stop them."

In addition to Corby, a byelection is being held in Cardiff South and Penarth, and another in Manchester Central. These were caused by the decision of their respective Labour MPs – Alun Michael and Tony Lloyd – to stand in the PCC elections.

Two other polls take place on Thursday. Voters in Bristol will directly elect a mayor after being the only one of 10 cities to back a change to the council cabinet model of governance in the referenda held in May. In Hartlepool, a referendum is being held to allow people to decide whether to keep the directly elected mayoral model already in place, following a unanimous vote by the full council.

Stuart Drummond famously became Hartlepool's first elected mayor in 2002 after standing as H'Angus the Monkey. Drummond, an independent, won a third term in 2009.

Police and crime commissioner poll: welcome to the invisible election

Polling stations in familiar venues – schools, church and village halls – were doing conspicuously less business than usual

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• • Michael White
  • The Guardian, Thursday 15 November 2012 20.40 GMT

One man and his dog at the polling station at Newton Heath Library in Manchester. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

As she passed Eastleigh rugby club's ground during Thursday's misty morning rush hour, the woman in the red woolly hat offered impeccable directions to the polling station at the Bishopstoke Methodist church hall in Sedgwick Road. Her sense of civic direction about the day's election for police and crime commissioners was less acute: "I'm not going to vote. I don't know much about it."

But all was not lost for the coalition's big idea for more responsive policing. A younger woman off to work at an Eastleigh pensions office expressed herself amazed "that no one bothered to campaign here. If you don't vote you can't complain. So I plan to spend my lunch break researching the candidates. My husband and I will vote tonight."

Across England and Wales such bewildered, irritated voters were far from alone. Welcome to the invisible election. In the Guardian's tour of three prosperous southern police authorities, there was not a poster in sight, not one PCC candidate, let alone an activist on a loudhailer urging voters to come out. Only familiar polling stations in familiar venues – schools, church and village halls – doing conspicuously less business than usual.

In Sedgwick Road's church hall, only a handful of voters arrived in 40 minutes, including Lesley and Malcolm Page who voted for Lib Dem David Goodall, not because this is Chris Huhne's seat, but because he seemed most experienced. "His father and brother served in the police," said Maureen Sprake, who voted there on her way to the dentist.

Across the county line in West Sussex – where the polling station in West Dean village, a bright pre-school portable building, had no customers at all during the Guardian's visit – busy Chichester looked underwhelmed. Jenny Cole swore she saw the Tory nominee, businesswoman Katy Bourne canvassing at the farmers' market last week, but had already decided on principle to vote for the independent, Ian Chisnall, rather than a party politician.

Polling station officials are always instructed to be discreet, but for much of theday they were quietly admitting that the usual voting patterns – the pre-work surge, the one after the school run, and again at lunchtime – weren't happening. So the Guardian was warmly welcomed everywhere – until officials realised its correspondent hadn't arrived to vote.

"It seems reasonably OK from where I'm standing," insisted Mark Heath, Hampshire's returning officer, who is obliged to sound positive. If his optimism was eventually fulfilled when 13 hours of polling ended, it will have been thanks to an ad hoc alliance of distinct special interests.

They included political anoraks, law and order types, old people and conscientious citizens of all ages who feel it is their duty to vote, often despite feeling as ill-informed about the whole PCC process as anyone else. It also helps to be internet savvy. With the government refusing to finance election literature for its own initiative – a source of widespread resentment – the only way to go has been online.

After casting his vote in the Territorial Army Hall in Farnham, Surrey, in mid-afternoon, Richard Marlow, a retired bookie's settler, explained: "I didn't think I would vote, then I decided it was my democratic duty because so many people fought for the vote years ago. I read the candidates' blurbs in the Farnham Herald and voted for the Ukip candidate [Robert Shatwell], not because of his party but because he's lived here for 40 years and been a police officer."

Simon Baynard, a young landscape gardener, who followed him out a few minutes later (the TA hall had an eight-voter surge around 3pm), said much the same ("I always vote") before voting for the Tory frontrunner – Farnham is in Jeremy Hunt's constituency – Julie Iles, with an independent, Peter Williams, his second choice.

Equally civic-minded was Jacqueline Hetherington who – very rare – got three election leaflets through the letter box and surprised herself by voting for a party candidate as best qualified to be Surrey's PCC.

Self-surprise was another oddity of this election, one that may confound the pundits when first and second preferences are counted on Friday afternoon. In a novelty contest, views are fluid. At Stedham Memorial Hall (was voting brisker because there was also a county council byelection?) another retired Sussex resident of military bearing surprised himself by voting "for the candidate [unnamed] who will uphold the law better than the Tory".

Another Stedham resident who planned to vote independent "found myself more impressed by a party candidate." At the Bitterne Park United Reformed church hall in suburban Southampton – usually Labour territory at election time – an angry old man said he had just voted Ukip to teach David Cameron a lesson for letting pension incomes fall – "mine down by £1,000". A blissfully happy old couple, Ann and Douglas Quick, did not complain at all ("we've had a wonderful life"), but would not vote for a party nominee for PCC either. Nor would Guardian readers Andrew and Angela Tuck, in Farnham. "I'm just suspicious about the whole procedure. It's just been dumped on us," said Tuck, a retired clergyman.

All in all it makes for a nerve-racking day ahead for Surrey's Iles, West Sussex's Bourne and for Colonel Michael Mates, ex-MP and minister, the Tory candidate in Hampshire. On paper, all three should win. But nothing feels certain. Candidates should brace themselves for shocks, pleasant as well as bad. The public mood is tetchy.

In Chichester, a 30-year police veteran turned Open University lecturer, Dr Tony Wakeford, agrees that policing should be more localised with fewer diktats from Whitehall. But he rages against the way the coalition has handled PCCs as "a total shambles, blatant party politics, it could be a recipe for disaster".

It wasn't what the prime minister and home secretary had in mind, but it's the prevailing view. "It's rubbish," said an old lady after voting in Bishopstoke. At the picturesque village of Sheet, in Jane Austen country, a man muttered to himself "this is a complete waste of time" before going in to vote.

If that is what diligent voters felt, just imagine what the apathetic majority must be thinking.

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• Police and crime commissioners ·
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• More on this story

• 

  None of the above: electorate spurns David Cameron's police polls

  Humiliation for PM after lowest ever turnout for national poll, while Labour romps home in Corby byelection

• Police commissioners will prove their worth, says David Cameron - video

• Corby, Cardiff and Manchester: full by-election results, 2012

• Typical police commissioner is white, male – and in for a rough ride

• Liberal Democrat wins PCC election … by standing as an independent

• High rates of spoilt ballot papers recorded

• Meet some of the winners, and a key loser

• Turnout low because public don't understand role, says police federation chairman

• Boost for Labour as 12% swing captures Corby from Tories

• Michael Mates investigated over Gypsy comment in PCC election statement

• Did you vote for a police and crime commissioner?

• Is the PCC election turnout the worst ever?

• Mayor H'Angus the Monkey finally loses his Hartlepool habitat

• Comment & analysis

• 

  Deborah Orr: few voted in the PCC elections, and I don't blame them

  It's arrogant of the Conservatives to establish these new police commissioners – the electorate has not provided a mandate for this

• John Harris: our parties must rid themselves of this stench of nepotism

• Editorial: Corby's candle in the wind

• Nicholas Watt: a blow for the Tories, or 'classic mid-term results'?

• PCCs: turnout is a lesser crime - the issue is how policing turns out

• Sunny Hundal: dire turnout in PCC elections is not just voter apathy

• Martin Rowson on the turnout in the PCC elections – cartoon

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16 November 2012 Last updated at 18:46 GMT

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Low turnout in police and crime commissioner elections

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These resdidents in the Bettws area of Newport explained to Nick Palit why they didn't vote.

Continue reading the main story

Police and crime commissioner elections

• Analysis: Nick Robinson
• At-a-glance: Who was elected?
• Reaction: What the press said
• Independents: The anti-politics brigade

The elections to appoint Wales' first police and crime commissioners (PCCs) have been marked by voter apathy.

The total number of votes was 344,213, a turnout of 14.9%.

Sources said there was a polling station in Newport where no votes were cast in the election for Gwent Police commissioner.

The Electoral Commission has said it will investigate the low turnout across England and Wales. The prime minister said PCCs had a mandate.

As these are the first commissioner elections direct comparisons are not possible, but turnout is well below assembly and general elections.

The total turnout figure does not include spoilt papers. In South Wales alone, there were 4,456.

Continue reading the main story

PCC election turnout

Gwent: 14%

Dyfed-Powys: 16.4%

North Wales: 14.8%

South Wales: 14.7%

WALES TOTAL: 14.9%

The head of the Electoral Commission in Wales, Kay Jenkins, said the low turnout would be of concern to anybody who cares about democracy.

The watchdog says it disagrees with a series of decisions by UK government.

The first result came from Dyfed-Powys, where Conservative Christopher Salmon won a two-horse race with Labour.

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Alun Michael says electors should have been given more information about PCCs

He won with a majority of 1,114 over former Labour Welsh assembly agriculture minister Christine Gwyther. The turnout was 16.4%.

In the North Wales Police area turnout was 14.8%, ranging from 12.24% in the Wrexham area to 17.85% on Anglesey.

Independent Winston Roddick, a barrister and former senior legal adviser to the Welsh assembly, won after a count of second-preference votes.

Turnout across Gwent was 14%. Newport council declined to name the polling station where no one voted, but BBC Wales understands it was in the Bettws ward.

Former police officer Ian Johnston, an independent candidate, beat the Labour challenger Hamish Sandison after the second preferences were counted.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis Betsan Powys Political editor, Wales, at the south Wales count in Port Talbot

---

Alun Michael says the blame for the low turnout should be laid at the door of the UK government.

He says the way the election has been held is a "disgrace".

I popped out - it's very quiet here - to talk to shoppers outside the civic centre in Port Talbot and heard much the same over and over again.

People simply didn't feel well enough informed to go out and vote. Very few were really dying to know who has won.

They said that they were well aware that they had a vote. They knew they could got out and vote. They just didn't have the information and didn't feel able to use that vote.

• Read more from Betsan

The final result came in theSouth Wales Police area, served by Wales' biggest force, where former Labour minister Alun Michael beat independent candidate Michael Baker in a second round of counting.

Turnout across south Wales was 14.7%. Of the individual council areas, Merthyr Tydfil had the lowest turnout at 11.9% and the Vale of Glamorgan the highest at 19.62%.

There had been warnings about low turnout throughout the campaign for the elections.

Prime Minister David Cameron insisted that PCCs do have a mandate, and said: "Look, turnout was always going to be low when you are electing a new post for the first time.

"But remember, these police and crime commissioners are replacing organisations that weren't directly elected at all."

Stephen Brooks, director of the Electoral Reform Society in Wales, said: "With a projected all-Wales turn-out of around 15% it's clear that the Home Office failed to do its home work.

Former Police Minister Alun Michael, the Labour candidate in south Wales, said the way the elections had been set up had been a "disgrace."

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The BBC's Hywel Griffith said that at one polling station in Newport no votes were cast

Caerphilly MP Wayne David tweeted that after verification in his constituency, "some ballot boxes had no votes in them".

Voters went to the polls on Thursday when elections were held in all parts of England and Wales outside London.

The newly-created commissioners, who replace unelected police authorities, will have the power to set budgets and appoint chief constables. They will not be responsible for day-to-day operations.

The supplementary vote system was used where there were more than two candidates, with voters marking the ballot paper with a first and second choice of candidate.

위키피디어http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_and_Wales_Police_and_Crime_Commissioner_elections,_2012 England and Wales Police and Crime Commissioner elections, 2012

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

---

15 November 2012

→ 2016

37 Police and Crime Commissioners in England 4 Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales
	First party	Second party	Third party
Leader	David Cameron	Ed Miliband
Party	Conservative	Labour	Independent
Leader since	6 December 2005	25 September 2010
Seat change	16	13	12
Popular vote	1,480,323	1,716,024	1,238,983
Commissioners	16	13	12
Commissioners +/–

---

The 41 police force areas within England and Wales where elections were held

The 2012 Police and Crime Commissioner elections were polls held in most police areas in England and Wales on Thursday 15 November.^[1][2] The direct election of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) was originally scheduled for May 2012^[3] but was postponed in order to secure the passage of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 through the House of Lords.^[4] The Government considers the elected Commissioners to have a stronger mandate than the "unelected and invisible police authorities that they replace".^[5] The elections took place alongside by-elections for the House of Commons in Cardiff South and Penarth, Corby and Manchester Central, and a mayoral election in Bristol.

Police and Crime Commissioner elections were for 41 of the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales;^[6] only the City of London Police and Metropolitan Police were not involved (the elected Mayor of London is classed as the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police Area, while the Court of Common Council serves the role for the City Police^[7]). Elections for Police and Crime Commissioners did not take place in Scotland or Northern Ireland as policing and justice powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

The elections were marked by very low turnouts, between 10–20%, and high numbers of spoilt votes, sparking a debate about their legitimacy and organisation.^[8] The day after the election, former Home Secretary Charles Clarke suggested that, because of the low turnout and high number of spoilt ballot papers, there was no popular mandate for the new commissioners. The Electoral Commission said that it would be reviewing the results.^[9]

Contents

 [hide] 

• 1 Election details
• 2 Electoral Commission
• 3 Party positions
  • 3.1 Party funding
• 4 Turnout
• 5 Results
  • 5.1 Summary
  • 5.2 England
    • 5.2.1 Avon and Somerset Constabulary
      • 5.2.1.1 Breakdown of turnout
    • 5.2.2 Bedfordshire Police
      • 5.2.2.1 Breakdown of turnout
    • 5.2.3 Cambridgeshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.4 Cheshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.5 Cleveland Police
    • 5.2.6 Cumbria Constabulary
    • 5.2.7 Derbyshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.8 Devon and Cornwall Police
    • 5.2.9 Dorset Police
    • 5.2.10 Durham Constabulary
    • 5.2.11 Essex Police
    • 5.2.12 Gloucestershire Constabulary
    • 5.2.13 Greater Manchester Police
    • 5.2.14 Hampshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.15 Hertfordshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.16 Humberside Police
    • 5.2.17 Kent Police
    • 5.2.18 Lancashire Constabulary
    • 5.2.19 Leicestershire Constabulary
    • 5.2.20 Lincolnshire Police
    • 5.2.21 Merseyside Police
    • 5.2.22 Norfolk Constabulary
    • 5.2.23 North Yorkshire Police
    • 5.2.24 Northamptonshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.25 Northumbria Police
    • 5.2.26 Nottinghamshire Police
    • 5.2.27 South Yorkshire Police
    • 5.2.28 Staffordshire Police
    • 5.2.29 Suffolk Constabulary
    • 5.2.30 Surrey Police
    • 5.2.31 Sussex Police
    • 5.2.32 Thames Valley Police
    • 5.2.33 Warwickshire Police
    • 5.2.34 West Mercia Police
    • 5.2.35 West Midlands Police
    • 5.2.36 West Yorkshire Police
    • 5.2.37 Wiltshire Police
  • 5.3 Wales
    • 5.3.1 Dyfed-Powys Police
    • 5.3.2 Gwent Police
    • 5.3.3 North Wales Police
    • 5.3.4 South Wales Police
• 6 References
• 7 External links

[edit] Election details

England and Wales Police and Crime Commission voter turnout 2012.

Commissioners will have a set four year term of office and term limits of two terms.^[10]

The election took place using the supplementary vote system with voters marking the ballot paper with their first and second choice of candidate. If no candidate got a majority of first preference votes, the top two candidates went on to a second round when second preference votes of the eliminated candidates were allocated to them to produce a winner. This is the system used to elect London's mayor.^[11] Section 57 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 directs that the voting system would be First past the post if there are only two candidates for a specific Commissioner region. (This was the case in the North Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Dyfed-Powys police force areas)^[12]

A dedicated website was launched providing information on all candidates^[13] from which voters could request hardcopy information leaflets printed to order.^[14][15]

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in England and Wales (except London) who were aged 18 or over on Thursday 15 November 2012 were entitled to vote in the PCC elections.^[16] Those who were temporarily away from their ordinary address (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) could still vote in the PCC elections.^[17] Those who were registered to vote at more than one address (such as a university student who has a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) were entitled to vote in the PCC elections at each address, as long as they are not in the same police force area.^[18]

The deadline to register to vote in the PCC elections was midnight on Wednesday 31 October 2012, though anyone who qualified as an anonymous elector had until midnight on Thursday 8 November 2012 to register.^[19] Nominations for candidates closed at midday on Friday 19 October 2012, while the official list of nominated candidates was published on Tuesday 23 October 2012.^[20]

[edit] Electoral Commission

On 11 September 2012 the Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog in the UK, announced it would run a public awareness campaign from Monday 22 October 2012 until polling day 15 November 2012. A booklet was sent to every household in England and Wales with factual information on the PCC elections. The Commission also published a briefing note setting out the steps that needed to be taken to ensure the Police and Crime Commissioner elections were well run.^[21] Jenny Watson, Chair of the Electoral Commission said: “While we don’t agree with the decisions taken by the Government about how to make people aware of these elections, it’s now time to focus on making the arrangements work for voters."^[22]

[edit] Party positions

Liberal Democrat Candidates in England and Wales.

UKIP Candidates in England and Wales.

Both Labour and the Conservatives fielded candidates in all 41 elections, while the Liberal Democrats fielded 24 candidates (all in England) and UKIP fielded 23 candidates in England and one in North Wales. The English Democrats fielded five candidates, the Green Party had just one candidate, and the British Freedom Party also had one candidate. Plaid Cymru did not stand any candidates for the four Welsh constabularies. There were 57 other candidates; 54 stood as independents and three stood under other labels (Justice and Anti-Corruption, Campaign to Stop Politicians Running Policing and Zero Tolerance Policing ex Chief).

[edit] Party funding

Candidates standing for election were required to post a £5,000 deposit, which was returned if they received at least 5 per cent of the vote.

The Labour Party initially considered not fielding candidates under party colours in favour of independent candidates, claiming that running candidates would politicise police forces.^[23] However the Party subsequently changed its position, letting candidates stand as Labour candidates and funding their deposits.

The Conservative Party Central Office did not provide any funding for Conservative candidates, leaving them to either fund deposits out of their own pockets or be funded by local Conservative associations. ^[24]

The Liberal Democrats Federal Executive Committee voted against providing funds for regional parties who wished to stand candidates.^[25]

[edit] Turnout

Turnout was low for the elections across England and Wales, being below 20% in most areas.^[26] Lack of information (both on the election itself and from the candidates), divided public opinion and the November timing of the election were cited as factors for this.^[27]

[edit] Results

[edit] Summary

Summary of the November 2012 England and Wales Police and Crime Commissioner election results

Political Party		1st Round				2nd Round				Commissioners
		Candidates	Votes	%	Elected	Candidates	Votes	%	Elected	No.	%
	Conservative	41	1,480,323	27.63%	3	26	1,311,815	38.42%	13	16	39%
	Labour	41	1,716,024	32.03%	5	22	1,081,718	31.68%	8	13	32%
	Independent	52	1,238,983	23.13%	0	16	932,706	27.32%	11	11	27%
	Other	3	86,166	1.61%	0	2	87,879	2.57%	1	1	2%
	Liberal Democrat	24	383,887	7.17%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
	UKIP	24	375,587	7.01%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
	English Democrats	5	59,308	1.11%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
	British Freedom	1	8,675	0.16%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
	Green	1	8,484	0.16%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
Total		192	5,357,437	100.00%	8	66	3,414,118	100.00%	33	41	100%
Rejected Votes
Eliminated Votes			0
Total Polled
Electorate
Turnout

[edit] England

England and Wales Police and Crime Commissioner elections, 2012

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

---

15 November 2012

→ 2016

37 Police and Crime Commissioners in England 4 Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales
	First party	Second party	Third party
Leader	David Cameron	Ed Miliband
Party	Conservative	Labour	Independent
Leader since	6 December 2005	25 September 2010
Seat change	16	13	12
Popular vote	1,480,323	1,716,024	1,238,983
Commissioners	16	13	12
Commissioners +/–

---

The 41 police force areas within England and Wales where elections were held

The 2012 Police and Crime Commissioner elections were polls held in most police areas in England and Wales on Thursday 15 November.^[1][2] The direct election of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) was originally scheduled for May 2012^[3] but was postponed in order to secure the passage of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 through the House of Lords.^[4] The Government considers the elected Commissioners to have a stronger mandate than the "unelected and invisible police authorities that they replace".^[5] The elections took place alongside by-elections for the House of Commons in Cardiff South and Penarth, Corby and Manchester Central, and a mayoral election in Bristol.

Police and Crime Commissioner elections were for 41 of the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales;^[6] only the City of London Police and Metropolitan Police were not involved (the elected Mayor of London is classed as the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police Area, while the Court of Common Council serves the role for the City Police^[7]). Elections for Police and Crime Commissioners did not take place in Scotland or Northern Ireland as policing and justice powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

The elections were marked by very low turnouts, between 10–20%, and high numbers of spoilt votes, sparking a debate about their legitimacy and organisation.^[8] The day after the election, former Home Secretary Charles Clarke suggested that, because of the low turnout and high number of spoilt ballot papers, there was no popular mandate for the new commissioners. The Electoral Commission said that it would be reviewing the results.^[9]

Contents

 [hide] 

• 1 Election details
• 2 Electoral Commission
• 3 Party positions
  • 3.1 Party funding
• 4 Turnout
• 5 Results
  • 5.1 Summary
  • 5.2 England
    • 5.2.1 Avon and Somerset Constabulary
      • 5.2.1.1 Breakdown of turnout
    • 5.2.2 Bedfordshire Police
      • 5.2.2.1 Breakdown of turnout
    • 5.2.3 Cambridgeshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.4 Cheshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.5 Cleveland Police
    • 5.2.6 Cumbria Constabulary
    • 5.2.7 Derbyshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.8 Devon and Cornwall Police
    • 5.2.9 Dorset Police
    • 5.2.10 Durham Constabulary
    • 5.2.11 Essex Police
    • 5.2.12 Gloucestershire Constabulary
    • 5.2.13 Greater Manchester Police
    • 5.2.14 Hampshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.15 Hertfordshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.16 Humberside Police
    • 5.2.17 Kent Police
    • 5.2.18 Lancashire Constabulary
    • 5.2.19 Leicestershire Constabulary
    • 5.2.20 Lincolnshire Police
    • 5.2.21 Merseyside Police
    • 5.2.22 Norfolk Constabulary
    • 5.2.23 North Yorkshire Police
    • 5.2.24 Northamptonshire Constabulary
    • 5.2.25 Northumbria Police
    • 5.2.26 Nottinghamshire Police
    • 5.2.27 South Yorkshire Police
    • 5.2.28 Staffordshire Police
    • 5.2.29 Suffolk Constabulary
    • 5.2.30 Surrey Police
    • 5.2.31 Sussex Police
    • 5.2.32 Thames Valley Police
    • 5.2.33 Warwickshire Police
    • 5.2.34 West Mercia Police
    • 5.2.35 West Midlands Police
    • 5.2.36 West Yorkshire Police
    • 5.2.37 Wiltshire Police
  • 5.3 Wales
    • 5.3.1 Dyfed-Powys Police
    • 5.3.2 Gwent Police
    • 5.3.3 North Wales Police
    • 5.3.4 South Wales Police
• 6 References
• 7 External links

[edit] Election details

England and Wales Police and Crime Commission voter turnout 2012.

Commissioners will have a set four year term of office and term limits of two terms.^[10]

The election took place using the supplementary vote system with voters marking the ballot paper with their first and second choice of candidate. If no candidate got a majority of first preference votes, the top two candidates went on to a second round when second preference votes of the eliminated candidates were allocated to them to produce a winner. This is the system used to elect London's mayor.^[11] Section 57 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 directs that the voting system would be First past the post if there are only two candidates for a specific Commissioner region. (This was the case in the North Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Dyfed-Powys police force areas)^[12]

A dedicated website was launched providing information on all candidates^[13] from which voters could request hardcopy information leaflets printed to order.^[14][15]

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in England and Wales (except London) who were aged 18 or over on Thursday 15 November 2012 were entitled to vote in the PCC elections.^[16] Those who were temporarily away from their ordinary address (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) could still vote in the PCC elections.^[17] Those who were registered to vote at more than one address (such as a university student who has a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) were entitled to vote in the PCC elections at each address, as long as they are not in the same police force area.^[18]

The deadline to register to vote in the PCC elections was midnight on Wednesday 31 October 2012, though anyone who qualified as an anonymous elector had until midnight on Thursday 8 November 2012 to register.^[19] Nominations for candidates closed at midday on Friday 19 October 2012, while the official list of nominated candidates was published on Tuesday 23 October 2012.^[20]

[edit] Electoral Commission

On 11 September 2012 the Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog in the UK, announced it would run a public awareness campaign from Monday 22 October 2012 until polling day 15 November 2012. A booklet was sent to every household in England and Wales with factual information on the PCC elections. The Commission also published a briefing note setting out the steps that needed to be taken to ensure the Police and Crime Commissioner elections were well run.^[21] Jenny Watson, Chair of the Electoral Commission said: “While we don’t agree with the decisions taken by the Government about how to make people aware of these elections, it’s now time to focus on making the arrangements work for voters."^[22]

[edit] Party positions

Liberal Democrat Candidates in England and Wales.

UKIP Candidates in England and Wales.

Both Labour and the Conservatives fielded candidates in all 41 elections, while the Liberal Democrats fielded 24 candidates (all in England) and UKIP fielded 23 candidates in England and one in North Wales. The English Democrats fielded five candidates, the Green Party had just one candidate, and the British Freedom Party also had one candidate. Plaid Cymru did not stand any candidates for the four Welsh constabularies. There were 57 other candidates; 54 stood as independents and three stood under other labels (Justice and Anti-Corruption, Campaign to Stop Politicians Running Policing and Zero Tolerance Policing ex Chief).

[edit] Party funding

Candidates standing for election were required to post a £5,000 deposit, which was returned if they received at least 5 per cent of the vote.

The Labour Party initially considered not fielding candidates under party colours in favour of independent candidates, claiming that running candidates would politicise police forces.^[23] However the Party subsequently changed its position, letting candidates stand as Labour candidates and funding their deposits.

The Conservative Party Central Office did not provide any funding for Conservative candidates, leaving them to either fund deposits out of their own pockets or be funded by local Conservative associations. ^[24]

The Liberal Democrats Federal Executive Committee voted against providing funds for regional parties who wished to stand candidates.^[25]

[edit] Turnout

Turnout was low for the elections across England and Wales, being below 20% in most areas.^[26] Lack of information (both on the election itself and from the candidates), divided public opinion and the November timing of the election were cited as factors for this.^[27]

[edit] Results

[edit] Summary

Summary of the November 2012 England and Wales Police and Crime Commissioner election results

Political Party		1st Round				2nd Round				Commissioners
		Candidates	Votes	%	Elected	Candidates	Votes	%	Elected	No.	%
	Conservative	41	1,480,323	27.63%	3	26	1,311,815	38.42%	13	16	39%
	Labour	41	1,716,024	32.03%	5	22	1,081,718	31.68%	8	13	32%
	Independent	52	1,238,983	23.13%	0	16	932,706	27.32%	11	11	27%
	Other	3	86,166	1.61%	0	2	87,879	2.57%	1	1	2%
	Liberal Democrat	24	383,887	7.17%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
	UKIP	24	375,587	7.01%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
	English Democrats	5	59,308	1.11%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
	British Freedom	1	8,675	0.16%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
	Green	1	8,484	0.16%	0	0	0	0.00%	0	0	0%
Total		192	5,357,437	100.00%	8	66	3,414,118	100.00%	33	41	100%
Rejected Votes
Eliminated Votes			0
Total Polled
Electorate
Turnout

[edit] England