Voters across our region have just over a week until the 2021 local elections.
As well as elections for council, the Liverpool mayoralty and the city region metro mayor, voters in Merseyside’s five boroughs will also pick a new police and crime commissioner (PCC).
Currently held by Jane Kennedy, the role aims to ensure the policing needs of communities within our region are met as effectively as possible.
The PCC also aims to represent in making sure that police are held to account by members of the public.
PCCs undertake a number of other key functions in conjunction with the police force itself, including setting the force’s budget.
They are also responsible for appointing or, if necessary dismissing, a chief constable.
One of the last major decisions in Ms Kennedy’s tenure was her appointment of Serena Kennedy as Merseyside’s new chief constable, marking the first time the force has been led by a woman.
The way police forces are structured means Halton, which votes with the other Merseyside boroughs in the metro mayoralty election, will vote in a separate election to pick a PCC.
The borough sits within Cheshire and will therefore take part in the election for a police and crime commissioner in that region instead.
Here are the candidates standing to be the next Merseyside PCC
- Kristofor Iain Brown, Liberal Democrats
- Emily Elizabeth Spurrell, Labour Party
- Bob Teesdale
- Malcolm James Webster, Reform UK
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