Merseyside’s Police Commissioner has today announced she will not be seeking re-election in May 2020.




Jane Kennedy informed the Labour Party this weekend that she would not be putting herself forward for re-selection after they asked incumbent Commissioners to make clear their intentions in time for selections to take place for the next election for Police and Crime Commissioners in May 2020.


Jane became Merseyside’s first Police and Crime Commissioner on November 22nd 2012 and was re-elected to serve a second term on May 6th 2015 with 61.7% of the vote.


During her six years as Commissioner, Jane has been a vocal opponent of cuts to policing and successfully campaigned against proposed budget cuts of up to 40% threatened by the then coalition government. She has also been instrumental in transforming Merseyside Police’s stations and buildings to ensure they are fit for purpose and for fighting crime. This has included overseeing the opening of the Force’s new Operational Command Centre in Speke, which is now the region’s major centre for tackling serious and organised crime.



She has also delivered support for thousands of victims of crime, through the Victim Care Merseyside service, which provides specialist support and care for victims of some of the most serious crimes, including rape and sexual assault, domestic abuse and child exploitation.


Jane said: “I have been immensely privileged and honoured to serve the people of Merseyside as their first Police and Crime Commissioner. Merseyside Police are the most effective and efficient urban police Force in the country, so say the inspectors of HMICFRS. I have been so very proud to work alongside them as their Commissioner.



“After considering it very carefully with my family, I have come to the decision that I will not stand for re-election next May. By that point, I will have served more than seven years as PCC, and I will be ready to step back from public life and hand over the responsibilities of this hugely important job to the next commissioner.


“I have made improving efficiency and driving vital funds to frontline policing a hallmark of my time as Commissioner. I’m pleased to say that – if nothing else – compared to my predecessors, I have reduced the cost of the scrutiny of the police on Merseyside by 43%. This has saved more than £1m each and every year. Money which has gone straight to Merseyside Police.



“There have been many other proud moments – thanking our former Chief Constable, Sir Jon Murphy, for 41 years of exemplary service as he too retired; appointing Chief Constable Andy Cooke QPM who is leading the Force admirably, despite the challenging circumstances; officially opening the new Operational Command Centre and securing public support for sweeping changes to the rest of the police estate and introducing Victim Care Merseyside which has provided vital support to many thousands of vulnerable victims of crime.


“While those are the headline events, there are so many other, day-to-day interactions with the officers, PCSOs and staff of Merseyside Police and the people I was elected to serve which have brought me great satisfaction and pleasure. To hear the everyday stories of bravery, dedication and service of the men and women who put on the uniform to serve the public of Merseyside has been an honour.”


Jane added: “I still have 14 months left in office and there is much more I wish to achieve. I will be working right up to the point that I handover to the next Commissioner and my campaign for fair funding for Merseyside Police will continue right up to that point.”


Prior to her time as Police and Crime Commissioner, Jane was an MP for 18 years, serving as a government Minister in six different departments. She was Britain’s first woman Security Minister, with responsibility for Policing in Northern Ireland, and the first woman to hold Ministerial office in the Lord Chancellor’s department with responsibility for magistrates, the judiciary and family law policy.

Read into that statement - I've squeezed this nice little earner for all I can get and the Chandlers have run out of replacement brass necks.

Good riddance. Shut the door on your way out.

She must have found an even deeper trough to dip her greedy snout into.

Most amusing to see the rightwhingers out in force - Tories and Lib Dems wanted PCCs, brought them in... then when they don't get the post, oh then it's a gravytrain posting etc etc... and all the while no mention of the total b*llsup the Tories and Lib Dems made by cutting 1 in 4 MerPol officers and 1 in 2 PCSOs... and now crime shooting up and they all want to deflect like crazy.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

Most amusing to see the rightwhingers out in force - Tories and Lib Dems wanted PCCs, brought them in... then when they don't get the post, oh then it's a gravytrain posting etc etc... and all the while no mention of the total b*llsup the Tories and Lib Dems made by cutting 1 in 4 MerPol officers and 1 in 2 PCSOs... and now crime shooting up and they all want to deflect like crazy.

The PCC's were forced on the nation. No-one wanted them in and no-one wants them now! There was a lame excuse for an election to which very few turned up for - and suddenly we are all burdened by the massive expense of people totally untrained in any law enforcement procedures and who have done absolutely nothing of any benefit. Get rid of all the PCC's and Metro mayors nationwide and bring in people who can earn their money.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

Most amusing to see the rightwhingers out in force - Tories and Lib Dems wanted PCCs, brought them in... then when they don't get the post, oh then it's a gravytrain posting etc etc... and all the while no mention of the total b*llsup the Tories and Lib Dems made by cutting 1 in 4 MerPol officers and 1 in 2 PCSOs... and now crime shooting up and they all want to deflect like crazy.

...and the political elite's doctrine of 'wring political capital out of anything, at any opportunity, no matter how tenuous the link' is enacted beautifully.

Do the politicos still wonder why the people are so disillusioned with them?

Still, those of us who refuse to be drawn under the mantle of those self serving, mantra chanting wally havens can now relax.
We can sit back and enjoy the sight of the Conservatives and Labour imploding (the Lib Dems will follow suit they're just a bit slow off the mark on this one).

With any luck a new style of consensus politics might emerge from the ashes.
A new type of politician could emerge - one who isn't as bent as a bottle of chips.
One who would actually answer the questions put to them rather than embark upon some 'toeing the party line' nonsense.
One who saw politics as a kind of vocation instead of a greasy pole to be ascended at any cost.
Who could, in the interests of the common good, see the positive aspects of what others believe instead of shouting them down because they are not in our gang - yes, it usually does come across as that childish.

An added bonus would be a reduction in the amount of apologists, party lap dogs - call them what you will - who leap at any opportunity to write, or speak, in wheedling tones about how awful the other lot are.

I can but hope.

Hopefully the post goes as should never politicise the emergency service as this post just spaws political fake news and press releases. This was an incredibly expensive organisation set up by the Lib Dem and conservative coalition. The backtracking by the local libs of how much they supported it speaks volumes on their integrity and why they should not be trusted in local or national government.

Originally Posted by said

The PCC's were forced on the nation. No-one wanted them in and no-one wants them now!

But it was your lot brought them in - most amusing Marvin... and you don't have a Metro Mayor anyway over there in Chester do you, or you trying to pretend you live over here again?

Originally Posted by gazaprop

...a.

I can but hope.

Obviously not all you can do - you can't 'arf spout some right twaddle at a prodigious rate as well tbf.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

Obviously not all you can do - you can't 'arf spout some right twaddle at a prodigious rate as well tbf.

...a well reasoned post from one of the aforementioned politico's apologists.

Originally Posted by gazaprop

...a well reasoned post from one of the aforementioned politico's apologists.

Most amusing... no need for an essay to point out that alt-right twaddle from you is simply that, there's enough evidence of it on this site let's be honest.

Anyway, getting back to how the Tories (and Lib Dems tbf) have devastated local policing and caused crime to surge and all the rightwhingers want to do is deflect...

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

Most amusing... no need for an essay to point out that alt-right twaddle from you is simply that, there's enough evidence of it on this site let's be honest.

Anyway, getting back to how the Tories (and Lib Dems tbf) have devastated local policing and caused crime to surge and all the rightwhingers want to do is deflect...

...without the aid and safety of a net - along with absolutely no assistance from me, you again live up to my first and last points.

You keep setting 'em up and I'll keep hitting 'em old fruit.

[QUOTE=gazaprop;6670280]...without the aid and safety of a net - along with absolutely no assistance from me, you again live up to my first and last points.

You keep setting 'em up and I'll keep hitting 'em old fruit.[/QUOTE

...ah, at last... your last couple of responses are getting mercifully shorter. Keep that up old fruit.