Crime commissioner candidate quits

AN independent candidate in the race to become South Yorkshire’s first police and crime commissioner has announced she is pulling out of the election due to lack of funds.

By The Newsroom

Published 15th Sep 2012, 07:00 BST

Gillian Radcliffe, a manager and management consultant who was previously head of press and public relations at South Yorkshire Police, said: “After several weeks of preparing for the campaign, I have come to the realisation that I cannot afford to continue.

“The resources necessary go far beyond the £5,000 deposit. I always expected to do things on a shoestring but, never having previously been involved in a public election, I was naive about how much it would cost to raise awareness of my credentials for the role and my policies.”

Elections will be held in November to select 41 police and crime commissioners, who will be responsible for overseeing the country’s police forces.

In South Yorkshire, candidates include Shaun Wright for Labour and Robert Teal for the Liberal Democrats.