Voters do not want ex-MPs as ‘top cops’, May warns

The Home Secretary has delivered a veiled swipe at Lord Prescott of Hull and other former MPs who are standing this November in the country’s first-ever Police Commissioner elections.

Theresa May said yesterday that she does not believe voters will want to see “former Members of Parliament” taking control of police forces when they head to the polls later this year.

Labour this week became the first party to formally announce its list of candidates for the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections, with many of those standing for the party either ex-MPs or existing members of the local police authority.

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The highest-profile was former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott, who hopes to become the new head of Humberside Police.

In a barely-veiled attack on his and other nominations, Mrs May said: “The list of Labour candidates has a very large number of former members of Parliament.. I’m not sure that an awful lot of people out there are really into wanting to vote for former members of Parliament for anything.”

Some backbench Conservatives are concerned the decision to introduce local democracy into the policing system could well backfire on their party, fearing low poll rating mean Labour candidates could win powerful jobs up and down the country.

But Mrs May rejected any suggestion this would mean the policy was a failure for the Tories, telling journalists: “It’s up to voters who they elect, that’s the whole point of democracy. Politicians shouldn’t go round saying they like democracy - unless someone else gets elected.

“I think it is important and I’m already beginning to see at local level people showing more interest in this as something that will genuinely give them that local voice in policing.”

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