Ipswich councillor and former parliamentary candidate Elizabeth Hughes has been selected as Labour candidate to challenge Conservative Tim Passmore as Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner in next year’s election.
The election should have taken place in May this year, but all polls have been put off since the Covid-19 pandemic. That means that on May 6 next year there will be elections for county councils, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and some borough councillors in Ipswich and Colchester.
MORE: 2020 elections cancelled
Ms Hughes said she was proud to come from a police family – her father was a sergeant in the Metropolitan Police for more than 30 years and she has relatives who are serving police officers in Essex.
She said: “I’m delighted to be Labour’s candidate in this election. I’m looking forward to getting out and about across Suffolk when we can do so safely, to listen to people and their concerns and show why I’m the best choice to be the next Police and Crime Commissioner.
“I strongly believe that effective policing is a two-way covenant between the community and the police. It’s important to have a shared vision, achievable key performance indicators, strong quality culture, and firm political leadership, and, if I’m elected, I will provide this.
“I will work with communities across the county to tackle crime and its causes and work closely with my counterpart in Norfolk. I will be uncompromising in the fight against sexual violence against women, violence in the home, and all forms of modern slavery.
“I will not allow gang culture, drug dealing and county lines abuse to destroy young and vulnerable lives and damage our communities. I will work to make sure all our front-line officers and staff feel properly supported and valued.”
She was the Labour candidate for South Suffolk in last year’s general election and had fought the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich seat in 2017.
Mr Passmore was the first ever PCC for Suffolk when he was elected in 2012 – he won on the second count after trailing Labour’s Jane Basham in the first count.
Ballot papers are counted twice if no candidate wins an overall majority first time with all but the top two candidates eliminated in the second count.
Mr Passmore won a comfortable victory in the second election in 2016.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here