Labour to abolish Police and Crime Commissioner posts by May 2016

The Sunday People reports this morning that Labour will abolish Police and Crime Commissioners if elected next year. A senior party source told the paper “They’re finished. The only question now is what we will replace them with”. The paper goes on to suggest that PCCs will cease to exist from May 2016.

The roles have come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks, with Shaun Wright refusing to quit as South Yorkshire PCC over the Rotherham child abuse scandal, Bedfordshire PCC Olly Martins suspended from the Labour Party after he admitted passing details about the death in custody of Leon Briggs to a Home Office worker and the West midlands PCC by-election having a turnout of only 10%.

Last year Yvette Cooper called for reform of the PCC system in response to the Stevens commission. It now seems that position may have hardened into outright abolition of the police posts, which will scarcely be missed….