Vote 2024 - Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Elections

On Thursday 2nd of May we have elections across the country for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The THREE candidates that are up for election are:

Martyn Emberson - Conservative and Unionist Party

Ana Savage Gunn - Liberal Democrats

Danielle Stone - Labour and Co-operative party

NLive Radio is working in partnership with the University of Northampton's Multimedia Journalism and Multimedia Sports Journalism students to provide coverage of the elections, the hustings, as well as material on our website and social media.

Hustings

NLive Radio will be holding a hustings on Thursday 25th of April, you will be able to watch it LIVE here on YouTube from 3pm and it will also be broadcast from 6pm on NLive Radio 106.9fm across Northampton, and via our online streams.

Listen again to the hustings here

Candidate Election Statements

All candidates have been offered the opportunity to provide a statement for publication you can find those below.

Martyn Emberson - Conservative and Unionist Party

I'm Martyn Emberson, the Conservative candidate for Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner. With 34 years in the Fire Service, including 9 as Chief Fire Officer in Northamptonshire, I introduced world leading technology and the modern integrated emergency services that are currently keeping us safe.  As the late Queen Elizabeth's Chief Inspector of the Fire Service in Scotland, I held the UK's largest service accountable. For 9 years, I've also served as a magistrate in Northamptonshire, witnessing the impact of crime firsthand. I have professional knowledge of all the emergency services and a proven track record of holding them to account,

I believe that no criminal behaviour is acceptable and that our Police Force should enforce all laws, dealing with the most prolific and serious first.  Our Fire and Rescue Service should proactively enable us to protect ourselves from all forms of danger and deal quickly and effectively with emergency incidents.

Under Conservative leadership, Northamptonshire has seen:

• Record numbers of Police officers.
• Increased neighbourhood police visibility.
• Reductions in knife crime, violence, and anti-social behaviour.
• Investment in ANPR cameras leading to more arrests and seizures.
• £5m extra funding for the Fire Service, boosting firefighters and equipment.
• Combined Police and Fire facilities for efficient frontline service.
• Support for local victims and witnesses of crime.
• Community grants and sponsored PCSO schemes.
• £17m in grants for community safety and youth interventions.

It is time to take it to the next level, under my leadership.

My priorities are:

• Strong, visible leadership for Emergency Services.
• Developing a new 'Police, Fire, and Crime Plan' with public input.
• Zero tolerance on crime, with focus on knife crime, drugs, cybercrime, and domestic violence.
• Timely responses from Fire and Police, prioritising support for vulnerable groups.
• Improved team collaboration for safer communities.
• Enhanced support for frontline staff.

There is more to do, and I have the experience, knowledge, and commitment to drive this forward, with you, for our benefit.

As Martyn Emberson did not attend the hustings his campaign have provided the audio below of him.

Ana Savage Gunn - Liberal Democrats

The Commissioner's office is in free fall after repeated scandals. The Police Chief is suspended, and the Fire Chief can't take up their post as they are being investigated.

Public belief has been severely shaken. Morale within the services is at an all-time low. It is an almighty and embarrassing mess.

However, I believe I have a unique set of skills that can turn this around.

• I was a Senior Police Officer in the 90's here in Northants.
• An International Law Enforcement Consultant.
• Head hunted to be a Security Consultant for the Olympics.
• I am woman of integrity. When covid lockdown hit I worked in my Mum's carehome. I nursed many covid residents. Sadly, we lost 4 of 12 on my floor.
• I managed a National Covid Vaccination Centre in Moulton, Northampton for 3 years.

I believe I have the respect, knowledge and WILL to turn this around.

The Office of the Commissioner needs a total re-boot.

• I will perform a forensic look at the 7 million that Commissioner takes straight off the top of the Police and Fire budgets.
• I will appoint a Chief Fire Officer that actually has fire experience.
• I will raise morale and give the officers and public a Commissioner and Chief officers that they feel proud of.
• I will provide resources so that we can Improve response times and crime investigation.

It will be hard work. It will take every hour of the four years to rebuild our services.

The people of Northamptonshire have been through enough. Help me fix this. 

Danielle Stone - Labour and Co-operative party

Labour Candidate for Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Northants.

We have a police service that failed its inspection in 2019. Today, the service still requires improvement in the all-important category of “Investigating Crime”.

We have an under-resourced fire service, with fewer than half of the 28 vehicles available for use most of the time, because crew levels are so low.

Crime figures for the County are shocking. 28% above the national average. Serious violent and sexual crimes have gone up.

We have 1.9 police per 1000 head of population; way under the recommended level of 3.5

Knife crime has become an urgent issue for us to tackle.

The closure of services for families and young people, years of austerity and the cost-of-living-crisis has made that much worse.

We have county lines across the county. As one is closed down, another starts up- grooming our children, offering them a way out of poverty.

Danielle will  

• Work with multi-agency partners to rebuild community and prevent crime
• Make our streets safer with police back on the beat
• Tackle retail crime, ending the £200 rule which means shoplifters evade justice
• Rebuild trust in services and ensure Fire and Police maintain distinct roles
• Improve response times for both services
• Reduce violence against women and girls with a new perpetrators programme and Domestic Abuse specialists
• Invest in technologies to reduce cyber-crime, fraud, and modern slavery

A life-long community activist, a teacher, education officer and elected Councillor, Danielle will be the people's voice, scrutinising both services, and supporting the improvement journey everyone desperately needs.

Candidate Profiles

Written by the Journalism Students

Martyn Emberson: Conservative candidate

Background 

Aims / priorities if elected 

Personal information

Ana Savage Gunn: Liberal Democrat candidate

Background: 

• Police officer in Wellingborough during the 1980s
• Senior Police Officer in Northants in the 1990s.
• Served as firearms officer but had to retire for medical reasons in 1996.
• International law enforcement consultant in the United States.
• Security manager at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
• Worked at a care home during the pandemic
• Board member of the Northamptonshire  Carers

Aims: 

• Would review Commissioner spending to ensure value for money. She will also bring in some jobs in house so that money from the public doesn't end up going to private companies.
• Would put more money into the front end of policing
• Focus on youth and early intervention. She would support local youth groups, sports clubs, schools, and art groups.
• Improve response times. She would be put money into front-line policing to improve response times and early investigation.
• Boost morale. She would try to remotivate the Police and Fire staff to create new trust and motivation.
• Lead by example. Be a commissioner the service can be proud of.
• Wants a Fire Chief who has experience in fire fighting and incident response – the prospective new Fire Chief is a former police officer.

Personal information: 

• www.anasavagegunnpfcc.co.uk
• www.facebook.com/anasgunnforpfcc
• X: @SavageGunn
• 62 years old

Past election results: 

• She ran in the last Police, Fire, and Crime commissioner election and finished third with 15% of the vote.
• Ran in the 2024 Wellingborough by-election for Lib Dems and came 4^th with 1,422 votes 4.7% of the vote

Danielle Stone: Labour candidate

Background:

• Extensive council experience in Northants
• Led the Labour Group for six years, was finance spokesperson for eight years and shadow shadow cabinet member for children's services.
• She now sits on planning committee.
• Worked in Northamptonshire as an education officer which included setting up the Study Support Service for schools and communities.
• Member of the GMB union which is a trades union and a part of the Cooperative party.
• Campaigned for safer streets and communities in Northamptonshire

Aims/priorities:

• Key priority is to keep everyone safe.
• She wants people to feel safe in their homes, neighbourhoods, schools, and at work.
• For this she says we will need properly resourced, well run, responsive police, and fire services, working closely with partners in Local Authorities, community organisations and health.
• Also wants more CCTV
• wants transparency with the Northamptonshire Police with key meetings held in public, streamed, and recorded, save for items relating to personal information.
• Wants action to tackle knife crime in Northamptonshire.
• Promises more support for domestic abuse agencies and victims.
• Pledges to be the people's voice by scrutinising the police and fire service as well as rebuild trust within the services to maintain their roles.

Personal information:

• 74 years old.
• She is an elected Northamptonshire Labour councillor and has been since 2011 and represents Castle ward
•  

POLICE, FIRE & CRIME COMMISSIONERS – WHAT ARE THEY ALL ABOUT?

By Andy Durrant 

Northamptonshire goes to the polls on Thursday May 2 to elect a new Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner to replace the outgoing Stephen Mold, who is standing down.

1. What is a Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner?

It's an elected politician who oversees the Police force and since 2021 has held responsibility for the Fire & Rescue service as well. The role is often held by, but not restricted to, a member of a political party.

1. What are the powers of the commissioner?

On the policing side, they are responsible for how an area is policed, setting the budget for the force, setting how much council tax goes to the police (the police precept) and for hiring (or firing) the chief constable of the force.

Their responsibilities on the fire side are broadly similar; they set the objectives of the fire service for their area and appoint a chief fire officer, as well as setting the budget.

     3) Why were they introduced, and what did they replace?

They were introduced by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government after both parties pledged in their manifestos for the 2010 general election to reform existing police authorities. Police authorities were nominated bodies made up of a range of local councillors, magistrates and community leaders. 

     4) When was the first commissioner election in Northamptonshire?

The first election for Northamptonshire Police & Crime Commissioner was held on the 15^th November 2012, and was won by Adam Simmonds of the Conservative Party.

The first two elections in 2012 and 2016 were for Police & Crime Commissioners. In 2021, the role was enlarged to become Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner.

     5) What voting method is used?

For the first time this year, the first-past-the-post system will be used to decide the winner in Northamptonshire. This is the simplest voting system. The winner is the candidate with the most votes. For the first three elections in 2012, 2016 and 2021, the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system was used when voters could also flag their second choice candidate. 

     6) Who is standing in this year's election?

There are three candidates standing for election. In alphabetical order by surname, they are: 

     7) How and where can I vote?

All registered voters will receive a polling card telling them where they can cast their vote. Photo ID will need to be produced at the polling station to get a ballot paper; acceptable forms of ID can be found here. Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.

     8) When will we know the result?

Counting will begin on the Friday lunchtime, with the result expected at some point that afternoon. 

RESULTS OF PREVIOUS ELECTIONS

15 November 2012 (Single transferable vote)

First round

Adam Simmonds (CON) 30,436 (30.08%)

Lee Barron (LAB) 25,098 (24.81%) #

John Norrie (INDEPENDENT) 19,276 (19.05%)

Jim MacArthur (UKIP) 18,963 (18.74%)

Paul Varnsverry (LIB DEM) 7,394 (7.31%)

Turnout – 101,167 (19.50%)

Rejected ballots – 3,474 (3.32%)

Total votes – 104,641 (20.17%)

Registered electors – 518,829

Second round

Adam Simmonds (CON) 10,487 transferred – 40,923 total (57.3%)

Lee Barron (LAB) 5,453 transferred – 30,551 total (42.7%) #

ADAM SIMMONDS (CON) WINS, MAJORITY 10,372.

# Lee Barron, the Labour candidate, withdrew on 31 October 2012, after revealing that he had committed a minor offence in 1990, which meant that he would be ineligible to take up the post if elected. As he missed the official deadline to withdraw, his name still appeared on the ballot paper as the Labour Party candidate.

5 May 2016 (Single transferable vote)

First round

Stephen Mold (CON) 46,785 (40.5%)

Kevin McKeever (LAB) 41,015 (35.5%)

Sam Watts (UKIP) 27,708 (23.9%)

Turnout – 115,508

Second round

Stephen Mold (CON) 11,390 transferred – 58,175 total (54.2%)

Kevin McKeever (LAB) 8,146 transferred – 49,161 total (45.8%)

STEPHEN MOLD (CON) WINS – CONSERVATIVE HOLD, MAJORITY 9,014.

6 May 2021 (Single transferrable vote)

Stephen Mold (CON) 102,752 (53.17%)

Clare Pavitt (LAB) 53,166 (27.51%)

Ana Savage Gunn (LIB DEM) 29,621 (15.33%)

Mark Hearn (REFORM UK) 7,715 (3.99%)

Turnout – 193,254

STEPHEN MOLD (CON) WINS ON FIRST ROUND OF VOTING. CONSERVATIVE HOLD, MAJORITY 49,58