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Labour picks John Prescott to run for police commissioner | Labour picks John Prescott to run for police commissioner |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott has been announced as one of Labour's candidates to be a police commissioner later this year. | Former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott has been announced as one of Labour's candidates to be a police commissioner later this year. |
He will stand in Humberside, which includes the seat of Hull East, where he served as an MP for 40 years. | He will stand in Humberside, which includes the seat of Hull East, where he served as an MP for 40 years. |
Commissioners, to be elected in England and Wales in November, will oversee the work of police, which ministers say will make forces more accountable. | Commissioners, to be elected in England and Wales in November, will oversee the work of police, which ministers say will make forces more accountable. |
Labour, which opposes the change, says it will "make the best of a bad job". | Labour, which opposes the change, says it will "make the best of a bad job". |
The government says commissioners, paid £70,000 and covering each of the forces in England and Wales, will create a more in-touch police service, better equipped to deal with people's concerns. | The government says commissioners, paid £70,000 and covering each of the forces in England and Wales, will create a more in-touch police service, better equipped to deal with people's concerns. |
They will have the power to hire and fire chief constables, hold them to account and set forces' budgets. | They will have the power to hire and fire chief constables, hold them to account and set forces' budgets. |
'Very important' | 'Very important' |
At Labour's campaign launch in Birmingham, party leader Ed Miliband said: "We didn't seek these police commissioner elections. We thought that if you were spending £125m most people would want that money spent on the police, not on new elections. | At Labour's campaign launch in Birmingham, party leader Ed Miliband said: "We didn't seek these police commissioner elections. We thought that if you were spending £125m most people would want that money spent on the police, not on new elections. |
"But if these elections do go ahead - if the government insists on them going ahead - we, Labour, are determined to make the best of a bad job. | "But if these elections do go ahead - if the government insists on them going ahead - we, Labour, are determined to make the best of a bad job. |
"What we are going to be arguing for in these elections is very, very important. | "What we are going to be arguing for in these elections is very, very important. |
"First of all we are going to be saying taking officers off the streets is the wrong thing to do - it's not what our communities want, it's not what the police want." | "First of all we are going to be saying taking officers off the streets is the wrong thing to do - it's not what our communities want, it's not what the police want." |
Several senior Labour figures have been nominated. | Several senior Labour figures have been nominated. |
Former Liverpool Wavertree MP Jane Kennedy was chosen as candidate for Merseyside's commissioner. | Former Liverpool Wavertree MP Jane Kennedy was chosen as candidate for Merseyside's commissioner. |
Ex-Solicitor General Vera Baird won the nomination for the Northumbria force. | Ex-Solicitor General Vera Baird won the nomination for the Northumbria force. |
Tony Lloyd, the former chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, was elected unopposed as candidate for Greater Manchester. | Tony Lloyd, the former chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, was elected unopposed as candidate for Greater Manchester. |
And former work and pensions minister James Plaskitt - who lost the marginal seat of Warwick and Leamington at the last election - will run in Warwickshire. | And former work and pensions minister James Plaskitt - who lost the marginal seat of Warwick and Leamington at the last election - will run in Warwickshire. |
Meanwhile, the former First Minister of Wales, Alun Michael, was nominated to run in South Wales, with his son, Tal Michael, representing North Wales. | Meanwhile, the former First Minister of Wales, Alun Michael, was nominated to run in South Wales, with his son, Tal Michael, representing North Wales. |
A local news website has reported that Harriet Yeo, a local councillor and vice-chairwoman of Labour's National Executive Committee, was burgled at the weekend while attending the meeting at which she was selected to be the party's candidate to fight crime in Kent. |