Winning with Labour
Conservative Stephen Mold had a huge majority at the last election. However, he is not popular. He has disgraced his office. His latest disgrace is calling his newly appointed Fire Chief a bitch! Nikki Watson has yet to take up her position, as she is under investigation by the IOPC. The Chief Constable is suspended on full pay while being investigated by two police services!
Chiefs of both services, Police and Fire, are interims.
There have been 5 appointments to both posts over the last 8 years. This instability has had a deeply negative impact on staff morale.
I am optimistic that, with hard work, come 2nd May, Labour will win.
I come with a life-long experience of community activism. As a former County education officer, I know the patch from Corby to Brackley well. I have been a Labour Councillor for 13 years.
The combination of community activism and public service is a really strong base from which to challenge the Tories.
I argued against the transfer of the Fire and Rescue Service to the OPCC when I was a County Councillor. I could see it meant service cuts, as has indeed been the case. As Commissioner, I am committed to a review of the structure, governance and resource base of both the Police and the Fire Service. They must both be run for the public good. I want to see zero based budgets where we cost what is good to outstanding. I want to compare that with what budgets we have. I want to fight for the difference between the two.
I also want clear boundaries for each service. A police officer cannot step into fire-fighter’s shoes. And vice versa. Where the services work together-as in extreme weather events, or road traffic accidents then there must be jointly produced operational protocols in place.
Northamptonshire is among the top 20 most dangerous counties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The overall crime rate in Northamptonshire in 2023 was 85 crimes per 1,000 people. The crime rate in the United Kingdom was 75.88 per 1,000 people in 2022–2023.
Years of disinvestment in youth has made them vulnerable to grooming by gangs and to knife crime. We see a distressingly high rate of fatalities and serious injury in Northants. Supporting quality youth provision is a high priority.
Front line retail staff are often subject to abuse and witness high levels of organised theft. More visible policing with better response times is essential.
Women and girls tell me they feel unsafe at home, in school, at work, in their own neighbourhoods. Creating safer environments and public spaces can be done. I will resource prevention, education and support for both services.
I will have a strategy for the decarbonisation of vehicles and buildings.
Lastly, our community safety partnerships need strengthening and need to be accountable. Meetings should be held in public, and milestones and targets published and reviewed.
I am campaigning across the county, talking with community groups and households in our urban centres and in our rural areas.
Everywhere I go, people are telling me the same thing. Life is tough and getting tougher.
No-one feels safe. Everything we hold dear is broken. It is time for change. I hope the people of Northamptonshire register to vote. I hope they have a postal vote or if going to the polling station remember to take ID. Change is coming. We need to make sure it is the change we need.