“Politics is boring” (or so said Donald Trump many years ago), but voters and pundits in Wiltshire looking on at the recent elections for Police and Crime Commissioner might take a very different view. Jonathon Seed, re-elected Conservative Wiltshire Councillor for the Melksham Without West and Rural Division has withdrawn from the race to replace Angus Macpherson as Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon.
Why? Because of a historic drink driving conviction, which debarred him from standing despite prior advice sought which appeared to indicate otherwise. According to guidance issued by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, any candidate might be disqualified from standing to become a PCC, or from continuing in the office of PCC were it to be established that they had been convicted of an imprisonable offence. There is precedent for this and Jonathon Seed isn’t the only candidate to have ever fallen foul of this rule.
So what happens now? The election took place on Thursday last week; counting takes place today (Monday 10 May) in Salisbury; if Jonathon Seed were to ‘win’ it is most likely that a new election would have to take place, maybe(?) with a replacement Conservative candidate. But if he doesn’t win, then all carries on as before, although with a new Police and Crime Commissioner other than Jonathon Seed.
This all blew up yesterday – Sunday 9 May. But, the day before, the Leader of both the Conservative group on Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire Council itself, Philip Whitehead, announced that he was standing down so a new Leader will need to be selected from the Conservative group on Wiltshire Council. No, local politics is definitely not boring, or not in Wiltshire at the moment anyway.
Who might replace Councillor Philip Whitehead? Maybe Cllr Jonathon Seed? Everything is possible although Cllr Richard Clewer, currently Deputy Leader and Councillor for the Division of Downton and Ebble Valley is hotly tipped as his replacement. But, at this stage, this is pure speculation.
Update – 23:00 Monday 10 May
Jonathon Seed, Conservative Party Candidate has been declared the winner after the second round.
Terence Herbert, Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Commissioner Area Returning Officer, said: “The election count for the Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Commissioner has been completed today at Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre in Salisbury, and Jonathon Seed, the Conservative Party candidate, has been declared as the winner.
“The result of this election marks the culmination of a long and busy weekend for our hard working staff, who have managed a COVID-secure election across 348 polling stations in Wiltshire, and counts for 98 Wiltshire Council unitary divisions; 63 city, town and parish elections; and the PCC election. I’d like to thank them all for all their hard work during the past few months. They are true public servants.”
However, Jonathon Seed has withdrawn from the election, he wasn’t eligible to stand as he was disqualified from standing under Section 66, sub-section 3(c) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which states:
A person is disqualified from being elected as, or being, a police and crime commissioner if— the person has been convicted in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man, of any imprisonable offence (whether or not sentenced to a term of imprisonment in respect of the offence)
And a Drink Driving conviction, irrespective of timing or age is as such an imprisonable offence.
What happens now? A new election? Who will be occupying the position of Police & Crime Commissioner between now and a new election, if one has to be held? The current Deputy PCC – Jerry Herbert? But he is an appointee on a two day per week role, not elected, therefore no mandate.
The Wiltshire Council website tonight stated: The Council’s Head of Paid Service will be considering the next steps to take following this election after taking appropriate legal advice.
And how much would a new election cost, and where would the money come from? Reports estimate in the region of £1.5mm (BBC West). Many other questions arise including when was this found out (took all of 90 seconds Googling to discover the above section of legislation) and if valid and applicable, as now deemed to be, why wasn’t this acted upon before the election?
Results of the vote – first and second rounds – are below:
| The results of the first preference votes are as follows: | ||
| Junab Ali | Labour | 34,147 |
| Julian Malins | Reform UK | 4,348 |
| Brig Oubridge | Green | 16,606 |
| Mike Rees | Independent | 31,722 |
| Jonathon Seed | Conservative | 84,885 |
| Liz Webster | Liberal Democrats | 35,013 |
| The total number of valid first and second preference votes cast for the remaining candidates is: | ||
| Jonathon Seed | Conservative | 100,003 |
| Liz Webster | Liberal Democrats | 58,074 |
Clean sweep for Conservative Candidates across both Marlborough.news area
