Emily Spurrell to run for Police and Crime Commissioner

Today, former Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell announced her intention to run for the Labour nomination for next year’s Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner election.

Emily, 31, was the Deputy until March when she resigned her post after the Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy, made the decision to leave the Labour Party.

During her time as Deputy, Emily oversaw £3 million investment in victims services, re-launched the modern slavery network, developed the Domestic Abuse Workplace Scheme and successfully lobbied for a living wage for all police staff.

She said: “Over the past two years I have worked hard to support victims, hold the police to account, tackle hate crime and violence against women, and campaign for fairer funding for Merseyside.

“Merseyside has been let down time and time again by this Tory Government. Their priority has been about saving money and in less than a decade they’ve cut our policing budget by 23%, meaning we have 1,500 less police officers and staff to protect our communities. This is why we need a strong Labour PCC to challenge the Government to fund the police properly, and build a safer, stronger Merseyside.

“If members choose me I pledge to restore faith in the criminal justice system, to keep victims at the heart of everything I do, to fight for a fair funding settlement and, importantly, to be a visible and accountable voice for the people of Merseyside.

“I have the experience, skills and passion to be your next Police and Crime Commissioner. I will be a strong Labour voice for you and I look forward to hearing about your experiences and your policing priorities.”

Emily was confirmed as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner in September 2017 after a rigorous selection procedure and confirmation by the Police and Crime Panel, a cross-party body that scrutinises the work of the PCC and Deputy PCC.

Before this she was responsible for community safety across Liverpool, including securing Purple Flag Status for the city centre and leading the CitySafe partnership and Community Cohesion board.