Who could be your new Police and Crime Commissioner? Candidates revealed ahead of elections
The candidates for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections on May 5 have been revealed.
It will be the second time voters have had the chance to elect the commissioners who replaced the role of the old police authorities.
In the West Midlands force area there are four candidates for the £100,000-a-year job.
Incumbent PCC David Jamieson is the Labour Party candidate. Mr Jamieson, a former transport minister in Tony Blair's government, won the by-election in August 2014 sparked by the death of former Wolverhampton councillor Bob Jones.
The Conservative Party candidate is Les Jones. Mr Jones stood against Mr Jamieson in the by-election and finished second to Mr Jamieson.
He was also a late candidate for the Dudley North constituency at the General Election where he came second to Labour's Ian Austin.
Pete Durnell, chairman of UKIP's Sandwell branch, is the party's candidate for the election. And Andy Flynn from Birmingham is an independent candidate.
Notably there is no Liberal Democrat or Green Party candidates for what is the biggest Police and Crime Commissioner role in the country.
In Staffordshire there are five candidates for the £75,000 job – up from two in 2012.
Incumbent Matthew Ellis is seeking re-election as the Conservative Party candidate. Mr Ellis is a former cabinet member at Staffordshire County Council and has served on Lichfield District Council and Shenstone Parish Council. Before entering politics he ran a sports business.
George Adamson is the Labour Party candidate. He is a former West Midlands police officer and is currently leader of Cannock Chase Council and a councillor on Staffordshire County Council.
Harold Gregory from Stoke is the UKIP candidate while Cannock Chase campaigner Paul Woodhead is the Green Party candidate.
Former Staffordshire police officer Natalie Devaney is standing as an independent candidate.
At the last election Staffordshire finished with the lowest turnout in the country with just 11 per cent of voters taking part. At the West Midlands PCC by-election the turnout was even lower at just 10 per cent. Two year's previously at the first election it managed just 12 per cent.
Polling will take place on the same day as local elections in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell, Wyre Forest and Cannock Chase.
Candidates for the West Mercia PCC election are: John-Paul Campion, Conservative; Peter Jewell, UKIP; John Raine, Green Party; Margaret Rowley, Liberal Democrat; Barrie Sheldon, independent; Daniel Walton, Labour.
