The 39 police force areas within England and Wales where elections were held. This is a reduction of one since 2016 with West Yorkshire Police being handed to the Mayor of West Yorkshire in 2021. Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.
Elections of police and crime commissioners in England and Wales were held on 6 May 2021, on the same day as the Senedd election in Wales and the local elections in England.[1] This was the third time police and crime commissioner elections have been held (the two previous occasions were in 2012 and 2016). The elections were originally due to take place in May 2020 but were postponed by 12 months in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] Turnout was an average of 34.1% across the elections, with Wales having much higher turnout mainly due to the simultaneous Senedd election held across Wales, whereas only parts of England had simultaneous local elections.[3]
The criminal justice system and the legal jurisdiction of England and Wales are reserved (non-devolved) matters, which fall under the control of the UK parliament and government at Westminster. The criminal justice systems of Scotland and Northern Ireland are devolved.[4]
Background
Areas shown in blue elected a police and crime commissioner; areas in orange elected a police, fire and crime commissioner.
The Policing and Crime Act 2017, which amended the 2011 Act, enabled PCCs to take over governance of the local fire and rescue service. PCCs who have taken on these responsibilities are known as Police Fire and Crime Commissioners (PFCCs). There are currently four PFCCs:[6]
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the elections due to be held in May 2020 were delayed until May 2021; this applied to the PCC elections as well as those for local authorities and elected mayors.[2] The postponement was implemented by the Coronavirus Act 2020 which was enacted on 25 March 2020.[11]
The act stipulates that the postponement is to be ignored in determining the years in which subsequent elections are to be held,[12] thus the commissioners elected in 2021 will be in office for three years, not the usual four.
An independent candidate, Dan Hardy, originally withdrew from the election after the postponement of the 2020 election meant he was unable to financially continue his campaign. However, in March 2021 he announced he was standing again for election.[36]
The Conservative candidate, Jonathon Seed, withdrew on 9 May in the interval between the vote and the count, due to a conviction in 1993 for a 1992 drink driving offence. ITV News had been investigating Seed's background prior to the election after they were told there was something in his past that would prevent him from taking up the position of police and crime commissioner if he was elected; Seed and his campaign team declined to comment.[67] Seed said he had declared the driving conviction to the Conservative party in his applications for his candidature, saying: "To the best of my knowledge and belief when I applied for, and became the Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for the Conservative Party in Wiltshire and Swindon, I was an eligible candidate. I have declared my thirty-year-old driving conviction to the Party in my applications both to be a Parliamentary candidate and more recently a PCC candidate".[68]
Candidates are required to sign a declaration which reads "I am aware of the provisions of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and to the best of my knowledge and belief I am not disqualified from election as Police and Crime Commissioner."[69][70] Guidance published by the Electoral Commission says PCC candidates cannot seek election if they have been convicted of an offence punishable with a prison sentence, this includes spent convictions and those where a prison sentence was not given.[71][72]
Counting of votes went ahead,[73] and Seed won most votes on the second round.[74][75][76] Wiltshire Police asked Thames Valley Police to investigate the candidacy, "to ensure independent oversight and to remove any potential conflict of interest".[77][78] Further investigation by ITV News found a second imprisonable offence arising from the 1992 incident: failure to stop after causing damage to a motor vehicle.[79] Seed was subsequently charged with making a false declaration in the nomination papers,[80] a charge he denied at Oxford Crown Court in November.[81] He was due to stand trial in July 2022, but in June the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges after a pre-trial review on the grounds of insufficient evidence.[82]
The post fell vacant when Seed did not deliver acceptance of the office, and a by-election to fill the vacancy was held on 19 August 2021.[83] Legislation states that the office becomes vacant two months after a person elected to the office fails to deliver their acceptance, and requires an election to be held within the subsequent 35 days.[84]
The re-run was won by Conservative candidate Philip Wilkinson.[85]
August 2021 re-run
August 19 2021 Wiltshire police and crime commissioner election[86][87]
7.5%)
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