Conservatives lose Avon and Somerset PCC to Labour

Clare Moody will be the Avon and Somerset region's third PCC in 12 years.

Labour has won the police and crime commissioner election in Avon and Somerset, taking the post from the Conservatives.

Clare Moody, Labour's candidate for the region, beat her Conservative predecessor Mark Shelford by more than 4,900 votes.

The election was for Avon and Somerset Police's PCC, which covers areas including Bristol.

Ms Moody, who was an MEP for South West England between 2014 and 2019, said after the result her priorities include "tackling knife crime".

The turnout was 23.09% with about 100,000 fewer voters than at the last PCC election in 2021.

Ms Moody said: “My priorities are around bringing policing closer to the communities, neighbourhood policing, tackling violent crime, and particularly knife crime and violence against women and girls.

“And building prevention work so we can stop crime happening in the first place.”

The total ballots cast for each candidate are:

• Clare Moody (Labour) – 95,982

• Mark Shelford (Conservative) – 91,006

• Katy Grant (Green Party) – 64,623

• Benet Allen (Liberal Democrat) – 45,864

Mr Shelford declined to give an interview.

Mark Shelford served one term as PCC

Speaking after the result, Ms Moody told the BBC she is "delighted".

"I'm thrilled to have won this election. It's a huge challenge ahead, it's a big job. But I'm really excited," she said.

"We knew it was going to be tight.

"To be able to stand here and know that I've now got all the work ahead of me, but in that position where I can actually do things. I can make things happen, I can fulfil opportunities in the role."

Avon and Somerset Police's Chief Constable Sarah Crew said some of the challenges Ms Moody faces including a "young and inexperienced workforce", knife crime and violence against women and girls.

She said: "We have a lot of demand that people wouldn't necessarily recognise as police demand.

"That sometimes keeps us away from things we would like to do in policing and I'd like to really work with the commissioner to be able to tackle some of those issues, so we can focus all our attention on her priorities."

The result was declared at around 06:40 BST on Friday

The force’s region covers Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, and Bath and North East Somerset.

Nationally, Labour is making gains across local elections in England.

The party has won councils in Redditch, Thurrock, Hartlepool and Rushmoor. It has also lost Oldham to no overall control.

Around a third of councils have declared results so far, with more council and mayoral results due on Friday and Saturday.

In the West of England results are expected for councils in Bristol, Gloucester, Cheltenham and Swindon, as well as Gloucestershire's PCC on Friday.

Stroud District Council and Wiltshire PCC results are set to be announced on Saturday.

Police and Crime Commissioners were first introduced in 2012 in a bid to reform policing, and are paid an annual salary of around £88,000 in a full-time position.

Their main roles include holding police constabularies to account, deciding how much money the public should contribute to policing through council tax, and cutting crime through means such as outreach programmes.

Since the role’s inception in 2012, Avon and Somerset’s PCC has been served by Independent Sue Mountstevens until 2021 and then by Mr Shelford up until this election.