Elections results 2021: Emily Spurrell elected as Merseyside PCC

Emily Spurrell (left) with Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy after her victory

Emily Spurrell has been elected as the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

The Labour candidate secured a landslide 178,875 (57%) of the votes.

She significantly beat the Conservative candidate, who took 23% of the votes, while the Liberal Democrats gained 5% and Reform UK had 4%.

As Merseyside PCC, Ms Spurrell is responsible for ensuring that the region's police force is run effectively and efficiently.

The elected representatives replaced police authorities in 2012 and are intended to bring a public voice to policing.

Ms Spurrell said she was "looking forward to getting stuck in" to the job.

"I've got lots of ideas and I've already talked to the chief constable about the things we will work on together," she said.

"A big part of my campaign has been about getting more support for victims who feel let down in one way or another."

Merseyside Police's first female chief constable previously said "making women feel safe" was an "absolute priority".

Serena Kennedy, who started in April, said she was "incredibly proud" to be the first woman in charge of the force.

In 2019, Ms Spurrell resigned as deputy to the previous PCC Jane Kennedy after the latter left the Labour Party, saying it had failed to deal with anti-Semitism.

Ms Spurrell said she thought Ms Kennedy's resignation was "the wrong thing to do for the people of Merseyside" and called for a "strong Labour voice as Police and Crime Commissioner".

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