[mattomac]

Just been to cast my vote. I had to laugh when I saw the name of the Reform candidate - Russell Winston Armstrong. He is the only candidate to have his middle name included on the ballot paper.

Suspect Mr Orpen-Smellie will romp home.

She sprinkles her gold dust everywhere….Labour Gain.

[Youngian]

It’s was the voters’ fault. The importance of the job is lost on me as well. This was one of Cameron’s fag packet initiatives, let’s have an elected post that only Tories would care about. And now lose in Norfolk.

Mr Orpen-Smellie polled 50,567 votes, fewer than half the votes he received during his landslide win in 2021.
He pointed out that the low turn out of 21% meant that the vast majority of electors had not had their say over a "really important job".
"I think they [people in Norfolk] have not embraced and not understood the concept of police and crime commissioner, and if you don't understand it you won't vote for it," he added. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-n ... 953553.amp

[Andy McDandy]

They replaced police boards, which quietly did their job and tended to accurately represent the areas they covered. Some councillors, magistrates, religious leaders, and others who could claim an insight into the area. Broadly non-political, in the sense of representing a single party.

So, too quiet, too competent, and not easily controlled from the centre. They had to go. And because we're conditioned to think anything American is cool, and because Osborne watched a few Batman films, we got PCCs, third rate political hacks who knew how to take orders.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think it was Hannan and Carswell who first promoted the idea prominently over here. Before them I'd never heard anybody mention it.

I don't mind party politicians running for them, or using them as as (non-Westminster) way to build a profile. Kim McGuinness was the crime commissioner before she won the mayoralty in Northumbria yesterday. I just don't get what they do, nor does anybody else really.

[davidjay]

They've lost over 450 seats so far, which is decent but a bit short of meltdown.

[Abernathy]

Just had a rather depressing conversation with a comrade who was at the WM Mayoral verification yesterday and saw the sampling. Looks very much like Galloway's candidate, running on a "pro-Gaza" campaign, has attracted considerable support from muslim communities sufficient to split the anti-Tory vote and allow Street to hang on.

I am now more than a little concerned about this, and its implications for the GE and beyond. It seems that the anger directed at Labour over the Gaza issue is all but entirely due to that LBC interview Starmer did with Ferrari a few months ago, in which he said (or seemed to say) that the Israelis had an absolute right to deny the Gazan population water, food, and power as part of its right to self-defence. It has been relentlessly exploited by Galloway's mob and other malign actors ever since, and it seems is having a material effect. Starmer was far too vague and slow to clarify that what he really meant was that Israel's right to self-defence had to be recognised but limited by international law , so that lasting damage has now been done, even though the party's position now is unequivocally in favour of an enduring cease-fire, hostage release, and an ultimate two-state long term settlement.

Can't win 'em all, eh?

The truly galling aspect of this is that the chief exploiter of the issue against Labour is Galloway, who is not remotely left-wing, but a right-wing grifter who in reality probably doesn't give a fuck about dead Palestinians.

[kreuzberger]

If they want potholes, schools, and hospitals, and, in fact, an entire country in solidarity with the good folk of Khan Yunis, they might as well vote tory.

[Dalem Lake]

Just had a rather depressing conversation with a comrade who was at the WM Mayoral verification yesterday and saw the sampling. Looks very much like Galloway's candidate, running on a "pro-Gaza" campaign, has attracted considerable support from muslim communities sufficient to split the anti-Tory vote and allow Street to hang on.

I am now more than a little concerned about this, and its implications for the GE and beyond. I

I'm not. The "pissed off about Gaza" lot are in strong Labour seats and come the general election I don't think their numbers will have that much of an effect. Labour need to concentrate on winning the red-wall seats back and taking as many off the Tories as they can.

[Abernathy]

Just had word from the count in Birmingham . Looks like Richard Parker may have pulled it off after all !

[Tubby Isaacs]

Tories lost 13 in Stroud, 10 in Warrington and 3 in Epping Forest.

That's just Salford to come, where the Tories have only 5 seats.

[davidjay]

Just had word from the count in Birmingham . Looks like Richard Parker may have pulled it off after all !

I do hope you're right.

[Tubby Isaacs]

21,000 behind with Coventry and Sandwell to come. I think that sounds like too far behind.

[satnav]

The Britain First candidate in the London mayoral election seems to have made a tit of himself. After coming tenth behind 'Count Binface' he decided to heckle Sadiq Khan before skulking off of the stage. I think if I'd come tenth I would have disappeared quietly through the backdoor in the hope that people would quickly forget that I'd even taken part in the contest.

[Philip Marlow]

I see the usual suspects are taking it well.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Andy Steet 11,000 ahead with just Sandwell to go.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I see the usual suspects are taking it well.

Wasn't Bozo the mayor when that sort of thing happened?

[safe_timber_man]

The Britain First candidate in the London mayoral election seems to have made a tit of himself. After coming tenth behind 'Count Binface' he decided to heckle Sadiq Khan before skulking off of the stage. I think if I'd come tenth I would have disappeared quietly through the backdoor in the hope that people would quickly forget that I'd even taken part in the contest.

Just saw this as well...how embarrassing.

He looks and acts just like a taller Tommy Robinson. Do these thick twats think this is good optics?


https://x.com/AndyPlumb4/status/1786830311646515523

[Tubby Isaacs]

Um, is this reliable? He's not one to make shit up, but could he have got this wrong.

[Tubby Isaacs]

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Andy Steet 11,000 ahead with just Sandwell to go.

Beth Rigby declaring that Labour have won it.