Clare Moody wins Avon and Somerset Police & Crime Commissioner vote
Clare Moody is the first Labour candidate to be elected into the role since it was created
Last updated 3rd May 2024
Clare Moody is starting a new role as Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, after being declared the winner of Thursday's election, overnight.
The Labour candidate won with 95,982 votes.
Conservative candidate Mark Shelford finished in second with 91,006 votes.
It means Labour's Clare Moody replaces Conservative Mark Shelford, who was elected in 2021.
She will take on the role of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for a new four-year term, beginning on 9 May 2024.
Clare Moody said, “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to serve the people of Avon and Somerset in this role.
“Now that I am sworn into office, I will be visible, accountable and PCC for all residents of Avon and Somerset.
“The people of Avon and Somerset have communicated their priorities to me. On my time on the doorstep people expressed that they want to see a greater connection to their local neighbourhood police and for their service to address and reduce violent crime, particularly knife crime and MVAWG, and to do all we can to prevent crime.”
Being the PCC means being responsible for overseeing the Avon and Somerset police service.
The Avon and Somerset Police Area includes Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council, Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council.
Voting turnout was 23.09%, compared to 30.7% in 2021.
The PCC candidates
Clare Moody was the Labour candidate.
In 2022, Moody unsuccessfully stood to become Labour Party MP for Stroud, having previously been a Member of the European Parliament, prior to Brexit.
During her campaign to become PCC she promised to prioritise neighbourhood policing and increase the number of officers patrolling the streets.
Moody’s main priority in her campaign was reducing violent crime against women and girls, saying she wanted to achieve that by investing in preventing the crimes from happening in the first place.
The Green candidate was Katy Grant, who has twenty years of experience working in refugee camps on child protection and violence against women.
Her focus was on improving the results of prosecution in cases of sexual violence and domestic assault. She also believed in implementing preventative measures for crime and promised to strengthen rural police teams.
She claimed to be committed to Vision Zero, a strategy which aims to reduce road incidents and fatalities.
The Liberal Democrat Candidate Benet Allen, after leaving a career in TV news, became the Deputy leader of Taunton and Somerset council before being chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate for PCC.
His priority was to rebuild trust and confidence in the police force.
Finally, the conservative candidate, Mark Shelford, elected PCC in 2021, has 32 years of experience in the military.
Before taking office in 2021, he promised a “relentless focus on tackling serious crime”. Since standing for re-election, he has promised to increase support for rural communities, educate young people on the dangers of knife crime, and reduce reoffending through perpetrator rehabilitation programs.