Rupert Matthews re-elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire and Rutland
He beat Labour's Rory Palmer by a majority of less than one thousand
Last updated 3rd May 2024
Rupert Matthews has been re-elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR).
Voters in the region headed to the polls yesterday (Thursday 2 May) to choose who they wanted to be the new PCC for the area.
Rupert Matthews first took up the office of Police and Crime Commissioner in 2021.
Votes were counted from midday today (Friday 3rd) and the result was announced at 4pm, with Labour's Rory Palmer coming in second.
With 62,280 votes in total, PCC Matthews beat Palmer (61,420 votes) by a majority of less than one thousand.
Voter turnout
178,293 votes were verified, out of a total electorate of 821,573 - that's a voter turnout in the PCC election of 21.7%.
Where the Conservatives' Rupert Matthews took the majority in most areas outside the city, Labour's Rory Palmer won by over 7,000 votes in the city of Leicester.
18.6% of the electorate in Rutland turned out to vote, with 5,563 out of 29,860 people marking ballot papers.
Half of those votes (2,701) went to Rupert Matthews, compared to 1,441 for Palmer.
What is a PCC?
The role of the PCC is to lay out the strategic policing plan for LLR, ensuring police needs of communities are met as effectively as possible.
They're also responsible for bringing neighbourhoods closer to the police - as well as building confidence and restoring trust in the force.
What were the election statements and pledges from each of the candidates?
Fizza Askari (One Leicester) - Have more police officers on the beat to help make our streets safe again
- Rebuild community relations with the police based on mutual respect and understanding
- Fight for more resources for crime prevention and increase Neighbourhood Watch schemes
- Advocate for diverse representation within our police force
- Improve transparency and accountability of policing in Leicestershire
Election statement: "I’m Fizza Askari and I am standing for One Leicester to be your next Police & Crime Commissioner.
For far too long, political priorities have been more important than fighting for resources to effectively keep our communities safe in Leicestershire.
We deserve better. It’s time we send a message to the major political parties.
Enough is enough.
I’m proud to be One Leicester’s first candidate and to have a platform that voices the concerns of local people. We know from the events of the last few years that both Labour and the Conservatives do not listen.
I believe the people of Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland should have a say in how their communities are policed and that’s why I’m standing."
Aasiya Bora (Green Party)
- Provide resources to keep everyone safe from harm — supporting the people who deal with crime on a daily basis.
- Invest in services for victims of crime, particularly support for those suffering Domestic Abuse.
- Help to build strong communities by providing young people with the services to achieve their full potential and protect them from crime.
Election statement: Public Services in the United Kingdom are under-funded and suffering.
The Big Two Parties have run out of energy and ideas on policing and protecting people’s security, failing to offer any different solutions.
The Big Two parties are tired and stale, they have abandoned local communities and are only interested with what happens in Westminster. That is why I am putting myself forward as the Green Party Candidate for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s Police & Crime Commissioner.
Rupert Oliver Matthews (The Conservative Party Candidate)
- Strengthen the focus on neighbourhood policing, opening more police offices to the public, to prevent crime and ASB across the force area;
- Prioritise crime prevention to reduce the number of victims and cut demand on public services. I support the robust use of stop and search to drive down criminality;
- Boost targeted policing in hotspot areas to combat burglary, ASB, drug crime and theft;
- Fund more enforcement on our roads, additional work to reduce violence, hate and harassment;
- Ensure the rural crime team remains funded, and resourced, to provide a quality level of service wherever you live;
- Provide victims of crime with better support than ever before, including tailored services for women and girls who have been subjected to violence, harassment or coercion
Election statement: People told me that they wanted to see more police officers in their communities, tackling the crimes that mattered most to them. I delivered!
There are now 332 more officers; a dedicated rural crime team; funding to tackle ASB, burglary, violence and substance abuse. Crime has reduced, particularly burglary, serious violence, rural crime, domestic abuse and ASB.
Rory Palmer (Labour and Co-operative Party)
- More frontline police.
- Strengthened neighbourhood policing tackling local crime like burglary, vehicle crime, shoplifting, antisocial behaviour.
- Investment in rural policing to protect farming and countryside communities.
- Safer roads: action on speeding and road-racing.
- Leadership and partnership addressing the causes of crime and anti-social behaviour.
- New long-term plans to combat violent crime, knife crime, drugs and county lines crime.
- Action to end violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and hate crime. Stronger support for victims and witnesses.
- I will reduce the costs of the Police Commissioner role to invest in the frontline.
Election statement: Every day we see crime and anti-social behaviour damaging our communities. People feel worried, unsafe and let down – just look at the newspapers, your community Facebook page or the neighbourhood WhatsApp.
Our police officers work tirelessly and bravely, but there’s not enough of them. We need more frontline police: that’s what Labour will deliver.
Don’t believe Conservative spin about ‘record police numbers’.
That is not the case here in Leicestershire and Rutland.
The Conservatives are letting us down.
The Conservatives are not funding our police properly, most other police forces get a better funding deal than Leicestershire.
My promise: if you elect me and I fail to get the Government to change police funding in Leicestershire’s favour, I will not stand for re-election in four years time. No ifs, no buts
Ian Robert Sharpe (Liberal Democrats)
- Re-direct resources from the police and crime commissioners office and communications budgets into front-line policing, victim support and crime prevention measures instead.
- Tackle rural crime
- Tackle anti-social behaviour including ‘boy-racers’
- Tackle shoplifting which is impacting our struggling high streets
- Tackle online fraud and scams
- Make our streets safer
Election statement: Liberal Democrats across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are delighted that Ian Sharpe has agreed to stand in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
Ian has lived in Leicestershire for 28 years. He is a retired Accountant. He was the Managing Director of an aerospace business and led an international renewable energy business.
He was lead member for finance for Charnwood Borough Council. Since retiring he has undertaken voluntary work in vocational education.
Lib Dems would re-direct resources from the police and crime commissioners office and communications budgets into front-line policing, victim support and crime prevention measures instead.