The addition today of former Conservative Councillor Les Byrom CBE makes a total of 3 contenders for Labour in the Merseyside contest for Police and Crime Commissioner. The full list is:-

Jane Kennedy (former minister) was rumoured to be standing by Michael Crick, and has since confirmed this to Liverpool papers – Daily Post and Echo.

Peter Kilfoyle (former minister) is also actively considering it, according to Michael Crick

Sefton Councillor Les Byrom CBE, who was a Conservative Councillor for over 20 years, including a period as national Chairman of the Fire Service, before defecting in 2008, has told the Formby Times he wants the Labour nomination. For a Labour Councillor he sounds quite positive about the new post – “The new Commissioner post is an opportunity to break from the old committee based system and to have strong expert leadership in crime reduction within the police and all its partners. It leaves the police to do the job they are qualified to do.”

No independents or candidates for other parties have yet emerged.

Merseyside Police Authority have some limited information on their website about the Police and Crime Commissioner post.