29 year old South Tyneside Councillor David Potts is the only democratically elected United Kingdom Independence Party representative in the North East region, and is bidding for the UKIP nomination for Northumbria PCC. If you are intending to stand to be Police and Crime Commissioner where you live, you can submit your own Candidate Statement, so get in touch at Editor@TopOfTheCops.com – Others are on the way, and we are looking for 400 words, a photo (of you!) that you have rights to, and preferably an imprint, which will be needed for the formal election period later this year.
There are too many candidates in the running for all the wrong reasons. This is a highly paid job, and thus we see failed MPs and councillors crawling out of the woodwork all over the country to get their grubby paws on this disproportionate salary. I will clean up the streets of our region, make people feel safe in their homes, and tackle drug dealers and other scumbags with a firm hand, whilst taking an honorary salary of £1 per annum. We will slash administration costs to the core and focus all of our efforts on front line policing and giving our brave officers the support, equipment and time they need to focus on what is important: keeping the peace.
I will create a new, elite section of the force, known as ‘Rangers’, who will be charged with tackling serious drugs and organised crime. We will bust these gangs open and lock them up. We will also increase the size of the mounted unit who will act as ambassadors to visitors coming to our towns and cities. We will make the region a fun, safe and secure place to live, work and visit.
As for slashing waste: fat cats look out, Pottsy is coming for you.
TopOfTheCops understands that the UKIP nomination process is in its early stages and potential candidates must go through a selection process not dissimilar to that for Parliamentary candidates. Councillor David Potts has represented the Cleadon & East Boldon Ward on South Tyneside Council since 2004. He is a currency trader and VP of a US-based trading firm, but spends the vast majority of his time in the North East of England.
TopOfTheCops.com 
“29 year old South Tyneside Councillor David Potts is the only democratically elected United Kingdom Independence Party representative in the North East region”
Hi, the above is misleading as it implies he was elected as a UKIP candidate: it’s worth noting that David Potts was not elected as a UKIP councillor, he was originally elected as a Conservative, and has since crossed to UKIP.
Yes, I raised that, but those are his own words, which is what I prefer on here.
Vera Baird, and Tom Foster campaigned; the former got my vote. I am comfortable with the Conservative candidate, but of UKIP and Cllr David Potts we hear little or nothing in respect of his PCC campaign.
Have UKIP got a policy or position on PCC? Still no campaigning being done in Northumbria Police area as far as I can tell.Meanwhile, Vera Baird and Phil Butler are engaging with the electorate.
Baird and Butler are campaigning and earning some publicity in local press as a result; of UKIP we hear nothing, apart from a few tweets by their candidate David Potts; have they issued any policy statement about PCC and elections?
They are putting candidates up. I’ve not heard whether Councillor Potts has been selected.
According to his tweetings, it would appear that he has been. These tweets are broadcasting his views on role of PCC, so presumably some potential voters in Northumbria will have an idea of who and what they are voting for. Meanwhile Butler and Baird canvass, campaign, get media coverage, have letters supporting/criticising them printed in local press, just like any other election.
Farage apparently silent re UKIP and PCCs; now our local hopeful describes himself as “potential PCC candidate” ; with 2 months to go to election would have thought that Farage would have contributed to debate.
Cllr Potts has, according to the BBC, decided not to seek the UKIP nomination for PCC.
Whether this is related to his recent declaration of bankruptcy is not clear.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19509836
A proverbial “safe pair of hands” an experienced businessman called Alistair Baxter is announced as the official UKIP candidate; with less than a month to promote himself and canvass electorate.
Vera Baird and Phil Butler have at least made the effort to engage with the electorate, and, in Vera’s case,informative leaflets and letters have been distributed in some areas of Northumbria. It appears that UKIP and the Lib Dems have done little or nothing in the way of campaigning. Cllr David Potts is now virtually silent on PCCs and related issues, no doubt seeking to move on, he has not commented on Alistair Baxter’s candidature, in fact all that appears to be known about Mr Baxter is that he is a successful businessperson, regarding his policies if elected PCC to the best of my knowledge nothing has appeared in the public domain.