Cleveland

Candidates may spend up to £76,889 during the election period for this £70,000 per annum post.

Statement of Persons Nominated

Sultan Alam – Independent – Website – TopOfTheCops Candidate Statement

Barry Coppinger – Labour – Website – TopOfTheCops Candidate Statement

Ken Lupton – Conservative – Website

Joe Michna – Green – Website – TopOfTheCops Candidate Statement

Labour Councillor and former Cleveland Police Authority Member Barry Coppinger was elected as the Labour candidate by party members, receiving 523 votes against 157 for Hartlepool Councillor Jonathan Brash.

One candidate who didn’t make it through the Labour select process is Middlesborough Councillor Sajaad Khan, whose TopOfTheCops Candidate Statement is here.

Cllr Coppinger told the Gazette that if he is selected as Labour’s candidate he would give up his employment to contest the election, and would stand down from the council if elected. He is employed as assistant to the Labour Group at Redcar and Cleveland Council, and one of the commenters correctly raises the issue that they can’t understand how he can be a Councillor and a political assistant at another Council, as political assistant posts are normally politically restricted. Cllr Coppinger has pointed out that he is an assistant, not a political assistant.

Cllr Khan, who has not been shortlisted, had committed to giving up his job in hotel management if elected, but staying on as a Councillor, though not claim the councillor’s allowances if elected commissioner.

Ken Lupton has been selected as the Conservative candidate.

Cleveland Police Authority have a Transition page.

Sultan Alam is a former police officer “awarded more than £840,000 from Cleveland Police after being jailed for a crime he did not commit”, all you fans of detective novels out there may wish to note that this gives him means, motive and opportunity.

Non-runners

TopOfTheCops.com understood from the Gazette that the Liberal Democrats will not be fielding a candidate in Cleveland.

The Hartlepool Mail asked Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond if he was standing, after a conference on the post, and got the response “I don’t know what I’m going to do to be honest.” That’s not ruling it out. Mayor Drummond has the Community Safety Portfolio at the Council. He later said it is highly unlikely he will run.

Ex-cop, Mr Zero Tolerance and Middlesborough Mayor Ray Mallon (Independent) was also mentioned, with Michael Crick quoting a spokesman as saying his chances of standing were 50-50, but it did not happen.