Political

Graham Colley selected for Kent Police and Crime Commissioner

Graham Colley canvassing

Kent County Council Liberal Democrats bring the very welcome news of another Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) candidate being in place:

Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce that Graham Colley has been selected as their candidate at the next Police and Crime Commissioner election, due to take place in May 2021. Graham has been a vocal supporter of Kent Police and will campaign for more frontline officers, community policing and improved visibility of police, especially in rural areas of the county.

Graham Colley represented the Party in the Rochester and Strood Constituency in the 2019 General Election and has previously been involved in Party and charitable bodies on behalf of the public. He is offering a fresh approach to policing in Kent.

A Party member since university, Graham Colley knows the Kent well and lives in Rochester, having campaigned in many Kent elections. Graham has been a Parliamentary candidate previously for Mid-Kent (twice) and a former Kent County Councillor for Medway South and co-chair of the Kent Fire & Public Protection Committee.

Graham Colley said: “I feel privileged and honoured to have been selected for the PCC, and want to focus on caring for our community, our neighbourhoods, and our Police. I want to bring back community policing, get drugs off our streets and deliver a fairer deal for Kent.”

“As a Liberal Democrat in Kent, I have seen at first hand the impact of withdrawing community policing, and increasing lawlessness on our streets. These have been exacerbated by Conservative cuts to youth services, mental health and road safety at Kent County Council. We need a new partnership with Kent Police and a fairer deal for the men and women who put their lives at risk to keep us all safe.”

Running candidates in these PCC elections is important not only because contesting elections is the point of being a political party, rather than a pressure group, but also because there’s a big difference between what a liberal and an authoritarian can do with the post.

With PCC elections being on the same day as many other council elections, it’s also worth noting that the additional publicity and expense limits that come with a PCC candidate can give the party an edge in key marginal council wards. Not running a PCC candidate hinders out chances in other elections – for these reasons in the short-term, and also in the long-term too, as it stops more people acquiring that vital habit of voting Liberal Democrat.

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