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2014 South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner by-election

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Position of South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner
Turnout	14.88% ( 0.05%)
First party Second party   Lab Candidate Alan Billings Jack Clarkson Party Labour UKIP Popular vote 74,060 46,883 Percentage 50.02% 31.66% Swing 1.33% 20.12%   Third party Fourth party   Con ED Candidate Ian Walker David Allen Party Conservative English Democrat Popular vote 18,536 8,583 Percentage 12.52% 5.80% Swing 1.99% 9.76%
PPC before election Shaun Wright Labour Subsequent PPC Alan Billings Labour

The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner by-election was a 2014 by-election on 30 October 2014 for the position of Police and Crime Commissioner in the South Yorkshire Police region of the United Kingdom. It was triggered by the resignation of Shaun Wright, the inaugural South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, who stepped down from the position on 16 September 2014 following the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal. Wright had been head of children's services in Rotherham between 2005 and 2010, while events surrounding the scandal were taking place. The Labour candidate, Alan Billings, was elected.

Background

Wright was the first Police and Crime Commissioner for the area, elected as the Labour Party candidate on 15 November 2012. He was previously a local councillor and member of the police authority.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham reported in August 2014. Given his prior council role and then current PCC role, there were calls for Wright to resign, including from the Labour Party, and the Conservative Prime Minister and Home Secretary. Labour threatened to suspend him from the party if he did not resign, leading to Wright leaving the Labour Party on 28 August 2014. Wright's deputy, Tracey Cheetham, resigned, calling on him to do the same. On 3 September 2014, Sheffield City Council unanimously passed a symbolic motion of no confidence in Wright, calling for his resignation. (Legislation means there is no power of recall for PCCs and the only way they can be removed is if they commit misconduct in public office, or are convicted of an offence with a custodial sentence of two or more years.)

On 16 September 2014, Wright resigned as Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, triggering the by-election.

Candidates and campaign

On 3 October, Barnsley Borough Council (who oversaw the election) confirmed that four candidates had been validly nominated, representing four of the five parties who contested the 2012 election.

David Allen, who came second in the 2012 election, stood again for the English Democrats.

Labour's candidate, Dr the Reverend Alan Billings, was deputy leader of Sheffield City Council 1981-6. A parish priest in Sheffield and a member of the Youth Justice Board for England & Wales and of the England Committee of the Big Lottery Fund. He has worked with the British Army on their ethical policies and was previously director of the Centre for Ethics and Religion at Lancaster University.

Ian Walker of Sheffield, the managing director of Rotary Electrical UK, stood for the Conservatives.

UKIP's candidate, Jack Clarkson is a former police inspector in the South Yorkshire Police. Previously a Liberal Democrat councillor. Then a UKIP councillor, before becoming leader of the UKIP group on Sheffield City Council. UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, said the result of the by-election "would be a key factor in determining the party's general election strategy in the region in 2015."

The fifth party to stand in the previous election, the Liberal Democrats, did not contest the by-election following the assessment of their leader and South Yorkshire MP, Nick Clegg, that PCCs are "a failed experiment".

Results

Turnout was 14.88%.

Previous result

References

1. Pidd, Helen (29 October 2014). "Fury, disgust and apathy as people of South Yorkshire choose a new PCC". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
2. ^ "PCC Shaun Wright resigns over Rotherham child abuse scandal". BBC News. BBC. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
3. Holehouse, Matthew (31 October 2014). "Labour wins South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner by-election". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
4. "South Yorkshire Labour candidate Shaun Wright elected police chief". BBC News. BBC. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
5. "Rotherham child abuse report: Police commissioner Shaun Wright quits Labour Party – but refuses to resign from post – Crime – UK". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
6. "Rotherham child abuse: PCC refuses to quit over report". Channel 4 News. London. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.: See first video from 03:26
7. "Rotherham child abuse: Commissioner faces calls to resign". BBC News. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
8. "Police Commissioner Shaun Wright Will Be Suspended By Labour If He Does Not Resign". Huffington Post (UK). London. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
9. "Rotherham Advertiser". Rotherham Advertiser. Johnson Press. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
10. "Rotherham child sexual abuse scandal – the lessons: we need solutions not scapegoats". The Independent. The Independent. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
11. "My DPCC Resignation Statement in Full". www.tchee.co.uk. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
12. "Shaun Wright's Deputy Tracey Cheetham Resigns Over Rotherham Sex Abuse Scandal". The Huffington Post UK. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
13. "Council calls for police chief to resign now". Sheffield Telegraph. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
14. "Rotherham child abuse: Police commissioner quits Labour". BBC News. London. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
15. Wright, Shaun (16 September 2014). "Shaun Wright Resignation Statement". Office of Shaun Wright, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner. Archived from the original on 18 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
16. "Barnsley.gov.uk" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
17. "English Democrat to stand for PCC". BBC News. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
18. "Doncaster English Democrat to stand in PCC by-election". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
19. ^ "Labour and UKIP name PCC candidates". BBC News. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
20. "Conservative PCC candidate announced". BBC News. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
21. "Ukip on the march in the North – Farage". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
22. "Clegg calls PCCs 'failed experiment'". BBC News. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
23. "Notices of elections – 7 May 2015". www.barnsley.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
24. Beardmore, Ellen (30 September 2014). "Conservative candidate for South Yorkshire PCC revealed today". The Star.
25. "Police and Crime Commissioner election result". Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. 16 November 2012. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2014.

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See also European Parliament election

• 2014 elections in the United Kingdom
• Police and crime commissioner elections
• 2014 in England
• 2010s in South Yorkshire