Everything you need to know about May's police and crime commissioner elections in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Anna Smith (Labour), Darryl Preston (Conservative) and Edna Murphy (Lib Dems) are running for election

Campaigning for this year’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections is underway in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates announced.

Current PCC Darryl Preston, first elected in 2021, is running again on a Conservative ticket, while Anna Smith is Labour’s choice and Edna Murphy the Lib Dems’.

In the last regional PCC election, Reform UK also put forward a candidate, but no more have yet been confirmed. An official list of nominations is expected in early April.

Last chance to vote for Peterborough's new Youth MPs

Mr Preston is a retired Cambridgeshire police officer. He is also the National Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ lead for forensics and biometrics

Cllr Smith (Labour, Colderidge) is a former teacher, Cambridge councillor and deputy mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

Cllr Murphy (Liberal Democrats, Bar Hill) is a former magistrate, Cambridgeshire County Council councillor and chair of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority.

Voting will take place in May: here’s all you need to know.

What is a PCC?

On Thursday, 2nd May, over-18s will be asked to vote in a PCC for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for the next four years.

Their primary function is to appoint a Chief Constable for Cambridgeshire Constabulary and hold them to account for running the force.

This can mean dismissing them in exceptional circumstances.

The PCC is, in turn, held to account by a police and crime panel, made up mostly of councillors.

This panel scrutinises the PCC’s annual budget, which they’re responsible for setting every year, including their proposed policing precept which appears on council tax bills.

The PCC also draws up a police and crime plan which sets out policing priorities for a particular area.

The role has a salary of more than £70,000 per year.

How do I vote?

PCC elections take place alongside local elections.

This year, 22 council seats in Peterborough are up for election; one per ward in the city.

For both votes, you will need to have registered to vote to take part and bring a valid form of voter ID to your local polling station.

The vote is being co-ordinated by East Cambridgeshire District Council, with Chief Executive John Hill appointed Police Area Returning Officer for the region.

The winner is declared after votes are counted.

The election is run on a simple first-past-the-post system, meaning voters choose one candidate and the candidate with the largest number of votes wins.

Currently, there are 30 Conservative PCCs in England and Wales, including Mr Preston.

Eight are Labour and one Plaid Cymru.