LABOUR candidate Jeff Cuthbert has been elected as the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent.

With a turnout of 42 per cent - a huge improvement on the first elections back in 2012 when the turnout for Gwent was just 13.9 per cent - Mr Cuthbert claimed a total 96,030 votes in the two stage election process.

Conservative candidate Louise Brown took 70,122 with Plaid’s Darren Jones eliminated after the first round of counting amid criticism of the complicated voting process and the number of spoiled votes - which totalled 20,812 in Gwent.

Results - (first count)

Jeff Cuthbert (Lab) 76,893 (46.38%, +7.49%)

Louise Brown (C) 50,985 (30.75%, +19.58%)

Darren Jones (PC) 37,916 (22.87%)

Eliminated: Darren Jones

(Second Count)

Distribution of Jones’s votes

Jeff Cuthbert (Lab) 96,030

Louise Brown (C) 70,122

Elected: Jeff Cuthbert

Eliminated: Louise Brown

Under the election rules the second preference votes are only used if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. The top two candidates then receive the second preference votes from their eliminated opponents - a process which was criticised by Monmouth MP David Davies, who said it was complicated and misunderstood by many voters.

Speaking after the election, former Caerphilly AM and Welsh Government minister Jeff Cuthbert vowed to ensure that the principles of social justice and fairness become the cornerstone of policing practice in the region.?

His term of office as Commissioner will last four years and he will be responsible for representing the people of Gwent and making sure the service provided by the police is efficient and effective. 

His priorities for policing in Gwent will include:

·                     Providing more of a visible police presence on our streets and in our communities;

·                     Ensuring that crimes such as domestic abuse, hate crime, child exploitation, and modern slavery are given the attention that they deserve;

·                     Developing and maintaining good community cohesion;

·                     Working with the Voluntary Sector to inform on-going policies and practices;

·                     Working with the Chief Constable so that the principles of social justice become the cornerstone of police practice;

·                     And working with the Welsh Government and the devolved public services on practical issues of support such as the provision of the additional Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) for Gwent.

Addressing supporters and opponents at the Wales National Velodrome in Newport, where the official count was held, Mr Cuthbert said, "I would like to thank the other candidates for the contest which was conducted in a spirit of friendship and a concentration on the broader issues around policing.

“ I would also like to thank the incumbent Ian Johnston for the firm foundations he has laid for the role of Police and Crime Commissioner in Gwent. I intend to be an inclusive Commissioner and I want to work effectively with all sections of the community. I look forward to working closely with the Chief Constable, Jeff Farrar, so that the principles of social justice which I stand on become the cornerstone of policing in Gwent.

“What I hope to achieve over the next four years is to reverse the position which was found by an opinion poll only a few months ago whereby only one person in ten in the whole of Wales knew that PCCs even existed. That is something in a democracy we cannot have. I am determined to reverse that position over the next four years and ensure that people understand the real value of this post."     

  

Outgoing PCC Ian Johnston, who served as an independent candidate before deciding not to stand for re-election, congratulated his successor: "It has been a huge privilege and an honour to serve the people of Gwent as Commissioner," said Mr Johnston.

"The decision not to stand for a second term was a difficult one for me to make but I am confident that I am leaving behind a Force which is in very good shape in the capable hands of Chief Constable Farrar. This is reflected in how the Force has been continually praised by inspectors for the improvements it has made over the last two years. I would like to wish Jeff Cuthbert all the best for the next four years."

Outgoing PCC Ian Johnston, who served as an independent candidate before deciding not to stand for re-election, congratulated his successor: “It has been a huge privilege and an honour to serve the people of Gwent as Commissioner.

“The decision not to stand for a second term was a difficult one for me to make but I am confident that I am leaving behind a force which is in very good shape in the capable hands of Chief Constable Farrar. This is reflected in how the Force has been continually praised by inspectors for the improvements it has made over the last two years. I would like to wish Jeff Cuthbert all the best for the next four years.”

In neighbouring Powys Plaid’s Dafydd Llywelyn beat the incumbent Tory commissioner Christopher Salmon.

Mr Llywelyn, who previously worked for the Dyfed-Powys force, called his election an "honour and a privilege”.

"It’s a police service that I served for 13-and-a-half years as their head of intelligence analysis, and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead as the new police commissioner for the force," he said.

Congratulating his successor, Mr Salmon said: "Securing a second term was always going to be hard, this was a tough fight.

"I am privileged to have worked with many dedicated officers and staff who are so committed to their duty, I hope people will feel that I have done mine."