Former political adviser up for deputy mayor role

A former chief of staff for the shadow home secretary will be put forward as North Yorkshire's deputy mayor for police, fire and crime.

Jo Coles, currently a City of York councillor, has been named as preferred appointee by the new Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith.

She previously worked as chief of staff for Yvette Cooper and as political advisor to Mrs Cooper's husband Ed Balls.

Mr Skaith, who was elected mayor on 3 May, said Ms Coles was a dedicated public servant and would be "brilliant".

Following his election, Mr Skaith took on legal responsibility for responsibilities previously held by the police, fire and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire.

He said: “In my plan for York and North Yorkshire, I promised to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, in particular focusing on the root causes.

“I want to invest in our services, to keep people being safe and feeling safe in our urban, rural and coastal areas alike.

"I believe Jo would be a brilliant member of our team in helping us to achieve this."

Ms Coles, councillor for the Westfield ward, will be put forward for consideration at a confirmation hearing on 12 June.

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