Elections 2021: Tories gain Leicestershire PCC from Labour

The Conservatives have won the election for the post of police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Leicestershire.

Rupert Matthews earned 135,566 votes, with Labour's Ross Willmott receiving 102,211.

The incumbent Labour PCC Lord Willy Bach is stepping down following one term in the role, which was extended due to coronavirus, after being elected in 2016.

Liberal Democrat candidate James Moore was eliminated in the first round.

Mr Matthews, a former MEP for the East Midlands, said: "I'm really looking forward to it.

"I am here to make the police force more effective, I am here to make our streets safer and I am here to make sure our police react more positively to the demands of the community."

After the first round of voting, Mr Matthews was in the lead with 121,252 votes (49.27%), with Mr Willmott in second with 81,898 votes (33.28%).

As neither candidate had received more than 50% of the votes, the lowest-polling candidate Mr Moore was eliminated and second preference ballots counted.

This meant the ballots which picked the Liberal Democrat candidate as their first choice were checked for second preferences, and those choices were added to the two remaining candidates' totals.

The turnout for the election was 30.2%, which was up from a 19.79% turnout at the last election in 2016.

In Leicestershire County Council's elections on Thursday, the Conservatives retained control.

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