Labour's Danielle Stone is the new police, fire and crime commissioner

It was a closely run contest

Labour’s Danielle Stone has won the police, fire and crime commissioner elections.

The long standing Northampton councillor was run close by Conservative Martyn Emberson and Liberal Democrat Ana Savage Gunn.

Both had more operational experience in the role - Martyn having been a fire chief and Anna a senior police officer - but it seems that Stone’s many months of campaigning combined with an anti conservative national mood and local scandals combined to get her over the line.

She won with 43,684 votes, Martyn Emberson gained 39,714 and Ana Savage Gunn won 27,799 votes. Turnout was just over 19 per cent.

Speaking at the Benham Sports Centre in Northampton this afternoon when asked what changes the county will now see, she said:

“We will see closer working with the communities. Over time there will be a return to local, neighbourhood policing. We will see an end to retail crime.

She added:

“This is the highlight of my career. It was never on my career plan, but I was pleased to have been selected and have worked hard for many months with Labour volunteers to speak to the community to hear what change they want.”

Ana Savage Gunn, said she was pleased that Danielle Stone had won rather than a Conservative, after the party has been in control of the PFCC since the role was created in 2012.

The previous commissioner Stephen Mold has been involved in months of scandal after firstly appointing a friend as fire chief and then calling the replacement fire chief Nikki Watson a bitch.

There is no doubt her vote in the rural villages impacted the Conservatives.

Martyn Emberson may have suffered from his lack of media profile during the campaign. He refused to attend a number of hustings and some interviews.

He left the election count shortly after the result was announced.

Danielle Stone will start in post on May 9. One of her first jobs may be having to deal with the suspended chief constable if he is charged by the Crown Prosecution Service following an IOPC investigation and she will also have to decide whether to follow through with the controversial appointment of Nikki Watson, the county’s new fire chief who cannot start in role until after an IOPC investigation is concluded.