The Labour party have selected Cllr Tom Plater as their candidate to be Hertfordshire's next Police and Crime Commissioner.

Cllr Plater has served as councillor for Letchworth Wilbury on North Herts Council since 2022, and he is currently chair of the council's Area Forum for Letchworth. He is also chair of Stevenage Constituency Labour Party (CLP), and was previously chair of North East Hertfordshire CLP.

Speaking after his selection, Cllr Plater said: “It is a real privilege to be selected as the Labour Party candidate for Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner.

"I look forward to working hard over the next few months to set out my vision for a Constabulary that will be an effective force against the criminal challenges we face now and into the future.”

A Labour party spokesperson said that Cllr Plater "is looking forward to setting out his priorities for policing in Hertfordshire over the coming months, which will include tackling violence against women and girls, county lines gangs, drug crime, and antisocial behaviour." 

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Police and Crime Commissioners were created in 2012, with responsibility for overseeing police forces - Hertfordshire Constabulary in this case - and ensuring that they serve the public "efficiently and effectively".

Hertfordshire's current Police and Crime Commissioner is David Lloyd, a Conservative who has served in the role since it was created.

At the most recent election, in 2021, he won the election with 48.5 per cent of votes in the first round and 55.3 per cent in the second round. The Lib Dem and Labour candidates, Sam North and Philip Ross, came second and third with 27.4 per cent and 24.1 per cent of the first round vote respectively.

That election used the supplementary vote system, but the next election - to be held in May 2024 at the same time as local council elections - will use the first past the post voting system that is used for general elections.