Independent wins West Mercia PCC election
Public
Good for Bill Longmore. Not that I wanted these elections in the first place -- but if we had to have an elected police and crime commissioner, then I'm at least pleased it hasn't gone to a party candidate. Actually, at least half a dozen independents have won across the country, and Bristol has also elected an independent mayor -- though sadly the Birthday Party candidate there came last with 0.46% of the vote. =:P
Anyway, for the sake of reference, here are the West Mercia results; the elections were held under the same supplementary voting system as the London mayoral election, incidentally. The turnout figure is based on valid votes cast and so does not count spoiled ballots -- of which there were several thousand, many times more than normal. The turnout across the country looks like being somewhere in the region of 15%, so shattering the lowest peacetime turnout record for a national election.
First round
Bill Longmore ........ Independent ...... 50,900 (37.75%)
Adrian Blackshaw ..... Conservative ..... 49,298 (36.56%)
Simon Murphy ......... Labour ........... 34,652 (25.70%)
Since no candidate received a clear majority of first-preference votes cast, Murphy was eliminated and the second preferences of those who voted for him were distributed between the other two candidates. As you'd expect, Labour voters preferred the Independent to the Tory by a large margin, ensuring his election:
Second round
Bill Longmore ........ Independent ...... 71,955 (56.90%)
Adrian Blackshaw ..... Conservative ..... 54,499 (43.10%)
Turnout ................................ 134,850 (14.54%)
Good for Bill Longmore. Not that I wanted these elections in the first place -- but if we had to have an elected police and crime commissioner, then I'm at least pleased it hasn't gone to a party candidate. Actually, at least half a dozen independents have won across the country, and Bristol has also elected an independent mayor -- though sadly the Birthday Party candidate there came last with 0.46% of the vote. =:P
Anyway, for the sake of reference, here are the West Mercia results; the elections were held under the same supplementary voting system as the London mayoral election, incidentally. The turnout figure is based on valid votes cast and so does not count spoiled ballots -- of which there were several thousand, many times more than normal. The turnout across the country looks like being somewhere in the region of 15%, so shattering the lowest peacetime turnout record for a national election.
First round
Bill Longmore ........ Independent ...... 50,900 (37.75%)
Adrian Blackshaw ..... Conservative ..... 49,298 (36.56%)
Simon Murphy ......... Labour ........... 34,652 (25.70%)
Since no candidate received a clear majority of first-preference votes cast, Murphy was eliminated and the second preferences of those who voted for him were distributed between the other two candidates. As you'd expect, Labour voters preferred the Independent to the Tory by a large margin, ensuring his election:
Second round
Bill Longmore ........ Independent ...... 71,955 (56.90%)
Adrian Blackshaw ..... Conservative ..... 54,499 (43.10%)
Turnout ................................ 134,850 (14.54%)