Labour’s Gary Godden beats Caroline Henry in Nottinghamshire police commissioner race

Gary Godden, Nottinghamshire's new police and crime commissioner
Gary Godden, Nottinghamshire's new police and crime commissioner
By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter

Labour’s Gary Godden has been elected as Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

He defeated the sitting Conservative PCC Caroline Henry by more than 40,000 votes.

Liberal Democrat David Watts was beaten into third place.

The Labour candidate received 119,355 votes, compared to 77,148 for the Conservative and 32,410 for the Liberal Democrat.

Turnout for the county-wide election was 28.1 per cent.

The Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible setting the force’s budgets and priorities, and even holds the power to sack the Chief Constable.

Mrs Henry’s defeat came on a dark day for Conservatives nationally, with Labour candidate Claire Ward winning the East Midlands Mayoral Election.

Her popularity may also have been hurt by five charges of speeding which she pleaded guilty to in 2022.

PCCs set the force’s £290m budget, decides how much council tax residents should pay, and ensures the public gets value for money.

Since the role was created in 2012, the Nottinghamshire PCC role has been occupied first by Paddy Tipping (Lab) and later by Caroline Henry (Con), who was elected in 2021.

Nottinghamshire Police is under scrutiny after being placed in special measures in March by watchdog His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

It expressed concerns over how the force runs investigations and handles victims.