Suffolk residents head to the polls to decide next police leader and Ipswich councillors
Residents will head to the polls today to decide Suffolk’s next police leader and a town’s representatives.
Across Suffolk, residents will have a chance today to elect the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the next four years.
The PCC’s role is to ensure the police force is both effective and efficient — its duties include setting an annual budget, scrutinising their local force’s performance, holding it to account, and commissioning services to prevent crime and help victims.
Votes for the PCC elections will be counted locally at every district and borough council and the results will then be collated by West Suffolk Council, with an announcement expected tomorrow morning at West Suffolk House in Bury St Edmunds.
Meanwhile, in Ipswich, residents are also being asked to decide the future of the borough’s 16 wards by electing 18 councillors.
The Labour Party currently runs the council, holding 32 out of the 48 available seats.
The count for the Ipswich elections will start from 10pm tonight and last into the early hours of Friday.
For both elections, residents wishing to vote will need to show a photo ID — there are 22 acceptable forms of ID, including passports and driving licences.
The candidates for Police and Crime Commissioner are:
– Tim Passmore (Conservative Party)
– James Sandbach (Liberal Democrats)
– Rachel Smith-Lyte (Green Party)
– Robin Wales (Labour Party)
The candidates for the Ipswich Elections are:
Alexandra:
• Adam Rae, Labour (incumbent)
• Katherine West, Conservative
• Kelly Turner, Lib Dem
• David Plowman, Greens
Bixley:
• Paul Anderson, Labour
• Lee Reynolds, Conservative (incumbent)
• Lisa Weichert, Lib Dem
• Stephanie Cullen, Greens
Bridge:
• Bryony Rudkin, Labour and Co-op, (incumbent and current council deputy leader)
• John Downie, Conservative
• Sophie Williams, Lib Dem
• Adria Pittock, Greens
• Catherine Kersey, Reform UK
Castle Hill:
• Kim Cook, Labour
• Ian Fisher, Conservative (incumbent and current Party leader)
• Martin Pakes, Lib Dem
• Richard Foster, Greens
Gainsborough:
• James Whatling, Labour
• Albert Demaj, Conservative
• Amy Bendall, Lib Dem
• Robert Young, Greens
• Shayne Pooley, Independent (incumbent)
• John Beard, Reform UK
Gipping:
• David Ellesmere, Labour (incumbent)
• Rhys Ellis, Conservative
• Gerald Pryke, Lib Dem
• Lee Morris, Greens
Holywells:
• Nic El-Safty, Labour
• Pippa Gordon-Gould, Conservative (incumbent)
• Robert Chambers, Lib Dem
• Rory Todd, Greens
Priory Heath (two seats):
• Owen Bartholomew, Labour
• Roxanne Downes, Labour (incumbent)
• Robert Hall, Conservative
• Michael Scanes, Conservative
• Conrad Packwood, Lib Dem
• Andy Patmore, Greens
• Tom Wilmot, Greens
Rushmere:
• Alasdair Ross, Labour (incumbent and current cabinet portfolio holder)
• Debbie Richards, Conservative
• Lucy Drake, Lib Dem
• Rachel Morris, Greens
• Timothy Hawke, Reform UK
Sprites:
• Philip Mcsweeney, Labour
• Sian Gubb, Conservative
• Robin Whitmore, Lib Dem
• Martin Hynes, Greens
St. John’s (two seats):
• Corinna Hope, Labour
• Neil MacDonald, Labour (incumbent and current council leader)
• Tim Buttle, Conservative
• Stephen Ion, Conservative
• Giles Turner, Lib Dem
• Jude Rook, Greens
St. Margaret’s:
• Sheila Handley, Labour
• Laura Allenby, Conservative
• Oliver Holmes, Lib Dem (incumbent)
• Kirsty Wilmot, Greens
Stoke Park:
• Chu Man, Labour
• James Harding, Conservative
• Henry Williams, Lib Dem
• Barry Broom, Greens
Westgate:
• Carole Jones, Labour (Incumbent and current cabinet portfolio holder)
• Stephen Kirby, Conservative
• Martin Hore, Lib Dem
• John Mann, Greens
Whitehouse:
• Tracy Grant, Labour and Co-op (incumbent)
• Mark Philips, Conservative
• Immo Weichert, Lib Dem
• Sue Hagley, Greens
• David Hurlbut, Reform UK
Whitton:
• Patricia Bruce-Browne, Labour
• David Goldsmith, Conservative
• Nicholas Jacob, Lib Dem
• Jason Williams, Greens
• Tony Gould, Reform UK (incumbent and currently an Independent)
