Resign now Northumbria Police & Crime Commissioner urged, after role to be scrapped in 2028

Councillors on Wearside are calling on the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner to resign now instead of clinging onto her 'failed experiment' job until 2028.

Opposition Lib Dem councillors in Sunderland are calling on Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner to resign immediately instead of staying in post until 2028.

It comes after the Home Office announced today that the roles of Police and Crime Commissioners will be scrapped in 2028 when the next elections were due to take place.

Lib Dems have been campaigning for years for the positions to be abolished.

At yesterday's meeting of all 75 Sunderland city councillors opposition leader Paul Edgeworth asked Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth, who was taking questions from councillors, if she would back his campaign to have the roles of police and crime commissioners abolished and the money re-invested in frontline policing instead.

Ms Dungworth replied 'You won't be surprised to know that my answer to that is 'no'".

Speaking after today's announcement Lib Dem leader of the opposition on Sunderland City Council Paul Edgeworth said:

"It is great news that Keir Starmer agrees with me that Labour's Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth's role is pointless, a 'failed experiment' and that deleting her job will save public money. This is a victory for common sense and for the Liberal Democrats.

"Local people will now want to see Ms Dungworth resign immediately and save taxpayers the £millions in salary, staffing budget and office costs that will be used between now and 2028 on a job which the Government admits is pointless. The money would be much better spent on frontline policing instead."