READERS have reacted after Peter McCall was re-elected as Cumbria s Police and Crime Commissioner. The Conservative candidate received 53.57 per cent of all first choice votes on his way to securing a second term. Some readers have voiced their concerns about the state of Cumbria Police following McCall s election win. Ken H commented: The police and crime commissioners are elected to make sure that local police meet the needs of the community. Load of rubbish, you rarely see them when you want one. You are a waste of our hard-earned money. Hindsight - if only added: I thought part of the role was to oversee the integrity of the Police, that is obviously not the case with this individual who allows the force to operate as they wish and outside the law the rest abide by or face the consequences.
The Labour Party took a battering in the latest elections. The Conservatives made gains across England, adding 13 councils and an extra 236 councillors to their tally while Labour has lost control of eight councils, including Durham County Council. Among the biggest shock was the defeat inflicted on Labour in the Hartlepool by-election, with voters electing a Conservative MP for the first time in 62 years. In Carlisle, Labour lost Harraby South and Parklands and Newtown and Morton North. Labour are no longer seen as the party of the working man or woman, said Carlisle MP John Stevenson. The Conservatives are a very practical party and we ve realised that certain parts of the country have underperformed, and not necessarily had the investment they needed.