Emma Scott-Spivey has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner by-election being held on November 25th, following the outcry over the disgraceful comments of the conservative Philip Allott, forcing him to resign.
Emma says: “We need a commissioner who will restore trust and give a voice to local people.
“I am not a politician. I am not a councillor. I have never stood for office before. North Yorkshire has been let down badly. I want to help rebuild trust and repair the damage done by the former Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners.
“I was born and brought up in North Yorkshire, in Harrogate, where I also went to school. Both my parents were police officers and I’m immensely proud of their hard work and dedication to the communities they served.
“I live in Thirsk, and I am a student paramedic, working day in and day out with the wide range of emergency services and other public servants who local people rely upon to keep them safe.
“When I heard Philip Allott’s comments about Sarah Everard and his view of endemic violence against women, I thought of every patient I had ever attended in an emergency who were unwilling to involve the police. When the victims of crime are reluctant to involve the police we have a serious problem. Mistrust is infectious, and as the daughter or two dedicated and recently retired police officers who tirelessly served local people, it pains me to see the growing disillusionment towards the public servants who are here to protect.
“Women crossing the road at night, keys between fingers, to avoid men walking behind them. Families with no faith that their children will be kept safe and young people marginalised and pushed into crime. All deserve better. We have police officers, like my parents, who despite dwindling resources and reduced funding, dedicate their lives to making communities fairer and safer. We need a commissioner who will restore trust and give a voice to all of those people.”
If you want to know more about Emma, or get involved in the campaign, please visit https://emma4northyorkshire.org.uk/.