Joe Tildesley

Tories to stick with Matt Bennett for top police job

Party inquiry into 'flawed' PCC selection process will not overturn result

By:
Published August 28, 2012, in Police Commissioners

Matt Bennett will remain the Conservative candidate for West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner whatever the result of an inquiry into the selection process concludes.

Chamberlain News has learned that Tory officials won’t drop Mr Bennett even if an investigation into the conduct of a primary election held to select the party’s candidate discovers that mistakes were made.

An inquiry is underway after Bennett’s rival for the job, Solihull councillor and former police officer Joe Tildesley, complained that up to 28 of his supporters were turned away from a meeting and prevented from voting for him. It is believed they broke the rules because they had not pre-registered to vote.

The incident could have had a significant impact on the final result since it is believed Mr Bennett beat Coun Tildesley in a tense selection battle by

Continues…

West Midlands Tories launch investigation into PCC selection process

By:
Published August 21, 2012, in Police Commissioners

The excellent reports today that the Conservative Party has launched an investigation into its candidate selection process for the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections in November.

Eventual West Mids Tory candidate Matt Bennet was elected after a series of public meetings in July, narrowly beating rival Joe Tildesley in a process that was notably short on clarity, as we noted here.

TOTC blogger Sam Chapman writes:

Matt Bennett, who won the selection, didn’t want to say anything on the subject. Joe Tildesley, the runner-up, gave an answer that was a tad more revealing:- “‘I have been sworn to secrecy and told in no uncertain terms that I am not to speak to the press. I have submitted some paperwork to the party but I am not prepared to say anything more at this time”.

Continues…

Tory duo in battle for Police Commissioner job

Bennett and Tildesley head to head in open primary elections

By:
Published June 27, 2012, in Police Commissioners

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Two Conservatives are battling it out to decide who is to be the party’s candidate for West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.

Former Birmingham city councillor Matt Bennett and Solihull borough councillor Joe Tildesley must face a series of four open primary hustings which will determine whose name goes on to the ballot paper for the PCC election on November 15.

Anyone on the Electoral Roll in the Police Authority Area may register to attend and vote at the meetings by emailing [email protected] .

The primaries will be held in Erdington on July 4, Walsall on July 5, Halesowen on July 10, with the final session at Solihull on July 11.

The process, throwing the final decision open to non-party members, is in contrast to the Labour Party’s tightly controlled selection for PCC candidate, which saw only 29 per cent of members take part and resulted in victory for Wolverhampton councillor Bob Jones.

Both of the prospective Conservative candidates are expected to criticise Coun Jones’ longstanding membership of the West Midlands Police Authority, painting him as ‘yesterday’s man’.

Jim Cooper, chairman of the Conservative organising committee, said: “The new Police and Crime Commissioner will be elected to represent the views of the public. We believe the public should have a voice in selecting our candidate.

“The Labour Party has restricted the choice to their members only and they have selected someone who has already been a member of the police authority for 27 years. Where are the new ideas?”

Matt Bennett served as a councillor in Birmingham for Stockland Green ward from 2008 to 2012 and is a former executive member for children’s social care. His career outside of politics has been in public and voluntary sector management.

Mr Bennett said: “I am looking forward to these open primaries which are a great way of engaging with the public. I will use them to put across my message that we need tougher policing in the areas where antisocial behaviour is at its worst and that the rights of the public, in particular those who are victims of crime, are paramount.”

Coun Tildesley is a former Inspector in the West Midlands force with 30 years of policing experience.

During the last five years of his service he was a national Police Federation official working in London and also the West Midland Police Federation Chairman.

Operationally, he saw service throughout the West Midlands and worked in a number of specialist positions in the Traffic Department, Plain Clothes, Special Patrol Group and the Training Department. He received nine Commendations for outstanding police work.

He was elected to Solihull Council in May 2007. He was re-elected in 2011 with both the largest personal vote and majority of the seventeen seats up for election. He is the cabinet member for Education, Children and Young People.

  • A YouGov opinion poll has found limited support for Police and Crime Commissioners, with just 34 per cent saying they thought the new role was a good idea and would give a voice to the public. Just under half of Conservative supporters backed PCCs in the study.
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