Conservative police boss candidate reported again
A CONSERVATIVE candidate running for North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner has been reported to the returning officer for a second time.
Pat Astbury, one of five people in the running for the PCC post, was reprimanded by Police Area Returning Officer for North Wales Colin Everett last week for an “inaccurate” statement and for having “privileged access” to Police Minister Kit Malthouse MP.
She had mistakenly called herself “your local Police and Crime Commissioner” rather than PCC candidate in a video discussion with the minister.
The video was later edited to remove the reference and Mr Everett advised Police Minister Kit Malthouse to “extend the opportunity for an interview to all other candidates” or otherwise ask for it to be withdrawn.
Now it has emerged Mrs Astbury, a former Ruthin town councillor and mayor, was referred to as a “local councillor” in Conservative communication to electors.
There is no suggestion Mrs Astbury was aware of the error before being contacted by Mr Everett, chief executive of Flintshire County Council.
She made it clear she had no input into the election material, which had been produced by the Conservative Party.
She said: “It’s the second complaint and the first error (involving Kit Malthouse) was mine. The second one I haven’t seen, as it was in a constituency paper – I don’t even know which one it was.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has since discovered the reference was made in a Conservative paper sent to electors in Clwyd West.