Clive Grunshaw

Clive Grunshaw
Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 May 2024
Preceded byAndrew Snowden
In office
22 November 2012 – 12 May 2021
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byAndrew Snowden
Member of Lancashire County Council
for Fleetwood East
Marine (1999–2005)
In office
10 June 1999 – 2 May 2013
Preceded byEddie Fail
Succeeded byRon Shewan
Personal details
BornOctober 1961 (age 63)
Fleetwood, Lancashire, England
Political partyLabour
Alma materUniversity of Lancaster (BA, MA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Clive Grunshaw (born October 1961) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire since 2024, and previously served from 2012 to 2021.

Political career

Grunshaw was the first person to hold the post of Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire and was elected on 15 November 2012 and re-elected in 2016.[1][2]

Grunshaw, a former milkman, said it was a "new era for policing"; however, he admitted turnout was "disappointing".[1] He was formerly Lancashire County Council member for Fleetwood East[3] and Pharos Ward Councillor for Wyre Council,[4] where he was Leader of a minority Labour Group from May 2007 until resigning from that position on 20 November 2012 on assuming the post of Police and Crime Commissioner. Grunshaw also stood unsuccessfully as the Labour Party candidate for Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency at the 2010 general election.

November 2015 marked three years since the first Police and Crime Commissioner elections. During the year Grunshaw was a prominent campaigner[5] in opposing proposed changes[6] to the way police forces are funded which would have seen Lancashire Constabulary lose £24.5 million.[7] Minister of State for Policing Mike Penning MP was forced to admit to MPs that "a statistical error was made in the data used"[8] and paused the process pending a further review.

Expenses controversy

In December 2012 a Freedom of Information request uncovered information relating to expenses claimed by Clive Grunshaw which has caused some political opponents to demand his resignation.[9] It was alleged that he claimed mileage twice for meetings which took place at the same time, suggesting in one example that he had driven from his Fleetwood home for Preston an hour apart for two separate meetings.[10] In response, Grunshaw said, "At no point have I wilfully submitted claims which I know to be untrue. Clearly there are overlaps in times on some of the claims and this is what is so disappointing. The claims are genuinely intentioned but my process appears to have been flawed."

Following an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which found that "while errors had been made in expense claims these were due to carelessness rather than any dishonest intent on the part of Mr Grunshaw" [11] the Commissioner criticised the length of time the review took. Mr Grunshaw said "It has taken too long to investigate and the IPCC has taken way too long to publish the report."[12]

Election results

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner election, 2016
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round 1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Labour Clive Grunshaw 132,261 43.8% 20,453 152,714 56.2%
​​
Conservative Andy Pratt 96,746 32.0% 22,195 118,941 43.8%
​​
UKIP James Barker 49,987 16.5%
​​
Liberal Democrats Graham Roach 23,164 7.7%
​​
Turnout 302,158 28.1%
Rejected ballots
Total votes
Registered electors
Labour hold
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner election, 2012 [13][14][15]
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round 1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Labour Clive Grunshaw 66,017 39.28% 13,773 79,790 52.1%
​​
Conservative Tim Ashton 58,428 34.76% 14,834 73,262 47.9%
​​
UKIP Robert Drobny 25,228 15.01%
​​
Liberal Democrats Afzal Anwar 18,396 10.95%
​​
Turnout 168,069 15.05%
Rejected ballots 4,643 2.69%
Total votes 172,712 15.47
Registered electors 1,116,623
Labour win

References

  1. ^ a b "BBC - Lancashire PCC elections". BBC News. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  2. ^ "Labour candidate Clive Grunshaw wins police elections". Lancaster Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  3. ^ Profile - Clive Grunshaw Lancashire County Council
  4. ^ Wyre Council. "Councillor | Unknown Ward | Unknown Party | Wyre Council". Wyre.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  5. ^ "» Cut The Cuts". Lancashire-pcc.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  6. ^ "Reforming police funding arrangements in England and Wales". GOV.UK. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  7. ^ "Police chief blasts budget error as 'incompetency' - Lancashire Evening Post". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  8. ^ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 09 Nov 2015 (pt 0001)". Publications.parliament.uk. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  9. ^ Expenses questions for police commissioner Lancashire Evening Post
  10. ^ Lancashire Commissioner Clive Grunshaw discovers time travel TopoftheCops
  11. ^ "IPCC publishes reports from investigation into allegations against Lancashire PCC | Independent Police Complaints Commission". Ipcc.gov.uk. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  12. ^ "Clive Grunshaw blasts watchdog for taking too long to investigate expenses claims". Blackpool Gazette. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  13. ^ "First vote results: Lancashire final totals" (PDF). Blackburn with Darwen Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  14. ^ "Local Police and crime commissioners election results for Lancashire 2012". Blackburn with Darwen Council. Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  15. ^ "PCC Elections results stages 1 & 2 2012". Blackburn with Darwen Council. Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
Civic offices
New office Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner
22 November 2012 – 13 May 2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner
from 9 May 2024 		Incumbent