08 March 2012
Part-time Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) could earn between £65,000 and £100,000 a year and still hold down other jobs, the Home Secretary has revealed.
It's expected that salaries at the top part of this scale will be paid to commissioners in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire,
With candidates such as Labour's ex deputy prime minister John Prescott and Falklands veteran Simon Weston in the running, Theresa May also said that PCCs would not have to accept a lower salary if they also had other work, going against a recommendation from the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB). However, they should always be transparent about any outside interests they had, whether or not these involved some kind of remuneration.
May said: "We understand the intention behind it [the SSRB proposal], but we believe that the best way forward is for PCCs to be clear with their electorate about what outside interests they have and for the electorate to judge them accordingly. I intend to ensure that a PCC declares any paid and/or unpaid interests that may conflict with their role or affect the amount of time which they will be devoting to it."
The Home Secretary added: "By settling the pay structure as early as possible, I hope to ensure that potential candidates have plenty of time to consider their respective positions when deciding whether they should stand."
When Prescott has put his name forward for the post of PCC overseeing the Humberside police force, he said: "I want the opportunity to continue my public service to the region with a mandate from the people to protect the community and target criminals. I feel that after proudly serving as a local MP for 40 years and as a cabinet minister for 10 years, I have the experience to listen to the public and help be their strong voice in supporting the police and holding them to account."
The PCC elections will be held in November. |