West Midlands PCC could take Mayor to court over plans to scrap role

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner says he could take the West Midlands Mayor to court over plans to scrap his job and transfer its powers to the Mayor's office.

Labour's Simon Foster says if the merger plans don’t stop he will seek a judicial review, claiming the Mayor may have acted unlawfully.

He says it will leave him with no alternative but to begin legal proceedings.

A spokesman for the Mayor said that the PCC "should be focussing his efforts on tackling crime and getting his force out of special measures".

Simon Foster said: "I have repeatedly advised Mayor Street not to proceed with this cynical, divisive and undemocratic power grab.

“Sadly, the Mayor has refused to listen. Now it turns out that the Mayor may have made the decision unlawfully. He has left me no alternative, but to begin legal proceedings."

He continued: "The Mayor and the government must act in accordance with the law. It is the very least that the public expect and I intend to ensure that is exactly what happens.

"It is, however, not too late. The Mayor can withdraw his request to transfer the powers of the Police and Crime Commissioner to the Mayoralty in May. I trust that is exactly what he will choose to do."

The transfer of powers has been made possible thanks to the Levelling-up Act, which was recently passed into law, allowing regional mayors to request the powers to be transferred to their offices.

Earlier this week Mayor Street announced that the Home Secretary had approved the Mayor’s decision to seek a merger of the roles at next years’ May election.

PCC Foster has urged Mayor Street and the government to abandon their plans.  

A spokesman for the Mayor said: "The PCC should be focussing his efforts on tackling crime and getting his force out of special measures. Instead he is wasting taxpayer money - which should be being spent on frontline policing - trying to save his job.

"At some stage he has to take responsibility for the fact crime in the West Midlands has become so bad that the Mayor and Home Secretary have felt the need to intervene in this way.

"If the Labour Party do not agree with the transfer of powers to the Mayor and believe in having a separate PCC, then they need to be honest with the public and say they will reverse this transfer should they win May's election."