Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones withdraws from Conservative Party shortlist to be Greater Lincolnshire Mayor

Lincolnshire's police and crime commissioner has stepped back from the contest to become the Conservative candidate in next year's Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election.

Marc Jones, who was among the six contenders for the Tory nomination, has decided to instead focus on addressing funding and performance challenges within Lincolnshire Police.

Earlier this week, Mr Jones and Chief Constable Paul Gibson wrote to the Home Office, the College of Policing, and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) requesting national support as the force faces a £57 million deficit over the next four years.

The Home Office confirmed receipt of the letter and promised a response in due course. It also noted that funding allocations for 2025-26 will be addressed in the upcoming provisional police funding settlement in December.

Lincolnshire Police representatives continue to highlight that the force is the lowest funded in England and Wales, with new rules on National Insurance and a 4.75% pay award for officers deepening the financial challenges.

Mr Jones has stated that funding and efficiency issues are becoming more difficult each week, leaving him unable to dedicate the time required for a five-month campaign to become Greater Lincolnshire's first mayor.

“The most important thing is to do the right thing for the people and communities of Lincolnshire and those that work delivering policing across our county," he said.

“I cannot, with all good conscience, dedicate myself to a five-month political campaign and remain focused on the very challenging job of sorting out the problems caused by generations of underfunding at Lincolnshire Police.

“It has taken extraordinary effort, hard work, creativity and will to keep the finances in a stable place for the last eight years and it is just getting much more difficult to hold back the tide.

“Supporting Lincolnshire Police in its work to keep our communities safe will require my unwavering focus. Whilst I believe that linking the PCC and new mayoral roles would have benefitted Lincolnshire my attention right now must be on the job at hand.

"Getting fairer funding for our force and supporting the Chief Constable in facing the performance challenges that come from the systemic lack of funding must come first.

“I am disappointed but it is the right thing to do.”

Chief Constable Paul Gibson described the funding situation as "untenable," emphasising the challenges ahead.

“Our joint and ultimate aim is to ensure that communities in Lincolnshire are protected," he stated.

"The future funding situation now threatens the future delivery of an acceptable service, which is why we have asked to formally engage with critical partners to make sure our position is fully understood and seek to achieve a collective responsibility to address the ongoing funding imbalance."

Ben Bradley, Karl McCartney, Matt Warman, Hugo Marfleet, and Rob Waltham remain in contention for the Conservative nomination in next year’s mayoral election. The party is set to select its official candidate on December 7.

Former Conservative MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns has been confirmed as the candidate for Reform UK, while Labour will be represented by Jason Stockwood, vice-chairman of Grimsby Town Football Club.

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