I am seeking the Conservative nomination for Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. I have lived and worked in Cambridgeshire for most of my life and over the last twelve months, friends and colleagues have persuaded me that I am the right person for the job.

If selected as the candidate I will run on a campaign to:

• Keep costs down: money is tight, but from my time on the Police Authority, I know we can do more with less. I will get a grip on the policing budget, freeze the precept next year and limit any future increase to the annual percentage increase in the state pension;

• Respond to local needs: I will not be behind a desk, but out and about across the whole county and Peterborough, holding surgeries, attending neighbourhood meetings, listening first-hand to what matters to the community;

• Make preventing crime a priority: less crime means fewer victims of crime, lower policing costs and less damage to people, property and communities;

• Put victims first: centrally driven targets and agendas have eroded the trust between police and public. I want people to be proud and confident in the Cambridgeshire police service and ensure that it is responsive to their needs first.

I have twenty years of experience in running large organisations, leading Cambridgeshire County Council and running its children’s services. I will commit all my energies to this role – this will be my only job. I have been a councillor for many years, visible in the community and experienced in being a voice for my community, responding to local concerns. The Police and Crime Plan I will produce will be the communities plan – reflecting their priorities and recognising that what is important in Peterborough will be different in St Neots, Soham or Sawston. For that reason, I will seek to appoint a Deputy from the Peterborough area.

My experience is more than just managing big budgets, getting things done and working with others. I am also a parent with children in local schools and colleges, who believes in “tough love”. I was brought up in a single parent household on low income and I am passionate about enabling others to have the same chances I did. I empathise with the fear of crime and the impact that it has on peoples’ lives so preventing crime will be a priority. I know that early intervention and intensive support can make a real difference to vulnerable young people and is vital to stop them from spiralling out of control and into a life of crime.