Asif Ayub: Police & Crime Commissioner candidate takes campaign to Staines

Julie Iles, the Surrey candidate for the office of Police & Crime Commissioner for the Conservative Party, was joined by Kwasi Kwarteng M.P. and Councillor Asif Ayub when she took her campaign to Staines-upon-Thames in the borough of Spelthorne on the morning of Friday 26 October, and listened to concerns of local residents and shoppers in Elmsleigh Shopping Centre, Staines Market, Two-Rivers shopping centre and Staines Community Centre.

The exercise provided members of the public with the opportunity to meet Mrs Iles, Mr Kwarteng and a number of local councillors and present their questions and concerns, particularly about policing and crime in Spelthorne borough. Julie Iles commented: ‘I have found that there is very strong interest in the issues of policing and crime in Surrey, and people very much welcome the opportunity to discuss their concerns in a way which would not be practical for a panel of seventeen members – such as the current police authority – to do’.

She continued: ‘getting into the high streets of Surrey has been an important opportunity to engage large numbers of people who live, work and enjoy what our county has to offer. This campaign has been about more than leaflets, hustings, canvassing and the traditional components in the run-up to an election – and that is because this campaign is about something far more important than differences between political parties. As I talk with more and more people across Surrey, I am struck by how much enthusiasm there is for a Police & Crime Commissioner willing and able to be available to engage with people’s concerns, as well as a robust figure to work with the Chief Constable in tackling the enormous challenges that we will have to confront here in the next few years’.

Local M.P., Kwasi Kwarteng said: ‘Julie is a dynamic and enthusiastic person to whom people can relate very easily – and she will make a first-rate Police & Crime Commissioner’.

Councillor Asif Ayub added: ‘it was very apparent throughout the visit that residents in Spelthorne have taken Julie Iles to their hearts. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, there were some challenging questions, and the way that Julie was able to respond to people’s concerns resonated strongly and brought different views together. People in Spelthorne will expect their Police & Crime Commissioner to meet a very high standard, and it is clear that Julie exceeds these expectations. I very much look forward to welcoming her back to Staines as our elected Police & Crime Commissioner’.

He concluded: ‘I heard one resident say that Julie was the only candidate who appeared to have made the effort to take her campaign to them, whilst another admitted that they had not showed very much interest in the role of a Police & Crime Commissioner until meeting Julie in Staines. This experience demonstrates that the job of being Police & Crime Commissioner will involve some considerable effort to get around Surrey and listen to residents, such as those that I represent: this job will not be done adequately by sitting behind a desk at police headquarters’.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Police & Crime Commissioner information table in Staines was supported by Councillors Ayub, Napper, Forsyth, Budd, Watts, as well as Kwasi Kwarteng M.P., and Julie Iles. The Action Day in Staines was also supported by Councillor Chris Frazer and County Councillor Denise Turner.