July 4, 2019 10.10 am This story is over 56 months old

Lincolnshire PCC backs Boris in PM race

He will have a vote in the upcoming Tory leadership election
Lincolnshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones is backing Boris Johnson in the PM race. Photo: Marc Jones' Twitter

Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has given his backing to Boris Johnson in the race to become the next Prime Minster.

Boris Johnson, who stopped in Lincolnshire for a special “Dinner with Boris” event last month, was quizzed by Lincolnshire’s Conservative PCC Marc Jones on Wednesday and ‘won him over’.

Marc was part of a delegation of Conservative PCCs to meet Boris at a special meeting at a police training centre near Reading. He is due to speak with Jeremy Hunt next week.

Two key factors that helped sway Marc were Boris accepting and supporting the need for extra police officers across the UK. Boris has since announced that he has plans to put 20,000 new officers on the street by 2022.

Boris, who will face competition Jeremy Hunt in the battle to succeed Theresa May as the new Prime Minister, also indicated to Lincolnshire’s PCC that he supported a review of the police’s funding formula.

Marc aired his views on Twitter saying: “20 PCCs including myself will have a vote in the upcoming Conservative leadership election.

“We asked both candidates their views on policing and crime and today (July 3). I put questions directly to Boris Johnson on funding, PEQF (Policing Education Qualifications Framework), Police Covenant and criminal justice. Having heard from both I now back Boris.”

After a month-long contest Tory officials will tally up the votes cast by party members before declaring the new leader on July 22.