THE only independent candidate to stand in Cumbria's police and crime commissioner election believes politics and police simply don't mix.

Councillor Mary Robinson is one of the candidates for the May 5 election to decide who will hold Cumbria Constabulary to account and set local priorities. 

The 63-year-old county councillor came third in the 2012 election and was just 57 votes away from a second round run-off with, Richard Rhodes, who is stepping down from the role after four years.

The mother-of-one hopes to build on that result because she believes commissioners should not have to tie the party line and should be free to scrutinise the force and its funding.

Cllr Robinson, who was born in Kendal and a farmer's daughter, said: "If we have got a Conservative police and crime commissioner and a Conservative government then are they up to the task of arguing with the Home Office?

"It's what's best for the electorate, not what's best for the political party.

"I will completely fight the cuts. As far as I'm concerned my battle will be against the Conservative government against the cut backs to police. 

"You become ineffective if you cut it so far."

Cllr Robinson has a background in launching, commissioning and running community safety projects in the county, including Turning the Spotlight, a holistic project to help perpetrators of hate crime move away from prejudice-based offending behaviours.

Aside from her community safety remit, she has been elected to Cumbria County Council and Eden District Council and was an independent member on the EU Committee of the Regions in Brussels, examining the the affect of proposed laws on farming, forestry and health.

Her priorities if elected as Cumbria police and crime commissioner will be ensuring the force's budget is protected, supporting victims to come forward and linking up various agencies and partnerships.

Cllr Robinson said: "I have been involved with community safety for more than 10 years. I'm deeply involved at the partnership and strategic end and the delivery.

"There's a lot of work as far as I'm concerned to do with perpetrators to get them out of that cycle.

"We need to help people who are vulnerable to crime through mental health, domestic abuse, repeat victims, young people at risk of sexual exploitation, the list goes on."

Mary Robinson profile

Age: 63

Home: Ainstable

Education: Master of Business Administration at Northumbria University

Experience: Independent member for Alston and East Fellside on Cumbria County Council; chair of Carlisle and Eden Community Safety Partnership; school governor; representative on the European Union's Committee of the Regions

Priorities: Clampdown on serious and organised crime; better offender rehabilitation; tackling rural crime; empowering victims of domestic violence to come forward.

What does a police and crime commissioner do?

The role of the police and crime commissioner is to represent the views of members of the public and hold the police to account.

After election, a police and crime commissioner must come up with a police and crime plan which outlines his or her objectives for policing, what resources will be provided to the chief constable and how performance will be measured.

The commissioner has the power to appoint the chief constable, hold them to account for the management of the force, and if necessary dismiss them.

Commissioners also set their precept on council tax to raise extra funds.

At the 2012 elections in England and Wales, the Conservatives gained 16 police and crime commissioners, Labour 13, independent candidates 11, and Zero Tolerance Policing won one seat.

Some criticism has been levelled against the role, with voting turnout nationally typically between 10 and 20 per cent.

However, the government said the new role had a greater mandate than the prior "unelected and invisible" police authorities.

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