Tories turn on under-fire Stephen Mold with deselection call from Conservative colleagues

A letter signed by 27 Conservative councillors from across the county has been sent demanding the deselection of beleaguered Northamptonshire Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold.

Mr Mold had been re-selected to fight the May 2024 election by Conservative colleagues at a meeting on July 8 – just one day after he had appointed his ‘close personal friend’ Nicci Marzec as interim Fire Chief.

But now 27 councillors have broken ranks following yesterday’s (Thursday, September 7) meeting when Mr Mold was grilled for four hours by members of the police, fire and crime scrutiny panel.

The email sent to Conservative Area Committee chairman Cllr Andy Mercer (Con, Rushden South) said: “We the undersigned, ask the area committee to use whatever mechanisms and powers that are available to them, to re-evaluate the adoption of Mr Stephen Mold as the Conservative candidate for police, fire, and crime commissioner for Northamptonshire. To restart the process of candidate selection and to welcome applicants for this position that is up for election in May 2024.

“As elected officials we all sign up to the Nolan Principles of public office, honesty, integrity, openness, selflessness, objectivity and accountability. Given recent developments, namely the decision to circumnavigate due process and appoint Mr Mold's personal friend, Ms Nicci Marzec, as the county's interim fire chief, we have concluded that Mr Mold has fallen short of adhering to many of these seven principles.

“During the panel meeting on September 7, Mr Mold admitted that he and Ms Marzac are ‘personal friends with many interests outside of work’. In the code of conduct for the OPFCC item 6, it indicates that he should not be involved in the appointment and/or other employment matters including discipline, promotion or pay of anybody who you have a close personal relationship with. We feel that this is admittance of a clear breach of said code of conduct.

“At a time when confidence in elected officials is at an all time low, we feel it is incumbent on all of us to ensure that these principles are adhered to at every opportunity, doubly so when the official in question holds senior office and is in a position of leadership.

“Through our conversations with the public, with members of the fire brigade and the police force, it is apparent to us that many have already lost confidence in Mr Mold's leadership. This will ensure that questions will remain regarding Mr Mold's authority if he remains the candidate in the upcoming election for OPFCC. It is apparent to us, that this issue will overshadow any forthcoming election campaign, and feel it will all but guarantee a Labour victory."

The councillors who have signed the letter from North Northants Council (NNC) and West Northants Council (WNC) are;

Cllr Scott Brown - Earls Barton - NNCCllr James Hill - Billing & Rectory Farm - WNCCllr Lauren Harrington Carter - Daventry West - WNCCllr Anup Pandey - Northall - NNCCllr Michael Brown - Kingsthorpe North - WNCCllr Jan O'Hara - Burton & Broughton - NNCCllr Clive Hallam - Earls Barton - NNCCllr Anna King - Duston West & St Crispin - WNCCllr Azizur Rahman - Kingsthorpe North - WNCCllr Nick Sturges-Alex - Sixfields - WNCCllr Cheryl Hawes - Kingsthorpe South - WNCCllr Mark Hughes - Headlands - WNCCllr Larry Henson - Wicksteed - NNCCllr Ray Connolly - Delapre & Rushmere - WNCCllr Ken Harrington - Hatton Park - NNCCllr Joseph Smyth - Rothwell & Mawsley - NNCCllr King Lawal - Brickhill & Queensway - NNCCllr Paul Dyball - Duston East - WNCCllr Kevin Watts - Corby Rural - NNCCllr Tim Allebone - Croyland & Swanspool - NNCCllr Chris Smith-Haynes - Burton & Broughton - NNCCllr Sam Rumens - Kingsthorpe North - WNCCllr Brian Sargeant - Sixfields - WNCCllr Melanie Coleman - Rushden South - NNCCllr Mark Dearing - Desborough - NNC

Cllr Jake Roberts - Duston West & St Crispin - WNC

Cllr Bert Jackson - Higham Ferrers - NNC

READ MORE: Police comissioner Stephen Mold wins Northamptonshire vote by a landslide

The Seven Principles of Public Life – also known as the Nolan Principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership – apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the civil service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies, and in the health, education, social and care services.

All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also apply to all those in other sectors delivering public services.

In 2021, Mr Mold won the Northamptonshire vote by a landslide turning his 10,000 majority in 2016 to one of 49,000 gaining 53 per cent of the vote.

He was first elected in 2016.