A by-election is to take place on 21st August for the post of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner after the sad death of the incumbent, Labour’s Bob Jones, on July 1st.

The Liberal Democrat candidate will be Ayoub Khan, the 41 year old barrister and former councillor who fought the election in 2012.

From the Birmingham Mail:

The 41-year-old from Aston, who administered first aid to a gun-shot victim fifty yards from his house in 2002, was called to the bar in 2005.

He was a Birmingham City Councillor between 2003 and 2012.

He holds a degree in chemistry and a masters in engineering from the University of Birmingham, in addition to his law degree from Birmingham City University. He is married and has six children, including twin boys.

On his selection, Ayoub said:

We have a problem in the West Midlands. Crime is falling, but people feel less safe than ever. We need faster police response times. We need better crime prevention, and we need reassurance.

I grew up in Birmingham, and I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve dedicated myself to serving West Midlands people, through the courts, and as an elected representative.

The area covered by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner is massive, encompassing 28 parliamentary seats.  One of them is Liberal Democrat Lorely Burt’s. She had this to say:

Ayoub Khan is a local barrister with a deep knowledge of the issues facing people in our region. He understands the need for people to fell safe and he has an understanding of the diverse group of communities which form it.  He also has the leadership and communication skills to ensure we get the best possible policing service for everyone in the West Midlands.

With just a 12% turnout last time, you have to wonder about the wisdom of calling a by-election in the middle of the Summer holidays. This, apparently, was due to the by-election being called very quickly by two electors, one of whom was a defeated candidate in 2012. The Express and Star reports that Labour feel that the haste was disrespectful to Mr Jones’ family. The by-election has to be held within 25 working days of being called.

We’ll update this post with details of how you can help Ayoub when we get them. In the meantime, you can have a look at his 2012 pledges which included cutting response times by two thirds and halving the PCC’s salary.