Confirmation of deputy Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner rescheduled after last-minute delay

Nottingham City Councillor Angela Kandola (Lab) has been nominated as PCC Gary Godden’s deputy in a £62,000-a-year role.

However, her original confirmation at the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel was cancelled just minutes after the meeting started earlier this month to carry out more ‘checks and due diligence’.

The PCC’s office has said that Coun Kandola’s hearing is due to go ahead again on Monday, September 16.

The deputy PCC is responsible for taking on some roles the PCC delegates and leading on specified areas of the police and crime plan.

Councillors who arrived at the previous meeting on August 6 where taken by surprise by the cancellation.

Mr Godden told the meeting: “Unfortunately I have some checks and due diligence relevant to the appointment still to do.

“I can only apologise to the panel today for the inconvenience which has been caused.

“I request that we can postpone the appointment until those checks have been completed and I am satisfied with them.”

Coun Christine Goldstraw (Ind), committee chair, said: “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t know until we arrived here this morning, but occasionally these things come at you from left field.”

The meeting lasted just six minutes, and Mr Godden declined to elaborate on the reason after the meeting.

Mr Godden was elected on May 3, beating Conservative Caroline Henry, who had been elected in 2021.

The dputy role hadn’t been used under Mrs Henry, who said she didn’t want to ‘waste money’, but it did exist under Labour’s Paddy Tipping, who lost the May 2021 election to Mrs Henry.

Under Mr Tipping the role was held by first Chris Cutland and later Emma Foody.

Coun Kandola has represented the Berridge ward in Nottingham since 2019, and has worked in the charity sector for 25 years tackling mental health problems, substance abuse, homelessness and domestic violence.

If appointed next month, she willl serve until the next Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner elections in 2028.