Independent candidate accused of links to organisation advocating privatisation

A PCC candidate has seen his campaign staff resign over allegations he accepted donations from an American think-tank that supports bringing in private companies to policing.

Mervyn Barrett, who is an independent running in Lincolnshire, denied being “anyone’s puppet” after the Sunday Telegraph said he was receiving campaign money from The Fund For The New American Century, a think-tank the paper described as “pushing for police privitisation”.

PCC candidates do not have to declare the identity of their donors until after the election. Mr Barrett had defended G4S after the Olympics fiasco, saying its partnership with Lincolnshire Police was “working well”.

The Fund For the New American Century’s website gives an address in Washington DC and says “integrity, innovation and determination” are needed to face “the challenges of the 21st century”.

Mr Barrett’s campaign manager and staff all resigned over the weekend, when the allegations surfaced.

In a statement, he denied he was “anybody’s puppet” but said he would take time to reflect on his next step.

Mr Barrett said his campaign complied with electoral law and he felt the Telegraph’s allegations could be “misconstrued”.

He added: “I am not for sale, I never have been for sale and I never will be for sale. If anybody who donated to my campaign thought differently they are very sorely mistaken.

“It is disingenuous in the extreme to suggest that I am in some way anybody’s puppet. The policies contained within my manifesto were developed and agreed by me alone.

“They represent the results of my best thinking and my experience developed over three decades in the field of criminal justice.”

He added: “I have worked to cut crime and prevent re-offending for my whole adult life. Throughout my career at Nacro, the crime reduction charity - and in my other professional activities I have always sought to uphold the highest standards of integrity and honesty.”

PCC candidates in Lincolnshire are limited to spending £99,900 between October 8 and polling day, November 15.

A spokesman for the Association of PCCs said it would not be commenting on the matter.

Mr Barrett said he would not be commenting further at this stage, though he intends to hold a press conference later this week.