Cumbrians are going to the polls today to elect the next police, fire and crime commissioner (PFCC) for the county.

Thursday, May 2 is polling day across the country with David Allen standing for Labour, Mike Johnson for the Conservatives and Adrian Waite for the Liberal Democrats.

The seat is a key target for Labour as they look to continue their political comeback in Cumbria since they lost all of the seats in North and West Cumbria in the 2019 general election.

The PFFC in Cumbria is elected to oversee the police force and the fire service in the county and to hold the chief constable and chief fire officer to account.

Their job is to secure efficient and effective police for their area, set the police and crime objectives for their area through a police and crime plan and set the force budget and determine the precept for the area.

Cumbria first elected a PCC in 2012 with the Conservative winning the three elections held.

This is the first time that the county has gone to the polls since the fire service brief was added to the PCC’s role, turning it into the PFCC.

Previous PFCC have been characterised by low voter turnout with less than 30 per cent of the electorate turning out to vote in the previous three elections.

An even lower turnout is possible this year as the PFCC vote is the only election in the county as there are no major local or national elections coinciding on Thursday, May 2.

READ MORE: PFCC candidates urge public to vote in 'important' election

Labour have been consistently ahead in the polls across the country for more than two years and the latest polling data indicates that they would win Carlisle, Penrith and the Solway, Workington and Whitehaven and Barrow if an general election were held today.

The PFCC represents a key test for the party which regained ground against the Conservatives at the 2021 Cumberland Council elections.

In order to win a majority government at the next election, Labour must win those Cumbrian seats so a victory in the early hours of Friday morning would indicate they are on the right track for a win in the general election later in the year.