A PROMINENT Labour politician has joined calls for under-fire police and crime commissioner Steve Turner, who is facing a historic sexual assault allegation, to stand down.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves was in the North East today, to promote Labour's new business strategy.

Whilst in the region Mrs Reeves spoke about the on-going calls for the Cleveland PCC to resign, joining the likes of Keir Starmer, Bridget Philipson, Andy McDonald and Nick Thomas-Symonds who have all urged the Conservatives to suspend him.

Mrs Reeves said: "I think that the stream of revelation about his history and police cautions is extremely concerning because he is supposed to be scrutinising and overseeing the police force here.

"I think that people who rely on justice being done will rightly have concerns about his ability to do the job.

"I think he should stand aside while these investigations are on-going, and I hope very quickly that someone will be brought in to look at the very serious allegations against this man."

Earlier this week, Mr Turner refused to stand down after historic sex abuse from the 1980s came to light.

He said that it would be 'political carnage' if he was to leave his position as he hit back at critics in a bombshell statement.

Mr Turner said he has been given “no further information regarding the allegation, the person, the place or the circumstance”.

He also said he believes that “one or more members of the Police and Crime panel (PCC Panel) have deliberately chosen to leak this highly confidential and damaging allegation to the to the media purely for Political gain”.

Mr Starmer said: "This is a test for Steve Turner and he should step down. It's also a test for the Conservative Party. When there's a serious investigation like this the attitude of the political parties and the Prime Minister matters, and he should step down. 

"If you take other examples in relation to the Labour Party, we have always acted swiftly. And the idea that somehow it's in the public good for him to stay in public office is completely wrong - we've seen this before. 

"Whilst the investigation is going on he should step down. That is the obviously right thing to do. 

"That's why there's so much pressure on him, but this is the same old reaction that we've seen before."

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