Northamptonshire’s police commissioner has said it would be “ridiculous” to suggest he could run the fire service.
Last month, commissioner Adam Simmonds said he could foresee a time when all of the county’s emergency services would be under the commissioner’s control.
Mr Simmonds brought up the possibility of a blue light “merger”, causing a rift with other senior Tory figures.
But speaking to members of Northamptonshire County Council this week, he seemed to distance himself from any talk of a merger of blue light services, instead suggesting that closer working between the forces would be more appropriate.
He said: “I don’t believe I’ve ever said I want to run the fire service. It would be not only illegal, but ridiculous, I’m not a fireman.
“My proposal if for operational integration. We need to have the police, fire and ambulance services working more closely together.
“Part of the job of the police commissioner is to bring agencies together, and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“I don’t intend to run the fire service, I’m not advocating that, but what’s wrong with the ambition of making sure that public services in this county, which are supposed to protect people, work closely together.”
The commissioner’s speech attracted a large round of applause from his Conservative colleagues at County Hall, but opposition politicians still expressed concerns about his plans for the future.
The deputy leader of the opposition at County Hall, Councillor Chris Stanbra (Lib Dem, Danesholme), said: “It’s good news that he doesn’t want to run the fire service.
“Share back office services by all means, but the fire service is run by the county council and that’s the way it should remain.”
Former MP, Councillor Tony Clarke (Ind, Castle), however raised fears about the commissioner’s mention of the ambulance service.
In a tongue-in-cheek attack where he accused the commissioner of being “as mad as a box of frogs”, he said: “He’s trying to pacify us, but he’s frightened me even more.
“He now wants the ambulance service to be included in his plans too and it seems he wants all of them merged into one.”