THE WOMAN in charge of North Yorkshire’s police and firefighters has started a new role advising the Home Secretary.

Julia Mulligan steps down from the county role on May 13 following her failure to win automatic selection as the Conservative candidate for this year’s election for her current job.

She was North Yorkshire’s first ever police and crime commissioner.

At the time North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority was run by a council-led fire authority.

She took over responsibility for it when she became the North Yorkshire police, fire and crime Commissioner in 2018

She is also on the board of the York-based Independent Domestic Abuse Services, the largest specialist domestic abuse charity in Yorkshire.

Now the Government has announced she is the new chairman of the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW), which advises the Home Secretary on police recruitment, diversity and collaboration.

She said: “Having served nearly nine years as a police and crime commissioner, taking on the role of independent chair represents a change in direction, but one in which I can continue to use my skills and experience to support policing.

“Looking ahead, we have a lot of work to do, which will need very careful consideration as the impact will be lasting.

“Getting things right for both the police workforce and public is important, as it will help put policing in the best possible position to continue its critical work of cutting crime and protecting the public.”

During her time in office, she oversaw the move of North Yorkshire Police from their long-time headquarters in Newby Wiske to Northallerton, after initially proposing it could go to South Kilvington near Thirsk.

She gained a reputation for being outspoken and in 2019 saw her proposed inflation-busting council tax demand vetoed by a police watchdog.

Voters will choose her successor on May 6.

For six years, she was also a director of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. For the association, she held portfolios including transparency and integrity, was a joint lead for violence against women and girls and victims and co-chaired a race disparity working group.

At the PABEW, she will succeed Elizabeth French CBE, who started her career as a Home Office civil servant .

Her new appointment will last for three years from April 16.

It is the latest in a series of national posts.

In May 2020, she was appointed a non-executive director of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.

She is also a member of the advisory panel to the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and of the national Fire Standards Board.