SURREY once again has an independent police and crime commissioner – after David Munro became the highest profile local casualty of a turbulent week for the Conservative Party.

Having been a party member for more than 30 years, and an elected Tory representative since 1995, the former Farnham councillor was expelled from the Conservatives this week.

Mr Munro received an email on September 4 informing him that his membership had been terminated, having “campaigned against Conservative Party candidates” – an allegation he strongly denies.

Mr Munro took over as Surrey’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) in 2016 after ousting independent Kevin Hurley.

But earlier this year, the reigning PCC was de-selected as the Conservative candidate for the May 2020 PCC elections in a secret ballot of Tory members.

Following his de-selection, Mr Munro resigned from the Conservative group at the Association of PCCs and joined the independent group.

He told the Herald: “In these new intolerant days, I’m being accused of campaigning against Conservative candidates. This is a lie – I have never, in over 20 years’ service to the party, campaigned against the party.

“Most recently, I worked hard in the May 2019 local elections to help Conservatives all over the county.

“The independent group hasn’t met since I joined it and does not have a political agenda. All this I explained to the party, and also stated, with truth, that I have never campaigned against any Conservative candidate. But it doesn’t seem to have cut any ice.

“The reason I left the Conservative Group at the APCC is that I felt leaving would give me greater freedom to argue for Surrey’s interests.”

Mr Munro has been a Conservative member and activist since 1987, and was first elected to Waverley and Farnham councils in May 1995, followed by Surrey County Council in 1997.

Prior to becoming PCC, he served 19 years as a county councillor, including a term as chairman of the council – fighting a total of 12 elections as a Tory, winning 11 of them. In this time he also estimates that he has delivered around 100,000 leaflets, and knocked on 10,000 doors.

“I’m being asked whether I will stand as an independent at the May 2020 PCC elections: I haven’t made up my mind, but this expulsion adds to the case for doing so.

“We will see.”

The Herald has approached Surrey Conservatives for a comment.