LABOUR party membership in South West Surrey has “trebled” to record levels since the general election, says the party’s 2015 parliamentary candidate Howard Kaye.

Buoyed by the Labour leadership battle, Mr Kaye, who stood for election against Tory MP Jeremy Hunt in South West Surrey (SWS), said the branch has been “inundated” with membership applications in recent months.

Prior to the election, Labour’s membership in the constituency was around 250. Since May it has risen to more than 650 and Mr Kaye said this number is “rising every day”.

“Since September, South West Surrey has been gripped by an enthusiasm that wants a different way of doing politics that is the Corbyn effect,” the now-chairman of the SWS Labour branch told The Herald.

“The membership secretary has been inundated with membership applications; this has resulted in the trebling of Labour Party members to record levels.

“These are people who have been members of other parties, previous members re-engaging and also those who have not been politically minded previously.”

He continued: “More than 50 local members attended the branch’s October meeting at The Denningberg Centre in Godalming where it was made apparent that many local issues are of concern to Waverley residents, including affordable housing, transport and political balance."