Refusal to join the Party at the centre

John Pye, the Conservative Party candidate for November’s Police and Crime Commissioner elections in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has announced he is standing down.

In a statement, Mr Pye said:

“I have taken the decision to step down as the Conservative candidate for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s first Police and Crime Commissioner, to avoid further disruption to the local Party.

“I was encouraged to put my name forward as a potential Conservative candidate because of my commitment, skills and understanding of local policing.

"My values are Conservative but I am not a politician. I believe firmly that the governance of policing must be impartial and non-political.

"I also do not consider that I could convince the public of my impartial stance if I was a member of a political party – and that has been borne out in many of my conversations with local people.

“At national level the Party agreed to my potential candidature without the need to become a Party member. I thought that was enlightened.

"I was the winner in a ballot of local Party members. Unfortunately, some within the local Conservative Party were uncomfortable with the basis on which I am prepared to stand.

"I therefore feel that it would not be fair to them or the public to continue as the Conservative candidate. I wish the new candidate well in their campaign and my hope is that they will also commit to impartial, non-political policing.

“I will not be making any further comments or media statements”

A descision on what the Party is to do next is still to be announced, although it is expected that another selection process is going to be run.

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