I would like to congratulate Kevin Hurley on his election as Surrey’s PCC, and thank everyone who voted in this election.

I am very disappointed with the low turn-out, although this reflects a national trend.

It is very clear that, as I said during the campaign, the public do not want a single individual to hold this position, and that a revised format for the police authority, with at least some element of elected membership would have been a far better option.

The debate begins now however on whether these roles should be abolished and we try again with a re-constituted police authority with directly elected members.