Police and crime commissioner quits Conservatives

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall has quit the Conservative Party.

Alison Hernandez was first elected in 2016 as a Conservative to take up the role overseeing Devon and Cornwall Police and was re-elected in May 2024 with a majority of almost 24,000 over her Labour rival.

The government announced the abolition of all police and crime commissioners (PCC) in November with the roles due to come to an end in May 2028.

Hernandez said she would continue in the role as an independent and had no plans to join any other party.

PCCs were introduced in 2013 with the aim of improving accountability and responsibilities include setting an annual budget, appointing chief constables and producing a policing plan.

When announcing the scrapping of the roles, the home secretary said the introduction of PCCs had been a "failed experiment" and their duties would move to an elected mayor or to council leaders from May 2028.

There has been disagreement over plans for a directly-elected mayor for Devon and Cornwall but Hernandez said in December she would fight for an elected mayor for the region.

Devon and Cornwall Police has been dogged with leadership problems in recent years with former Chief Constable Will Kerr suspended in May 2023 and receiving a settlement of more than £160,000 and his replacement Jim Colwell also being suspended and later cleared.

Hernandez said her achievements in the role included the re-opening of 15 police inquiry offices, "strong leadership of policing" and a "lower crime rate than most other police force areas".

Referring to the abolition of PCCs, she said: "Rushed timescales, work done in secret with little consultation, this feels like something being done to the police and the people, not being done with or for us.

"We cannot afford for party politics to get in the way of ensuring we all work together to get the best deal for the people of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly."

Reacting to the resignation, Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: "I suspect that there is more to this story than we are being told, but the truth is, the role has never been clearly defined, and few will mourn its loss. The sooner it's gone, the better."

A Conservative Party spokesman said the party was "disappointed" with Hernandez's decision but thanked her for her work.

He said: "Local Conservatives in Devon and Cornwall will remain focused on ensuring that Alison delivers on our commitments to tackle rural crime and put more police on the streets."

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