Croydon MP Andrew Pelling talks about his political future

To read the first part of our interview click here.

In September last year the Conservative Party withdrew the whip from Andrew, taking away his ability to stand at the next election as a Conservative candidate.

This was the "final blow" according to Andrew, who believes the "flight of panic" by the Tories was spurred on by their desire to avoid bad press at a time when there were rumours of a snap general election.

Despite being released without charge, the Conservatives maintained the withdrawal, which Andrew said left him stigmatised.

"That was like a guilty verdict.

"My suspension from the party whip and thus the automatic ban from being a candidate at the next election was a near mortal blow to my career in the House and even perhaps beyond that.

"I felt abandoned by my party and unfairly so.

"I was not charged which should have cleared matters up at once.

"Now, however I am left with the stigma all the same through the removal of the candidacy that resulted from the removal of the whip such that I am branded guilty by the parliamentary party."

The impact it has had has been felt recently as he tries to get back into the public limelight. He feels he has been snubbed and badly handled by those at the town hall who were against him.

"The decision at the last moment to remove me from cutting the ribbon at the adult education centre opening in New Addington must reflect that.

"Kind face-saving excuses from council officers are now given about not wanting to have had too many speakers at that event but cutting a ribbon with scissors takes seconds – I was not due to speak.

"Unfortunately the decision to axe me just led to even more distracting publicity. It should have been obvious that that is what would happen. The denial of attendance at the Cameron event locally was just neanderthal in its approach."

Faith Despite this "stigma", Andrew believes the community as a whole has been very supportive and has been overwhelmed by the response he has received from his constituents.

"I have found people extraordinarily caring and compassionate. Over time just hundreds of people have come up to me in the street to express their concern and to give their support.

"I am so grateful for all the kind support I have received from Croydon people at this difficult time. Other than two threatening anonymous e-mails at the start I have received no criticism from the community. As I say the kind letters and cards I have received are just so generous and warm-hearted. Over time hundreds of people have come up to me in the street with their support and sympathy.

And he has also been helped by a number of faith groups in the borough who have supported him.

"I have had boundless help from clergy of the Church of England and from other such kind people in the Catholic, Methodist and Evangelical Churches and the Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist faiths. As I am becoming more active I have been really touched by the kindness, sympathy and support of so many people in Croydon. I apologise to those to whom I have not yet written back to thank them for their messages of kind support. Over time hundreds of people have come up to me in the street to give their good wishes – it's just so kind.

"Perhaps, finally, I am rediscovering my own inner strength."

At a meeting with David Cameron earlier this month, a member of the public asked if the Tory leader was worried about Andrew standing as an independent in what will be a marginal constituency.

Mr Cameron said the party acted responsibly in their actions and was behind Gavin Barwell as the Tory candidate.

Andrew was touched by the question but refused to divulge if he was tempted to stand at the next election as an independent.

Instead he added his weight behind Gavin Barwell's election campaign.

"Gavin is a long standing friend. Gavin has worked very hard all his adult working life first as an employee of the Conservative Party and now for Lord Ashcroft who is the major Tory benefactor, so Gavin is very well connected within the Conservative Party. He's obviously got good funding from Lord Ashcroft and his campaign literature is beautiful. He's renowned in Conservative party circles as a professional and very effective election campaigner and he's clearly relishing the role as he's already talking of "my constituency".

He admits being put under pressure to not run at the next election in order to get back the Conservative whip.

"My motivation is to give my constituents the best representation I can."

That includes getting back into the swing of his MP duties.

"In the past I got hundreds and hundreds of items of correspondence a week and hopefully we can get back up to those types of levels if people need help. I hold many surgeries and am speaking out on issues like the schools re-organisation, Croydon's economic development and transportation.

"In the Commons chamber I believe that I have made a good and radical input into the debate on the financial crisis.

"I sit on the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee and currently sit as an independent member in the House. My status is a bit like that of a Tudor courtier forever cast from the King's Court but I'm still contributing to debate."

Other members of the House have been quick to let him back in and Andrew hopes his illness will encourage others to face their problems.

"Parliament is a clubish place and individual MP's and officers of the House are very kind and encouraging. I was very taken by one MP who welcomed me back publicly in the Chamber – that was both caring and courageous. Friends on the Labour benches have put it well to me that in the end political parties will put their interests first before the needs of individual members however long you have strived for their cause. That's the best interpretation I can put on it.

"It's not easy when you have not encountered mental ill-health before to make judgements about this illness. A quarter of the population suffer from such mental ill-health at some time in their lives and I have found many Croydon people coming up in the street to give their good wishes and to talk about their own or their families' experiences of mental ill-health.2 A recent survey found a fifth of MPs have suffered from mental health problems, but this did not surprise Andrew.

"May be there are some who do not recognise the illness in themselves or who feel they dare not talk openly about the matter.

"It's clear that despite some increases in spending by the government and our having the excellent South London & Maudsley Trust on our doorstep that mental health care is in very short supply."

He is now looking to the future and there is one thing that he wants to achieve above all others, and that is to shake off the shackles of these allegations.

"While not being charged cleared my name, my name was besmirched by the withdrawal of the candidacy through the withdrawal of the whip. That implies guilt. I want to do all that is necessary to restore my good name.

"I want to do my very best in representing my constituents and rebuild the reputation for being a hard working MP. I get a very great deal of enjoyment and personal satisfaction in standing up for our people.

"It's good to be back, doing the casework, speaking with constituents, being in the Chamber and dissecting the Government's financial rescue plans.

"All in all I know that the tests I have faced will make me stronger for the travails ahead."