Woking has now joined the Liberal Democrat Councils of Waverley, Guildford, and Mole Valley.
And, Waverley’s Liberal Democrats who have been out and about canvassing outside the borough are cock-a-hoop.
Now the Waverley Web poses the question? What does the future hold at a General Election for Guildford MP Angela Richardson and South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt?
Conservatives lost all five seats they were defending on Woking Borough Council, four of them to the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dems now hold 16 of the council’s 30 seats, giving them an overall majority for the first time since 1996.
The Conservatives have also lost seats in the other five districts and boroughs which held votes, reflecting a series of poor results across the country. In Elmbridge, they made a net loss of five seats, including another four to the Lib Dems.
In Runnymede, the Conservatives lost three seats but still hold an overall majority with 23 of the 41 seats. In Mole Valley, the Lib Dems gained two previously Conservative seats to consolidate their majority.
In Tandridge, the Conservatives lost four seats and slumped to being the third-largest party, having held a majority for more than two decades up to 2019. In Reigate & Banstead, they lost two seats to the Green Party but gained one that was previously held by an Independent councillor, meaning they still hold a majority with 27 of the 45 seats.
- Cobham & Downside: Lib Dem Laurence Adam Wells won with 1170 votes, just 12 votes ahead of the Conservatives
- Esher: Independent candidate Simon Jonathan Waugh won with 1,257 votes, taking the seat from the Conservatives.
- Hersham Village: Lib Dem Chester Robert Chandler won with 1122, taking the seat from the Conservatives by just 20 votes
- Oatlands & Burwood Park: 18-year-old Conservative Harrison Allman-Varty took what was previously an Independent seat, beating the Lib Dems by 172 votes.
- Walton Central: Independent candidate Barry James Frederick Cheyne won with 761 votes, taking the seat from the Conservatives.
- Walton North: Lib Dem candidate Nick Dodds won with 1,256 votes, taking the seat from the Conservatives by 470 votes.
- Walton South: Lib Dem candidate Kirsty Jane Hewens won with 1,671 votes, taking the seat from the Conservatives.
Yes, Labour also did well in the area, taking seats in unlikely-looking places like Runnymede. The national press coverage focuses on London but the fact that the Conservatives lost a quarter of all their councilors up for re-election is really striking.
Well if the Blue wall is crumbling – it is about time. As an Ex-Conservative voter I know why I cannot vote for them now when we have our next elections in 2023. I am afraid our local Tories follow the Government whip regardless of Local issues.
Even if they disagree with it they simply Abstain. I do not think any of the other parties are great and have their own faults, but they do seem to have more responsible Leaders at Westminster and a certain degree of autonomy with regard to things that are important locally.
The Tories – need to pull their finger out and realise that many people in the South also feel left behind.
They Should be focusing on improving the transport Infrastructure in the North as well as regenerating areas in the North that have been neglected by all parties for decades – but it shouldn’t be to the exclusion of those areas in the South (those further away from London) with equally bad transport infrastructure.
The whole Party-Gate issue is a problem as it shows the complete disregard some of the MP’s have for their constituents and their lack of understanding of the issues many people are facing at the moment due to the massive hike in the cost of living, but as so many of them are so hugely wealthy – what can you expect?
Unfortunately the Tories do not seem to have anyone at the moment that people can visualise as the new Prime Minister and so they let Boris bumble along hoping it will all go away. Boris is never going to let anyone else “shine” and emerge as a potential rival.. unfortunately he is not as stupid as he appears (ignorant Yes! – but not stupid) as we saw quite clearly with Rishi Sunak… Not saying Boris leaked his wife’s details to the press…………….?? He lets Jeremy Hunt get away with a lot more – but then I am sure he realises that Jeremy is not a real contender in anyone’s eyes – he is possibly even richer than Boris with rather less of the little-grey-cells… Who else is there??