Surrey election results 2022: Conservatives lose control of Woking

The Liberal Democrats have taken control of Woking Borough Council.

Previously the authority was run by the Conservatives as a minority administration.

The Conservatives also lost four of the seats they contested on Tandridge District Council (TDC), with the Lib Dems now the official opposition on that authority.

Surrey's other councils remain unchanged after this week's vote.

Tandridge will be run as a minority administration by the Independent and OLRG (Oxted & Limpsfield Residents Group) Alliance, with the Conservatives relegated to the third largest party.

The Conservatives retained control of Runnymede, and Reigate and Banstead borough councils.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats kept hold of Mole Valley District Council.

Elmbridge Borough Council remains under no overall control, with the Residents' Association still the largest party on 19 seats, followed by the Conservatives on 15, the Liberal Democrats on 13 and one independent councillor.

By Jack Fiehn, political reporter, BBC Radio Surrey

"This will be a new start for Woking, a new change, and a new way forward."

Those were the closing words of the victory speech of Liberal Democrat Leader Ann-Marie Barker, now the presumptive leader of the council.

What a change it is. The Liberal Democrats have not had a majority on Woking Borough Council since 1996. The Conservatives have never had the number of their councillors down to single figures before.

The Conservative MP for the area, Jonathan Lord, has argued that the defeat reflects a regional swing towards the Liberal Democrats.

They say there are plenty of challenges ahead for them, including looking again at the policy to build tall buildings in the town.

TDC is now made up of 18 Independents and OLRG Alliance councillors, 11 Liberal Democrats, 10 Conservatives and three Independents.

After the count, Catherine Sayer, returning leader of the council and leader of the Independent and OLRG Alliance, said: "What it really shows is that residents appreciate independents because they work only for residents and they put residents above party politics, and that's the message that we were putting out and I think that's been really welcomed."

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