Elections 2021: Tories retain grip on Surrey County Council

Councillors are being elected to dozens of seats on the district and borough councils

The Conservatives have held Surrey County Council with 47 of the total 81 seats.

Earlier, the party lost a seat to the Residents' Association in Guildford.

Independent Chris Farr also took a seat from the Conservatives.

Across Surrey, councillors are being elected to dozens of seats on district and borough authorities, with results expected to come in later or over the weekend.

Elmbridge, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede, Tandridge and Woking councils are all electing members.

The result of the poll for Surrey's police and crime commissioner is expected on Saturday.

On the county council, the Lib Dems won 14 seats and Labour and the Green Party each won two.

The Redhill count is taking place in the gym, three studios and six squash courts to ensure social distancing

Polls have taken place across England to elect 143 councils, 13 mayors and 35 police and crime commissioners.

A bumper set of local council elections has taken place this year, after polls in 2020 were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

'All-consuming effort'

Covid regulations have remained in place throughout.

In Redhill, counting is taking place in the main gym, spin studio, two dance studios and six squash courts to ensure social distancing at the Donyngs Leisure Centre.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council's returning officer Mari Roberts-Wood said: "We've had to take over the entire building. We normally do it in one room.

"We're ensuring that people are maintaining social distancing and that we are doing this in a safe and yet transparent way for candidates."

The council had faced a "massive" and "all-consuming" effort.

Ms Roberts-Wood said: "We are running three elections. We don't normally do that. There's a reason for that because it makes it very complicated and it takes a very, very long time.

"But because we didn't have any elections last year, because of the pandemic, we are doing three."

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