Surrey election results 2023: Conservatives lose seats across the county
- Published
The Conservatives have held on to Reigate and Banstead
The Conservatives have lost seats in the local elections across Surrey, with the Liberal Democrats and councillors from non-traditional parties making gains.
The residents' association in Epsom and Ewell saw its majority increase.
Tandridge and Elmbridge both remain hung, while the Liberal Democrats tightened their grip on Woking.
The Conservatives held onto Reigate and Banstead, despite also losing seats there, including one to Labour.
'Portillo moment'
In Surrey Heath, where Michael Gove is MP, the Liberal Democrats said they had "won big".
The district council previously had no overall majority.
A spokesman for the party said it was the "Michael Portillo" moment of this year's local elections - referring to a key point in Labour's 1997 landslide victory when Mr Portillo lost his seat.
He said: "Senior Conservative cabinet ministers are now looking nervously over their shoulders at the Lib Dems."
The Lib Dems now have 21 seats on Surrey Heath Council, while the Conservatives have six, Labour have two and other parties have six.
Across Surrey, six councils were fully up for election, while five held polls for a third of their councillors.
The Liberal Democrats in Mole Valley went into the election with a majority of seven, but now have 21 after taking seven seats from the Conservatives.
Analysis
By Jack Fiehn, BBC Radio Surrey political reporter
The story of the elections in Surrey is that of the Liberal Democrats' success.
There is no doubting the standout result was at Surrey Heath, a borough council right in the heart of Michael Gove's constituency.
It is the first time any party other than the Conservatives has been in charge.
The Liberal Democrats have also taken control of Guildford for the first time since 1997 and have increased the majorities they already had at Woking and Mole Valley.
They are the largest party at Elmbridge.
The Conservatives have had a terrible time, losing seats in Tandridge, losing Runnymede to no overall control and seeing their majority at Reigate & Banstead reduced to one councillor.
This is a county which they used to dominate politically, but not at the moment.
Reigate is the only Surrey council where the Conservatives have a majority now.
This was also the first election where voters had to bring photographic ID.
At Spelthorne, which remained under no overall control, 42 voters were not issued with a ballot paper. The council said 23 returned and were able to vote, but 19 did not vote because they did not have the correct ID.
The Liberal Democrats tripled their majority in Mole Valley
The Conservatives are now the third largest party in Tandridge, with nine seats, behind the Liberal Democrats on 11 and the Independents on 14, with eight from the residents' association.
In Woking the Liberal Democrats increased their hold on the council, taking four seats from the Conservatives, to give them a majority of 10.
The Conservatives now have four seats, Labour and the independents have three each.
There was better news for the Conservatives in Reigate and Banstead, where the party held on to power, despite losing three seats, two to the Green Party and one to Labour.
The Conservatives also gained a seat in Epsom and Ewell, although the authority remains firmly in the hands of a residents' association group, which now has a majority of 17.
In Elmbridge, where 16 seats were being contested, the Liberal Democrats added six seats to bring their total to 19, with the Conservatives losing four, leaving the council still with no overall control.
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