11/05/2026
A Clear Mandate for Mytchett, Frimley Green and Deepcut
The results for the West Surrey Unitary Authority are in, and while the political landscape across West Surrey has shifted dramatically, I am incredibly honoured that the residents of Mytchett, Frimley Green and Deepcut have elected me as their representative on the new West Surrey Unitary Council.
Topping the poll in a field of ten candidates is a significant mandate that I do not take lightly. Despite being the only Conservative to survive the "yellow wall" across the whole Borough, it is clear that our community values local representation and a proven track record over party labels. I believe I have set a standard in local politics that I am incredibly proud of and I hope that in the future my form of politics will be replicated and be my legacy to this community.
The "Spanner in the Works"
Out of the 12 seats contested across the Borough in these results, 11 were won by the Liberal Democrats. I am super proud to be the one to have been the spanner in the works of a clean sweep.
This result gives me a unique and important responsibility. I have a clear mandate to be the sole person in Surrey Heath to provide effective opposition and hold the new administration to account. As is always the case, I will use my platform to do exactly that and, as you have come to expect, with full resident involvement. If you do not already get my regular email updates, I ask you to sign up (Link in the comments) so that I can make sure I ask you your views on key local decisions going forward.
A Heartfelt Thank You 🙏
First and foremost, thank you to everyone who turned out to vote, and a huge thank you to everyone who put their trust in Attieh and me with their vote.
I want to send a special thank you to Stuart Black and David Natolie for their incredible help with our campaign. Beyond the party, I am so grateful to the many people, non-party members, who believed in us enough to give up their own time to help us deliver leaflets. Your support was a contributing factor of this result. Thank you so much.
Acknowledging the Field 👏
Elections are about choice, and we should celebrate the fact that residents had so much of it this time around.
💫 Attieh Fard: I am honestly gutted that we couldn't get my running mate over the line. The community has spoken, but I doubt we have heard the last from Attieh Fard. Her dedication and commitment to our area remains unmatched and on behalf of the whole community I want to thank her for her tireless commitment to improving community services and always speaking out for our vulnerable residents. What a star.
👏 Morgan Rise: While he and I fundamentally disagree on many things, including the very essence of how we each do politics, I respect him for having the strength of conviction to give residents a strong choice. I wish Morgan the very best in whatever he chooses to do next. I suspect we have not heard the last from Morgan either.
🚩 The "Reform Effect": It’s clear that a split vote allowed the Liberal Democrats to secure a very strong majority to form an administration. It will certainly be interesting to observe the "bum fight" in the background as they scramble to elect a leader for the new authority.
Congratulations to Jacques Olmo 👏
Finally, I’d like to congratulate the Lib Dems on a stunning victory, and specifically Jacques Olmo. Jacques’ win is significant and deserves due credit; he has done a very good job at engaging residents and they rightly rewarded him with a seat.
To be honest, I would rather it be Jacques than any other Lib Dem. Despite our obvious political differences, he is a decent guy and his heart is in the right place. I know he is at work today, but I will be reaching out in the coming days to work out a productive way in which he and I can work together for the benefit of local residents.
Thank you again for your support. Now, the hard work begins!
Image: Me celebrating in London last night at an amazing Incognito gig.
