Published Friday, 8th May 2026

Following today’s count (8 May 2026) for the East Surrey Council election, Liberal Democrats secured 40 of the 72 seats available meaning it holds the majority.

The full political make-up of the new East Surrey Council is:

  • 40 Liberal Democrats
  • 10 Conservative Party
  • 8 Green Party
  • 5 Reform UK
  • 2 Ashtead Independent, working with Ashtead Residents
  • 2 Independent
  • 2 Nork and Tattenhams Residents’ Associations
  • 2 Residents Association of Epsom and Ewell
  • 1 The Molesey Residents’ Association

A total of 379 candidates stood for 72 seats across 36 wards.

Electors cast their votes in polling stations all over East Surrey yesterday.

​​The total number of ballot papers issued was 199,485 from an electorate of 406,177 in the East Surrey Council electoral area. This is made up of the geographic council areas of Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge.

Results by ward and for West Surrey Council

Votes for the West Surrey Council election were also counted today.

Full results are available on the Future Surrey website including total votes for every candidate in each ward.

The results of local by-elections for vacated county, district and borough council seats, in Guildford, Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge areas, as well as parish council elections and/or Neighbourhood Planning Referendums, can be seen on individual council websites.

What’s next?

East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council will be officially established on 1 April 2027. In preparation, there will be a transition period and the councillors elected on 8 May will be part of shadow authorities for East and West Surrey until 1 April 2027. The first meeting of the East Surrey Shadow Authority will take place on Wednesday 20 May 2026 in Reigate, and the West Surrey Shadow Authority will meet for the first time on Thursday 21 May 2026 in Guildford.

At these meetings, council leaders will be voted in and they will announce the deputy leaders as well as shadow executive members.

The creation of two brand new unitary councils to replace the existing 12 councils is a major change to local government in Surrey. Unitary councils are responsible for delivery of all council services in a geographic area – which is different to the current structure where the county council delivers some services and district or borough councils deliver others.

Both unitary councils will operate as a shadow authorities alongside existing county, district and borough councils for the first year – until they officially take over delivery of services from 1 April 2027. This means that the new councillors will have a five-year term of office. Subsequent terms of office will be four years.

In their role on the shadow authority, the newly elected councillors will set up the new council. They will agree budgets and council tax for 2027/28, decide staffing structures and governance arrangements, adopt codes of conduct and members’ allowance schemes and prepare for the transfer of responsibilities from the existing councils in Surrey.

Existing county, borough and district councils will operate as normal until 1 April 2027, and existing county, borough and district councillors will continue in their roles until this time. Residents should continue to contact them with service enquires as usual. The new shadow councillors will only be able to respond on questions relating to the creation of the new councils in their first year of service.

Residents will be advised of any service changes in due course and the Future Surrey website will be kept updated.