Standing up for Hersham, Burwood Park, and Whiteley Village

I want to be straight with residents: whoever takes control of the new East Surrey Council will inherit a very difficult financial position.

Full statement

The government's new funding formula is costing Surrey more than £180 million - money that would otherwise pay for roads, schools, and adult social care. Surrey County Council has already built up nearly £50 million in reserves and put a recovery plan in place. That's the kind of careful management Hersham needs, and I won't make promises that can't be kept.

Even as opposition councillors and against a difficult financial backdrop, the local Conservative team has worked with the community to deliver:

Potholes and roads. Working with Councillor John O'Reilly, we launched the Hersham Pothole Patrol that's seen hundreds of potholes repaired, and the resurfacing of Queens Road is now underway. Important progress - but there's more to do.

Hersham Community Centre and Meals on Wheels. We continue to fight for both after Elmbridge ended them. These should remain community assets we can all use.

Bringing an end to overdevelopment. We stood with residents and the local community to defeat the seven-storey tower block plans. Next, we'll work with Waitrose to shape the future of the neglected Hersham shopping centre which has too many empty units.

A bigger GP surgery. We're backing the larger GP surgery Hersham urgently needs at the Technology Park / Air Products site, so residents can get an appointment when they need one.

Schools for every child. We supported the new Hopescourt special needs school, funded by the last government, and the expansion of Walton Leigh - so every local child has a good school close to home.

The choice on polling day

Elmbridge has had a Liberal Democrat council since 2019, and we now have a Labour government cutting Surrey's funding. At the last local elections, the Conservatives came a very close second in Hersham. Change is genuinely on the cards - but only if residents vote for it.

If you elect me, I will keep championing these issues, protect the character of Hersham, Burwood Park and Whiteley Village, and work every day to knock down the barriers to opportunity that hold too many of us back.

I'd be honoured to have your vote.