THE Liberal Democrats have increased their majority on Woking Borough Council, as the borough’s Conservatives suffered a local election wipeout for the second year in a row.

The Tories lost all four seats they were defending, and failed to threaten in any of the other six wards. 

Three experienced Tory councillors were standing down at these elections, including former council and group leader Ayesha Azad in Heathlands, who had recorded a 886 vote margin over the Lib Dems in 2019.

That majority was overturned this year by Leslie Rice. The Lib Dems also took Pyrford, where Gary Elson had stood down, and Horsell, formerly the seat of Colin Kemp, where Swati Mukerjee swept to an impressive victory with 2,131 votes compared to Conservative candidate Christopher Gent in second place with 886.

Those with yellow rosettes at the count on Friday were celebrating, as the results mean the Lib Dems now have 20 seats on WBC, with the Conservatives down to four and Labour and the Independents both with three.

The fourth gain came in Knaphill, where Steve Greentree took the ward from Melanie Whitehand, the only long-term Tory councillor still fighting for her seat this year. The result – 1,149 for Mr Greentree, with 762 for Mrs Whitehand, and Independent candidate Andy Adcroft close behind on 755 – brought an end to her 16 years on the council.

“I am deeply disappointed and devastated to lose the seat,” she said. “I’ve made many friends in Knaphill. But I found the issues on the doorstep were about the government – national trends were very much against me. People haven’t lost faith in us locally.”

Elsewhere in the borough, Ian Johnson was ready to enter his 30th year as councillor, as he retained his seat in Mount Hermon for the Liberal Democrats, recording more than a thousand votes over his nearest challenger.

Asked what kept him coming back, he said: “Being able to make a difference for residents on a local basis, knowing I can achieve things for people, dealing with housing issues, planning issues.

“Working with colleagues energises you, when you work on ideas together,” he said.

His wife Rosemary, also well-known in the community for her years as chairman at Woking Football Club, said her work at Citizens Advice is a benefit that makes them a good team: “We have lived in Woking a long time, and first and foremost it’s about looking after people and being able to point them in the direction of help.”

In Byfleet and West Byfleet, Independent Amanda Boote secured a third term of office as she comfortably retained her seat with 1,656 votes, with Conservative Jo Brown in second place with 581.

In Canalside, Labour retained the seat. Mohammad Ali was standing down, but Anila Javaid stepped in and improved the previous majority of 206 from 2019, recording 1,112 votes compared to 542 for the Lib Dem candidate and 488 for the Tories.

“Civic service is all about serving people and how I can improve things locally,” she said. Anila had previously worked on strategies for other election campaigns. “But giving a strategy to someone else didn’t seem enough. So I took a deeper dive, and will bring the vision myself.”