Photo: Malc McDonald · CC BY-SA 2.0The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on Guildford Borough Council
Guildford is run by Guildford Borough Council and Surrey County Council. The Liberal Democrats have a majority on Guildford Borough Council. The Conservatives have a majority on Surrey County Council. Its MP is Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat), member for Guildford.
£2,506
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Guildford’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Guildford Borough Council
The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on Guildford Borough Council: 25 of its 48 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 10, Residents for Guildford and Villages 7, Labour 3 and Guildford Greenbelt Group 3. Who’s in charge ↓
Surrey in 2021
Surrey County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, has a Conservative majority at the May 2021 election: the Conservatives won 41 of 81 seats. Surrey ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Guildford is £2,501 for 2026–27; Guildford Borough Council keeps 8% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 52% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats on Guildford’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 25 of Guildford’s 48 or 41 of Surrey’s 81 seats to run the council alone.
- Liberal Democrat25
- Conservative10
- Residents for Guildford and Villages7
- Guildford Greenbelt Group3
- Labour3
Latest election: May 2023.
- Conservative41
- Liberal Democrat19
- Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell4
- Farnham Residents3
- Independent3
- Green2
- Labour2
- Reform UK2
- Ashtead Independents1
- Nork & Tattenhams Residents' Associations1
- Residents for Guildford and Villages1
- Thames Ditton / Weston Green Residents' Association1
- The Molesey Residents Association1
Latest election: May 2021.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
Two tiers of council, and a parish tier
Guildford has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
The parish council for the part of Guildford inside Worplesdon parish.
4% of Guildford’s residents · Band D precept £130
Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Website ↗Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.
96% of Guildford’s residents live outside any parish, with no parish council.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Guildford, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parishParish tierWorplesdon parish council
- 2Guildford Borough Council11 wards · 27 councillorsLiberal Democrat 18 · Conservative 5 · Labour 3 · Residents for Guildford and Villages 2 · all 28
- 3Surrey County Council5 divisions · 5 councillorsCatherine Susan HoustonFiona Jean WhiteJulia Maureen McShaneAngela Marie GoodwinKeith Witham
- 4Police and crime commissionerSurrey Police · elected May 2024Lisa Townsend
- 5House of CommonsGuildford
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
27 councillors for 11 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Julia Maureen McShaneLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Sandy LowryLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Howard Daniel SmithLabour · May 2023
- Joanne Helen ShawLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Yves De ContadesLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Joss BigmoreResidents for Guildford and Villages · May 2023
- Maddy RedpathResidents for Guildford and Villages · May 2023
- Richard Allen MillsConservative · May 2023
- Geoff DavisConservative · May 2023
- James Harry Alfred SteelLiberal Democrat · May 2026 · by-election
- Angela Marie GoodwinLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- James Owen Ashton JonesLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Steven LeeLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Cait TaylorLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Vanessa KingLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Steve HivesLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- George PotterLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Jane TysonLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Gillian Michelle HarwoodLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Lizzie GriffithsLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Amanda CreeseLabour · May 2023
- James WalshLabour · May 2023
- Katie SteelLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Masuk MiahLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Honor Jean BrookerConservative · May 2023
- Bilal Hassan AkhtarConservative · May 2023
- Philip Naylor BrookerConservative · May 2023
- Tom HuntLiberal Democrat · May 2023
Show as a table, with Surrey County Council’s 5 divisions (5 councillors)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westboroughall in Guildford · 10,620 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Julia Maureen McShaneSandy LowryHoward Daniel Smith | May 2023 |
| Merrowall in Guildford · 9,922 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Joanne Helen ShawYves De ContadesJoss Bigmore | May 2023 |
| Castleall in Guildford · 9,516 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Maddy RedpathRichard Allen MillsGeoff Davis | May 2023 |
| Onslowall in Guildford · 8,874 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2023 | 3 | James Harry Alfred Steelby-electionAngela Marie GoodwinJames Owen Ashton JonesSteven Lee | May 2026, May 2023 |
| Stokeall in Guildford · 7,809 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Cait TaylorVanessa KingSteve Hives | May 2023 |
| Burphamall in Guildford · 6,578 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | George PotterJane Tyson | May 2023 |
| Stoughton Northall in Guildford · 6,509 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Gillian Michelle HarwoodLizzie Griffiths | May 2023 |
| Bellfields & Slyfieldall in Guildford · 6,380 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Amanda CreeseJames Walsh | May 2023 |
| Stoughton Southall in Guildford · 5,692 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Katie SteelMasuk Miah | May 2023 |
| Worplesdon36% in Guildford · 3,051 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Honor Jean BrookerBilal Hassan AkhtarPhilip Naylor Brooker | May 2023 |
| St Nicolasall in Guildford · 2,919 residents1 seat · May 2023 | 1 | Tom Hunt | May 2023 |
Surrey County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guildford South East EDall in Guildford · 26,016 residents1 seat · October 2025 | 1 | Catherine Susan Houstonby-election | October 2025 |
| Guildford West EDall in Guildford · 25,186 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Fiona Jean White | May 2021 |
| Guildford North EDall in Guildford · 12,889 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Julia Maureen McShane | May 2021 |
| Guildford South West EDall in Guildford · 10,728 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Angela Marie Goodwin | May 2021 |
| Worplesdon ED19% in Guildford · 3,051 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Keith Witham | May 2021 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Guildford Borough Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Guildford council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Guildford, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
11 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Guildford’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗3,308 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
8,771 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
9,344 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Every ward’s result (8 more)
6,335 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
5,521 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
4,442 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,945 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,415 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
3,114 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
7,460 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
1,121 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Guildford is in Guildford constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Guildford).
48,294 votes for candidates · majority 8,429
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 48,294 votes from 70,662 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 8,429 of 48,294 votes (17.5%): wider than in 60% of England’s 543 constituencies.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Guildford’s Band D council tax is £2,501 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Guildford Borough Council keeps £210.19 of a Band D bill (8%); the rest goes to Surrey County Council and the Surrey police and crime commissioner.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,506 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Guildford’s Band D bill has risen 52% in ten years, from £1,671.76 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £554.63 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Guildford, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Surrey’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,300.
Guildford Borough Council hasn’t filed its 2026–27 Revenue Account budget with MHCLG (the department lists it as missing), so its spending per resident isn’t shown.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Guildford is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
guildford.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
guildford.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Guildford is run
Which council runs Guildford?
The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Guildford have a town council?
Parts of it do: Worplesdon parish council.
Who is the MP for Guildford?
Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat) is the MP for Guildford, which covers Guildford.
How many councillors does Guildford have?
27 ward councillors represent Guildford’s 11 wards, and 5 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Guildford?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Guildford’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Guildford?
Band D council tax in Guildford is £2,506 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Guildford Borough Council?
The Liberal Democrats have a majority: 25 of 48 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls Surrey County Council?
The Conservatives have a majority: 41 of 81 seats as elected.
Who won the 2023 council election in Guildford?
In Guildford’s wards on 4 May 2023, Liberal Democrat 17 · Conservative 5 · Labour 3 · Residents for Guildford and Villages 2 of the 27 seats up. The Liberal Democrats had the largest share of votes, 32.3%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.