May 2026 West Surrey County Council Elections – Guildford West Ward

Published on: 1 May, 2026
Updated on: 1 May, 2026

Candidates for Local Elections May 2026 for West Surrey County Council – Guildford Area

The old SCC divisions have become the new West Surrey Council wards, each represented by two councillors.

Guildford West Ward

Each candidate was asked to respond to the following:

Why are you standing for election to the West Surrey County Council on May 7?
What are the two biggest issues in your ward? What will you be able to do about them?
Can you give your word that you will put your residents’ interests before those of your party?

Evans, Sophie Elizabeth Katherine Reform – Changing Politics for Good

Residents want transparency & better value, particularly concerning housing, street cleaning, and road infrastructure. I will focus on tightening budgets, eliminating waste, and ensuring every pound spent delivers visible improvements. I will advocate for practical, common-sense solutions that support our local services and help our businesses thrive, moving away from bureaucratic processes toward results-driven local governance that makes our town a better place to live and work.

Of course. If a policy doesn’t work for the people who live here, it is the wrong decision: it’s as simple as that.

Jay, Christopher Howard Conservative Party

I’m Christopher Jay, standing for West Guildford in West Surrey. I’m a retired maritime law solicitor and have lived in Guildford for 35 years.

I’m committed to serving our community and bring the time, experience, and drive to represent residents effectively.

I believe a Conservative-led West Surrey Council can deliver well-coordinated services and strong financial management, ensuring value for money for taxpayers.

I’m focused on practical, responsible decision-making and improving local outcomes, and I’m standing to put my professional expertise and local knowledge to work for residents.

Layman, Dale Stephen Reform – Changing Politics for Good

My career has always focused on improving the quality of people’s lives; from working as an NHS chiropodist to a role in the pharmaceutical industry promoting new drugs and treatments. Now retired, I can dedicate my time and energy to doing the same for the people of Guildford West.

The social housing portfolio has been shockingly mismanaged, with dozens of long-term empty properties and unacceptable delays in essential maintenance and repairs. Fly-tipping and rubbish are often associated with areas of poor housing stock. A root-and-branch review of current working practices will be undertaken.

Working alongside contractors and the tenants’ association, we will agree best practice, with clear targets and key performance indicators aligned to residents’ priorities, all fully transparent.

Local elections are for local people. My focus is 100% on local issues. If elected, I hope all councillors will work together for their residents—not for their own egos or party interests.

McShane, Julia Maureen Liberal Democrats

Julia McShane is an experienced councillor serving residents for 15 years. Guildford born, she lives in Park Barn where for 22 years she was on the governing body of Guildford Grove Primary School. Julia is the Leader of Guildford Borough Council where the Lib Dem administration turned the council’s finances around from near bankruptcy to set a 2-year balanced budget recently while protecting services, especially to the most vulnerable.

A strong advocate for social housing Julia made the housing service a priority and is proud that the council was recently awarded the highest consumer standards grading, C1 from the regulator of social housing.

Julia also worked with the council to create The Hive community hub and café which welcomes people of all ages and which is her ‘happy place’. She is a compassionate, authentic, values driven person with the determination to continue making a difference for residents locally and across West Surrey.

Morris, John Hugh The Peace Party – Non-violence, Justice, Environment

John Morris is the only Peace Party candidate standing for election to the newly constituted unitary authority, the West Surrey County Council. He is standing in the West Guildford Ward where he lives and where he has stood many times before and where his ideals are well-known.

John knows the importance of offering voters a chance to demonstrate support for the full range of universal human Values (sometimes called Virtues) that underpin the Principle of Peace. Briefly, Love for all human life expressed through Compassion, Care and Kindness, Respect for views of others, Humility shown through being humble – considering others and their needs as important as oneself and one’s own needs.

Applying Kindness, John pledges to do all he can to ensure everyone in the community has a home of their own to rent or buy. Likewise, applying the Value of Equality, he pledges to ensure that everyone in the community has access to the best public transport service.

Mountford, Jack Ewen Green Party

I grew up and was educated in Surrey, where I now run an independent bookshop in Guildford town centre with my partner, Hannah.

I see the largest challenges facing Guildford West as the housing crisis and the debt the new unitary council will inherit from neighbouring councils.

If I am elected I will try to fill the vacant council housing in Guildford West, and fight for the residents when it comes to taking on debt that wasn’t originally theirs.

Above all, I will always listen to residents and put their needs first.

Smith, Howard Daniel Labour Party

I want to continue to work hard to improve the lives of my residents in the west of Guildford. By promptly responding to their concerns and representing their best interests at the new council.

The two biggest issues are those I have been working on the past three years. The sorting out of the condition of and the high number of vacant council properties that’ve been neglected here for far too long. And dealing with the increasingly high numbers and increasing density of HMOs in Westborough which is causing the decline of our community, with associated factors like parking issues and noise.

I’m happy to work with any members of the council who will help improve Guildford and especially the community I am here to serve.

Steel, James Harry Alfred Liberal Democrats

I’m standing for the new West Surrey Council to represent Guildford West, bringing back the experience I gained as a Westborough Councillor from 2019 to 2023. During that time, I also served as the Lead Councillor for the Environment, working hard to deliver great value public services.

When I’m not involved in local politics, I’m a college teacher working with students in Tourism and Business. My day job keeps me grounded and has made me a firm believer in the need for strong financial management to ensure our new council delivers real value for everyone.

If elected, my focus will be on:

The Environment: Making sure green thinking is at the heart of every council decision.

Better Housing & Travel: Improving the quality of our council homes and making public transport more reliable.

SEN Support: Pushing for much-needed improvements to Special Educational Needs provision.

I’m passionate about our community and would love the chance to put my experience to work for you.

Ujam, Malarchy Nnaemeka Conservative Party

I am Malachy Ujam, standing for West Guildford in West Surrey. I am an experienced healthcare leader and worked for many years as Head of Patient Safety for an NHS provider organisation.

I have studied, worked, and lived in Guildford for over 20 years. I am an active member of the local Catholic church and work collaboratively with others to build and embed practical support networks for residents across Guildford.

I am standing to use my knowledge of local needs and expertise in healthcare management to deliver for Guildford residents.

Whitehouse, Jack Laurence Green Party

I’m standing because Guildford deserves better, better decisions, better priorities, and a council that puts residents first. As a research scientist, I’m used to working through complex detail and making evidence-based decisions, and I’d bring that approach to the council.

The biggest issues I hear on the doorstep are housing and protecting local services from West Surrey debt caused by LDs and Conservatives. We’ve got an eight-year wait for social housing, so we need to bring empty homes back into use and deliver genuinely affordable homes that reduce that list. At the same time, we must protect frontline services by being forensic with spending, cutting waste, not what people rely on.

And yes, I give my word: Green councillors aren’t bound to a party line, we’re there to represent our communities. I will always put residents’ interests first.