Anne Milton Re-elected in Guildford As Her Support Stands Firm

Published on: 9 Jun, 2017
Updated on: 9 Jun, 2017

Anne Milton gives her victory speech following the count at the Spectrum leisure centre

While the Conservatives were suffering confusing and disappointing results nationally, Anne Milton’s support largely stood firm in Guildford and she was re-elected with 30,295 votes, 55% of the votes cast, a similar number and percentage that she got in 2015.

Runner-up Zoe Franklin, the Liberal Democrat candidate, increased her party’s vote to 13,255 and vote share to 24% as did the Labour candidate Howard Smith to 10,545 and 19%.

Mark Bray-Parry, Green Party, attracted 1,152 votes, John Morris, Peace Party, 205 and Semi Essessi, Independent, 57.

UKIP did not put up a candidate in Guildford this time and the 5,000 votes they secured in 2015 were up for grabs. But if they all went, as expected, to the Conservatives others must have moved from the Conservatives to other parties.

In her victory speech Ms Milton said: “I thank the people of Guildford for placing their trust in me once again. I won’t let you down.”

Speaking to The Guildford Dragon after the declaration, Milton said that her future as the deputy chief whip for the Conservatives at Westminster was in the hands of the prime minister “whoever that might be”, perhaps indicating that Theresa May’s position as prime minister was uncertain.

Anne Milton (centre) embraces her husband immediately after the declaration.

The most important issue facing the Guildford constituency was, Milton said, “Housing: how many houses, where they should be built and what sort, plus the infrastructure required to go with them. And that’s true of Guildford and Cranleigh.”

The turnout this time, at 74%, was 4% higher than 2015 and higher than in any general election since 1997. There is speculation than an increase in younger voters was largely responsible.

Anne Milton’s majority was reduced to 17,000. In 2015 she was re-elected with a 22,000 majority over the runner-up Lib Dems (8,334) and Labour (6,354).

But the Conservative vote stood up despite any disquiet over Brexit, Guildford was 56% in favour of remaining, and any unhappiness over the level of building development expected or already being experienced in some parts of the constituency, which includes Cranleigh.

Howard Smith

Howard Smith the Labour candidate remained upbeat, pleased with the increased vote share for Labour. He said: “I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of standing in the Guildford constituency in which I was born and bred.

“It was a honour for me to be the Labour Party candidate. I had a fantastic team and we went out there with a really positive message and policies that we believe in.”

Other parliamentary results of areas within Guildford Borough:

Mole Valley

Surrey Heath

Woking

Responses to Anne Milton Re-elected in Guildford As Her Support Stands Firm

Martin Elliott Reply

June 9, 2017 at 3:51 am

I expect the support is to the party as much as the candidate.

Bodes well for others “in training” for the job in Guildford Borough Council.
Shirley West Reply

June 9, 2017 at 6:56 am

Congratulations to Anne Milton. Guildford is proud to have her back as our MP.
- Jeff Bott Reply
  
  June 9, 2017 at 4:38 pm
  
  All encompassing comments like this which fail to acknowledge that not everybody has the same opinions that have caused Mrs May the heartache experienced today.
  
  Personally, I am ashamed to be represented by someone who does not follow passionate beliefs but sides with the perceived popular vote. Ms Milton is also pro lifting the ban on fox hunting but when challenged could provide no reason or understanding for this position.
  - Jim Allen Reply
    
    June 9, 2017 at 11:44 pm
    
    There are two ways to be an MP: follow your heart or follow the electorate. Why should anyone be ashamed that our MP – who I believe receives multitudes of letters per week on many subjects – assesses the mood of the letter writers and supports their mood, rather than ignoring the electorate and voting as if she was a private individual? Passionate beliefs are not always sensible or rational beliefs.
    - John Perkins Reply
      
      June 11, 2017 at 10:49 am
      
      It might be an ideal that MPs follow their hearts or their electorates but most of them do neither; they obey their party.
- Andy Calladine Reply
  
  June 9, 2017 at 10:24 pm
  
  She’s been a government whip and follows the party line, so how does that square up with protecting the NHS and other key issues?
  - Mark Lenel Reply
    
    June 10, 2017 at 5:29 pm
    
    She’s been a government whip and follows the party line, so how does supporting Brexit square up with representing a predominantly Remain constituency?
Howard Battson Reply

June 9, 2017 at 10:55 pm

How does Anne Milton stand on the eyesore which is proposed at Newlands Corner?
Ken Dixon Reply

June 14, 2017 at 11:49 pm

The Conservatives, Ms Milton included, have been guilty of the most flagrant smugness, over importance and over confidence and, whilst I am no Labour supporter, I can see why the young vote went against them (Milton losing 2.5% of her vote compared with 2015).

Her comment after the election “whoever that might be” smacks of an eventual night of the long knives in true Tory fashion.

Strong and stable it is not, the tail is wagging the dog in Stormont and perhaps all Conservative MPs should take heed of the electorate on important local matters such as Local Plans and house dumping. After all, her colleague at Croydon Central lost his seat after his “build what you like when you like, where you like” policy was roundly rejected by the voters.

She now goes to Education. Let’s see if the Coservative’s listened to the electorate re grammar schools and school lunches.
Bernard Parke Reply

June 15, 2017 at 6:57 am

If I were a young student and I was offered an opportunity of having my educational loans written off I would of course have voted for the party that made that offer.

However, in a general election, unlike local elections, they would have only had one vote.

It must have been quite a problem whether they should have voted in their home town or at the polling station in the university town.

To vote in both places in a general election is of course a criminal offence.