Former MP Makes Her County Council Political Allegiance Clear

Published on: 21 Apr, 2021
Updated on: 23 Apr, 2021

Posters on her fence show clearly who Anne Milton is supporting in the county council election.

By Martin Giles

Posters on her fence show clearly who Anne Milton is supporting in the county council election.

Merrow residents and thousands of motorists approaching Guildford on the Epsom road can hardly help notice the support Guildford’s former Conservative MP is giving to the independent group, “Residents for Guildford and Villages”.

Across the borough, there are very few posters supporting candidates, only one other was observed on the Epsom Road in support of the Conservatives.

Ms Anne Milton, a government minister in previous Conservative governments, fell out with the Tory Party when Boris Johnson took over in 2019.

In a meeting held at 10 Downing Street, the prime minister told Ms Milton that losing Guildford, a Remain-voting constituency, as a Conservative seat might be a price that would have to be risked. Ms Milton lost the Conservative whip after voting against the government over Brexit. She stood unsuccessfully as an Independent in the November 2019 general election.

Asked why she was now deciding support R4GV in the county council election Ms Milton said: “It’s time for a change at SCC.

“The single unitary authority proposal is a bad idea for local people. This issue has been discussed for 20 years or more and always been rejected as is Surrey too large an area for one authority and too distant to keep decision making local. There might well be a case for two or three unitaries in Surrey.”