Letter: I Congratulate New Leader and Look Forward to Holding Him to Account

Published on: 23 Nov, 2018
Updated on: 23 Nov, 2018

Cllr Tim Oliver

From Fiona White

Lib Dem county councillor for Guildford West

When I first saw the list of four candidates for leadership of the Conservative group at Surrey County Council, I was sorry that they were all male and pale. There are talented women and BAME [black, Asian and multi ethnic] councillors at Surrey. It would have been nice to see at least one of them up for the role.

Having said that, I would like to congratulate Cllr Tim Oliver on winning the contest and therefore the nomination for council leader to succeed David Hodge. I don’t know Tim as well as the other candidates as he was only elected to Surrey in 2017 but he has a lot of local government experience at Elmbridge. When I have been involved in working with him, I have found him sensible and competent.

On the assumption that the majority group nomination will succeed, I hope that he will lead a council where we all try to find the best solutions for Surrey’s many problems with Tim leading an administration that works transparently with opposition groups and where we can constructively challenge the leader and his Cabinet and hold them to account on behalf of our residents.