Letter: I Remain the County Councillor for Guildford South East

Published on: 16 Feb, 2025
Updated on: 16 Feb, 2025

Cllr Fiona Davidson

From Fiona Davidson

R4GV Surrey county councillor for Guildford South East

Just as President Trump has announced that the people of Greenland want to be governed by him, so Cllr Potter (Lib Dem, Guildford East) has made a land grab for my county council division of Guildford South East, and written to residents in my division saying that he is their county councillor, even before they’ve had an opportunity to vote.

As “The Donald” would say, “Fake News!”

Cllr Potter has misrepresented himself as their current county councillor in a letter to residents (forwarded to me by several who have received the letter) in Boxgrove Avenue, Abbotswood, Westward Ho and Ganghill.

The current SCC Electoral Division map taken from the SCC website.

In fact, only if the Surrey County Council elections had gone ahead as usual this year (and they’ve been postponed) would these areas be part of Cllr Potter’s Burpham division.

The letter sent out by Cllr George Potter

I would like to reassure residents in these areas – and to calm their blood pressure – that I remain their county councillor. I remain committed to representing their interests and concerns as well as, more importantly, being successful in getting action taken, as I have done throughout my term as their county councillor.

It’s very disappointing that Cllr Potter has taken the votes of these residents for granted. And curious, because he knows that this year’s elections have been postponed. In fact, he has been complaining vociferously about this.

Maybe, as another councillor has suggested, if Cllr Potter feels so strongly that he needs to check residents’ support for him he should resign, so that a by-election can be called.

However, Cllr Potter should be aware that the government has stated that county by-elections this year will use the current county council boundaries. So, even a by-election wouldn’t enable him to test whether current Guildford South East voters would indeed vote for him. I’m not sure that a councillor presuming to have your vote is attractive to voters.