Six Candidates Line Up To Contest Vacant Guildford Seat on SCC

Published on: 26 Sep, 2025
Updated on: 26 Sep, 2025

By Emily Dalton, local democracy reporting service

and Dragon reporter David Reading

Six candidates have lined up to contest the vacant seat left as a result of the sudden resignation of Fiona Davidson, Surrey county councillor for Guildford South East since 2021. The by-election will be held on October 16.

The former councillor, who represented Residents for Guildford and Villages on SCC, cited “personal reasons” for her resignation in a statement sent to The Guildford Dragon NEWS.

Former councillor Fiona Davidson

Her statement included a criticism of the “negative side” of national political parties in local government saying: “I firmly believe that party politics should have no role in local politics and that residents are best served by councillors whose only agenda is residents’ concerns and interests.”

The six candidates hoping to take the Guildford South East seat on Surrey County Council are listed here in alphabetical order:

Richard Eggleton, Labour
Alex Fiuza, Conservative
Catherine Houston, Liberal Democrat
Dale Layman, Reform UK
John Redpath, Residents for Guildford and Villages
Claire Whitehouse, Green Party

Also on October 16, by-elections will be held to fill a number of other council seats across Surrey.

Voters in Camberley West and Caterham Valley will decide who they want to represent them on Surrey County Council.

Several borough and district seats will also be up for grabs including Meadvale and St. John’s ward in Reigate and Banstead, Whyteleafe district in Tandridge and the Staines ward in Spelthorne.

Candidates for each election are listed below in alphabetical order.

Camberley West, Surrey County Council