The 2024 Runnymede Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2024 to elect one-third of members of the Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey, England. This was on the same day as other local elections in England and police and crime commissioner elections.
The election saw the Conservatives lose all but three of the ten seats they were defending. Notable losses include Chertsey St. Ann's, where the incumbent council deputy leader lost his seat to Labour, and New Haw where the Liberal Democrats saw the largest majority in the borough, gaining from the Conservatives.
Following the resignation of the Conservative Party Councillor Max Darby, who represented the Ward of Woodham and Rowtown, there was a by-election to fill the vacancy held on the same day.
The council remained under no overall control. Following the election a coalition of Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Runnymede Independent Residents' Group, the Green Party and three of the independent councillors formed to run the council, calling themselves the Runnymede Council Alliance group. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 15 May 2024 the four party leaders within the alliance were jointly appointed as co-leaders of the council.
Results summary
Ward results Addlestone North
Addlestone South
Chertsey Riverside
Chertsey St. Ann's
Egham Hythe
Egham Town
Englefield Green West
Longcross, Lyne and Chertsey South
New Haw
Ottershaw
Thorpe
Virginia Water
Woodham and Rowtown (2 seats) Two seats are up for election due to the resignation of Councillor Max Darby, elected in 2022.
Committee Chairs Following Election Party key Conservative Green Labour Liberal Democrat RIRG + Chairs of Committees Committee Councillor Term The WorshipfulMayor of Runnymede Cllr Elaine Gill2024-25 Cllr Margaret Harnden2025-26 Cllr Steve Ringham2026-27 Co-leader of the CouncilChair of Corporate Management Committee Cllr Robert King2024- Co-leader of the CouncilChair of Environment & Sustainability Committee Cllr Don Whyte2024- Chair of Housing Committee Cllr Mike Smith2024- Chair of Community Services Committee Cllr Abby King2024- Chair of Planning Committee Cllr Sylvia Whyte2024- Chair of Licensing Committee Cllr Eliza Kettle 2024- Chair of Regulatory Committee 2025- Cllr Margaret Harnden2024-25 Chair of Standards & Audit Committee Cllr Sam Jenkins 2024-25 Cllr Manu Singh 2025-26 Cllr Cai Parry 2026- Chair of Englefield Green Committee Cllr Paul Gahir 2024- Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Select CommitteeChair of Crime & Disorder Committee Cllr Shannon Saise-Marshall2024- Co-leaders not chairs of committees Co-leader of the CouncilVice-Chair of Corporate Management Committee Cllr Linda Gillham 2024- Co-leader of the CouncilVice-Chair of Environment & Sustainability Committee Cllr Steve Ringham 2024-26
By-elections Addlestone South, 10 October 2024 A by-election took place on 10 October 2024 for Addlestone South ward following the death of Councillor Jonathan Wilson.
Ottershaw, 12 December 2024 A by-election will take place in Ottershaw on the 12th of December 2024 following the death of Councillor Malcolm Cressey.
Addlestone South, 21 August 2025 Further by-elections took place on the 21st August 2025 following the death of Cllr John Furey and the resignation of Conservative Leader Peter Snow. As such two seats were filled along with a concurrent by-election for the Addlestone County Division
Progression of administration majority and party totals DateEventWorking majorityLabLDRIRGGrnAdmin. Ind.ConRefOpp. Ind.Vacant6 May 2024Election9 8 6 6 3 2 13 rowspan="9" 3 04 August 2024Wilson (Con) dies 10 12 130 September 2024MC Cressey (Ind) dies 11 2210 October 2024Eldridge (Con) elected in Addlestone South10 13112 December 2024Day (Ind) elected in Ottershaw9 3 015 February 2025Jenkins expelled from RIRG75423 February 2025Jenkins joins the Conservatives14310 June 2025Furey (Con) dies813110 July 2025Snow (Con) resigns912221 August 2025Kelly and Newman (both Ref) elected in Addlestone South7205 January 2026Mann (Ind) joins Reform322 February 2026Singh (Grn) defects to the Liberal Democrats7223 September 2026Berardi (Ind) resigns611
References