2007 Woking Borough Council election

The election saw 12 seats being contested with 2 sitting councillors standing down, Neville Hinks in Knaphill ward and Mehala Gosling in West Byfleet.^[3] Both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were hoping to win control of the council, with the Liberal Democrats needing 1 more seat and the Conservatives 4.^[4] Labour were defending 3 seats which were all threatened by either the Conservatives or Liberal Democrats.^[4] The other parties standing in the election were the United Kingdom Independence Party, which was standing in more seats than Labour, and the UK Community Issues Party.^[4]

The Conservative campaign was described as being the strongest in years with the seats in Horsell and Knaphill being seen as critical in deciding who would control the council.^[4]

The Conservatives won the election gaining a majority on the council, the first time any party had a majority since 1998 and the first time the Conservatives had held a majority since 1994.^[5] The Conservatives gained 4 seats in Kingfield and Westfield, Maybury and Sheerwater, Knaphill and Horsell to hold 19 seats compared to 17 for the Liberal Democrats.^[5] Meanwhile, Labour lost all 3 of their seats on the council including the party leader, Peter Ford, who lost in Old Woking to the Liberal Democrats.^[5] This was the first time Labour had ever failed to have any councillors on Woking council.^[6]

The Conservatives won almost 51% of the vote compared to their closest challengers, the Liberal Democrats, on just over 35%,^[6] with overall turnout in the election being 43.60%.^[7] Following the election the Conservative Anne Murray was expected to take over as leader of the council from Liberal Democrat Sue Smith.^[5]