Editing Surrey (section)

== Local government ==

=== History ===
{{Infobox historic subdivision|
| Name                   = Surrey
| HQ                     = [[Newington, London|Newington]] 1889–1893<br>[[Kingston upon Thames]] 1893–2020<br>[[Reigate]] since 2020
| Status                 = [[Administrative county]]
| Start                  = {{circa|825|lk=no}}
| End                    = 
| Replace                = 
| Image                  = 
| Civic                  = [[File:Surrey shield.svg|150px|The coat of arms of Surrey County Council]]
| PopulationFirst        = 452,218<ref>Census of England and Wales 1891, General Report, Table III: Administrative counties and county boroughs</ref>
| PopulationFirstYear    = 1891
| PopulationLast         = 1,002,832<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10152902 |title=Surrey AdmC through time - Census tables with data for the Administrative County |access-date=17 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827022435/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10152902 |archive-date=27 August 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| PopulationLastYear     = 1971
}}

The [[Local Government Act 1888]] reorganised county-level local government throughout England and Wales. Accordingly, the [[administrative county]] of Surrey was formed in 1889 when the Provisional Surrey County Council first met, consisting of 19 [[aldermen]] and 57 [[councillors]]. The county council assumed the administrative responsibilities previously exercised by the county's [[justice of the peace|justices]] in [[quarter sessions]]. The county had revised boundaries, with the north east of the historic county bordering the [[City of London]] becoming part of a new [[County of London]]. These areas now form the London Boroughs of [[London Borough of Lambeth|Lambeth]], [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]] and [[London Borough of Wandsworth|Wandsworth]], and the [[Penge Urban District|Penge]] area of the [[London Borough of Bromley]]. At the same time, the [[County Borough of Croydon|borough of Croydon]] became a [[county borough]], outside the jurisdiction of the county council.

For purposes other than local government the administrative county of Surrey and county borough of Croydon continued to form a "county of Surrey" to which a [[Lord Lieutenant]] and [[Custos Rotulorum of Surrey|Custos Rotulorum]] (chief [[magistrate]]) and a [[High Sheriff of Surrey|High Sheriff]] were appointed.

Surrey had been administered from [[Newington, London|Newington]] since the 1790s, and the county council was initially based in the sessions house there. As Newington was included in the County of London, it lay outside the area administered by the council, and a site for a new county hall within the administrative county was sought. By 1890 six towns were being considered: Epsom, Guildford, Kingston, Redhill, [[Surbiton]] and Wimbledon.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |location=London |date=27 March 1890 |title=Surrey County Council. |page=13}}</ref> In 1891 it was decided to build the new [[County Hall, Kingston upon Thames|County Hall]] at Kingston, and the building opened in 1893,<ref>David Robinson, ''History of County Hall'', Surrey County Council</ref> but this site was also overtaken by the growing London conurbation, and by the 1930s most of the north of the county had been built over, becoming [[Outer London|outer suburbs of London]], although continuing to form part of Surrey administratively.
[[File:Flag of Surrey in Guildford.jpg|thumb|[[Flag of Surrey|The flag of Surrey]] flown at the [[Guildford Guildhall]], 2022]]
In 1960 the report of the [[Herbert Commission]] recommended that much of north Surrey (including Kingston and Croydon) be included in a new "[[Greater London]]". These recommendations were enacted in highly modified form in 1965 by the [[London Government Act 1963]]. The areas that now form the London Boroughs of [[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]], [[Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames|Kingston]], [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]], and [[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]] and that part of [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames|Richmond]] south of the River Thames, were transferred from Surrey to Greater London. At the same time part of the county of [[Middlesex]], which had been abolished by the legislation, was added to Surrey. This area now forms the borough of Spelthorne.

Further local government reform under the [[Local Government Act 1972]] took place in 1974. The 1972 Act abolished administrative counties and introduced [[non-metropolitan counties]] in their place. The boundaries of the non-metropolitan county of Surrey were similar to those of the administrative county with the exception of [[Gatwick Airport]] and some surrounding land which was transferred to [[West Sussex]]. It was originally proposed that the parishes of [[Horley]] and [[Charlwood]] would become part of West Sussex; however this met fierce local opposition and it was reversed by the [[Charlwood and Horley Act 1974]].

=== Today ===
Following the elections of May 2021 the County Councillors' party affiliations were as follows:<ref>{{cite news |url=https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=16&RPID=44867600 |work=Surrey County Council |title=County Council Election 2021 - Thursday, 6 May 2021 |date=6 May 2021 |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203145351/https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=16&RPID=44867600 |url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=2 | Party
! Seats
|-
! style="background-color: #0087DC" |
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| align=right | 47
|-
! style="background-color: #DDDDDD" |
| [[Independent (politician)|Residents Association/Independent]]
| align=right | 16
|-
! style="background-color: #FDBB30" |
| [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]
| align=right | 14
|-
! style="background-color: #99CC33" |
| [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green]]
| align=right | 2
|-
! style="background-color: #DC241f" |
| [[Labour (UK)|Labour]]
| align=right | 2
|}

As of 2 May 2019, the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] local councillors controlled 4 out of 11 councils in Surrey, the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] controlled Mole Valley, the [[Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell]] controlled Epsom and Ewell, and the remaining 5 are in [[No Overall Control]]. Of the five No Overall Control councils, Elmbridge and Waverley were both run by coalitions of Residents and Liberal Democrats, Guildford was run by a Liberal Democrats minority administration, and Tandridge and Woking were both run by Conservative minority administrations.

The Conservatives held all [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in Surrey|11 Parliamentary constituencies]] within the county borders.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/general-election-2019-surrey-remains-17414671 |work=Get Surrey |title=General election 2019: Surrey remains blue as Tories keep hold of all 11 seats |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-date=14 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214131756/https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/general-election-2019-surrey-remains-17414671 |url-status=live}}</ref>