Cllr Richard Biggs stays leader of Reigate and Banstead council after a 21-21 tie on 1 October. The Mayor's casting vote decided it, 22 to 21.
Cllr Richard Biggs remains Leader of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council after a motion of no confidence tied 21 votes to 21 on Thursday night. The Mayor then used his casting vote, and the motion fell by 22 votes to 21.
The council published the result on Friday. It says 42 councillors attended and there were no abstentions. Only councillors in the chamber could vote.
How the vote went
| For the motion | Against | |
|---|---|---|
| Councillors’ votes | 21 | 21 |
| After the Mayor’s casting vote | 21 | 22 |
The council’s constitution gives the Mayor a casting vote when a vote is tied. The Mayor this year is Cllr Nick Harrison, a Tattenham and Preston Residents councillor in the Residents’ Association Group, according to the council’s register of councillors. The council’s statement records the final tally but does not say more about how the casting vote was used.
The council has 45 seats, so three councillors did not vote. The statement does not name them.
Who brought the motion
Cllr Mark Smith proposed it. He represents Redhill West and Wray Common and sits in the Green and Redhill Independent Group. Cllr Rod Ashford, an independent member for Lower Kingswood, Tadworth and Walton, seconded it.
The motion cited “growing public concern” about the administration’s record on governance, major projects, housing delivery and transparency. We set out what it said and the group numbers before the meeting.
Closer than last year
This was the second attempt to remove Cllr Biggs in just over a year. A motion on 25 September 2025 also failed, by 20 votes to 21 with one abstention, again with 42 councillors present. That one was proposed by Green group leader Cllr Jonathan Essex and seconded by Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Stephen Kulka.
This time the motion drew one more vote and the abstention was gone. The result came down to the chair.
What the leader and chief executive said
Cllr Biggs said, in the council’s statement:
“I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues who showed their faith in my leadership, recognising the important work we are doing to enable our communities to thrive.”
He added that “with six months of Reigate & Banstead remaining, stability will enable us to stay focused on delivering the key projects our residents want” and on the handover to the new East Surrey Council.
Chief Executive Mari Roberts-Wood said the council would keep “the day to day services our communities rely on running efficiently” during the move to East Surrey.
What it means for you
- Nothing changes in your services. Bins, council tax, planning and housing carry on as before.
- The same Conservative Executive stays in charge until the borough council is abolished on 1 April 2027. We have covered how services will be split under East Surrey Council.
- The decisions it has already taken stand, including the plan to turn car parks in Redhill and Horley into council homes and the work on the Harlequin Theatre.
- You can watch the debate. The webcast is linked from the meeting page, item 12.
The formal minutes of the meeting, including the outcome of the other items such as the Planning Committee changes and the polling place review, have not been published yet. We will report them when they are.
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