Meet the Reigate General Election 2024 candidates who were given 100 words to sell themselves to you

On Thursday July 4 Reigate goes to the polls - and for the first time since 1997 will have a new MP regardless of the result after long-standing Conservative parliamentarian Crispin Blunt decided not to run for an eighth time.

The list of candidates has now been published with five parties hoping to secure your vote and represent residents in the new parliament.

Hoping to fill Mr Blunt’s shoes for the Tories will be Rebecca Paul but nothing can be taken for granted if the make-up of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council is any indicator with the Greens holding as many seats. Looking to match the party’s growing influence in the area will be Jonathan Essex. Labour and the Liberal Democrats are also standing candidates, with Reform UK rounding out the group.

The candidates are listed in alphabetical order by surname. The Local Democracy Reporting Service was unable to hear from Reform UK's Joseph Fox by the time of publication

Stuart Brady, Labour

Stuart is a dedicated barrister specialising in sports law, leveraging his extensive expertise in personal injury, disease, and employment law combined with his background as a former professional rugby player with Saracens.

Stuart also boasts significant experience in international trade and climate negotiations, gained through his roles in the European Parliament and the Confederation of British Industry.

Residing just outside Woodmansterne, Stuart is a passionate amateur sportsman and active member of several local sports clubs with his wife and two children. He founded and chairs the Labour Society for Sports, aiming to promote and develop sports across the UK for all.

Jonathan Essex, Green

Jonathan has served as a local councillor for 14 years, first on the local and then county council since 2013. Jonathan leads the 13-strong Green group on the borough council. He is a chartered civil engineer and is passionate about improving the lives of people locally.

Jonathan has initiated and supported many local organisations, is an active campaigner for youth provision and genuinely affordable homes - and against Green Belt development and Gatwick Airport expansion.

Jonathan said: “We need to rebuild trust in politics and properly fund and rebuild our fragmented public services and build a fairer society for all.”

Joseph Fox, Reform UK

Joseph Fox has lived in the constituency for most of his 75 years. He is divorced with four children. He said his last (and most rewarding) job was as a care worker at the RNIB in Earlswood.

Joseph said: "I started having my doubts about the European Project while the Maastricht Treaty was being forced through the Commons. I became involved in politics, standing for UKIP countless times in local elections and three times in general elections. More recently, I have stood for Reform UK.

"I stand for the freedom of the individual and enlightened national self-interest. I stand against ideologies that would have us believe that 2+2=5."

Mark Johnston, Liberal Democrats

Mark Johnston lives in Reigate and is an experienced EU policy specialist. He has worked first in Westminster and then Brussels for altogether 25 years with think-tanks and advocacy groups on climate change and clean energy development.

Mark joined the Lib Dems following the 2016 referendum and Trump’s election in America. He believes firmly that liberal values — democracy, rule of law, and human rights among others — are essential to a peaceful and prosperous future for everyone and thus worth fighting to uphold.

At home and abroad, liberal principles are, he says, the effective antidote to the ‘roller-coaster’ politics of recent years.

Rebecca Paul, Conservative

Rebecca has lived in Tadworth since 2015 with her husband and children. She is the county councillor for Tadworth, Walton and Kingswood and is very much part of her community.

She held the position of deputy cabinet member to the leader of Surrey County Council from 2021 to 2023 with responsibility for 'levelling up'.

Before politics, Rebecca was a chartered accountant for 20 years. She held the role of head of UK tax at Diageo Plc, along with other senior finance roles at PepsiCo, Jigsaw and Ernst & Young. She also founded and ran her own loose leaf tea business, Silver Lantern Tea.

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