Leslie Rice – Surrey County Council Candidate for Woking South West

Leslie Rice, a resident of Woking South West, has been a Liberal Democrat councillor for the Heathlands Ward of Woking Borough Council since May 2023. Having had a financial career that included being a Chief of Finance at UNICEF and then Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer roles in banking, Leslie wants to bring those higher standards to Surrey County Council (SCC) for the benefit of residents.  

Like so many people, he was appalled to see that the leader of SCC had to apologise to families who have been "failed" over the provision of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.  

Leslie says that “It seems that Surrey CC just cannot get the basics right. Repeated visits to fix the same potholes is a result of the same poor oversight that led to Woking’s financial downfall. Since I was elected to WBC, the poor standards of governance that seem to be standard practice in local government have shocked me. Residents deserve better public service by public servants. Good governance is the foundation of government because it focuses on doing the right things in the right way. Poor governance paves the way for weak councils, as Woking BC was in the recent past.  

I want to help our local authorities get on the much-needed pathway to improvement.

This election is so important for Surrey. The County Council needs to do the right things in the right way.”

Email: leslie.rice@wokinglibdems.org.uk