Paul Follows, the Lib Dem leader of Waverley Borough Council, has been elected leader of the new West Surrey unitary authority.

His appointment yesterday follows a strong result for the Liberal Democrats, who won 56 of the council’s 90 seats at last week’s elections.

Cllr Follows, the member for Godalming South, Milford and Witley, said: “I have been elected by my colleagues to lead the new West Surrey Liberal Democrat group and will therefore be the majority group nominee for leader of the council at the inaugural meeting on Thursday this week.”

Cllr Shaun Macdonald, the current leader of Surrey Heath Borough Council, was elected deputy leader.

Cllr Follows added: “I want to thank my colleagues right across West Surrey for their support. The background work to appoint a new cabinet (executive) for West Surrey and to form a new administration has begun and I will post a further update after the meeting on Thursday – at which point the mammoth task ahead of us begins.”

Woking’s Lib-Dem MP Will Forster was among many who took to social media to congratulate Cllr Follows.

He said: “I look forward to working in partnership with him to tackle the new council’s unprecedented historic debts, unsafe roads and a children’s services department failing vulnerable children.”

Cllr Follows’ election comes after the Conservatives confirmed the opposition group at West Surrey will be led by Cllr Jane Austin, leader of the opposition at Waverley Borough Council.

She said: “We will work together to hold the decisions of the incoming administration to account and help shape the new West Surrey Council so it genuinely delivers for the people we serve.”

The new West Surrey Council will hold its inaugural meeting on Thursday in Guildford.

The authority, which will operate initially as a shadow council, will replace Surrey County Council and the borough and district councils in 2027.