Most local wards are won by the Conservatives with the Liberal Democrats often picking up seats somewhere in the dual-council system, particularly in Whyteleafe or Caterham Valley. As is typical in seats of this kind, the Labour vote is typically very modest. The party finished in third place at the elections between 1959 and 2015. In 2017 the party's candidate polled second, in a poorer showing for the Liberal Democrats and the party's "Corbyn Surge". In the 2019 election the Liberal Democrats took second place and Labour fell to third. The area saw a majority vote in favour of Brexit in the 2016 EU Referendum; whereas the then-MP Sam Gyimah opposed Brexit and later joined the Liberal Democrats.