The Green Party has gained the Hooley, Merstham and Netherne ward from the Conservatives after Nick Abear won the Reigate and Banstead Borough Council by-election with 934 votes.
Abear secured 41.8% of the valid vote in the poll held on Thursday 6 August 2026, finishing 389 votes ahead of Reform UK candidate Johnny Wolf.
Wolf took second place with 545 votes, pushing the defending Conservatives into third. Conservative candidate Jon Mears received 454 votes, followed by Liberal Democrat Tina Siobhan Cohen on 166 and Labour’s candidate on 138.
The council recorded turnout of 27%. A total of 2,242 ballot papers were issued, of which five were rejected, leaving 2,237 valid votes.
Hooley, Merstham and Netherne by-election result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Vote share |
| Nick Abear | Green Party | 934 | 41.8% |
| Johnny Wolf | Reform UK | 545 | 24.4% |
| Jon Mears | Conservative Party | 454 | 20.3% |
| Tina Siobhan Cohen | Liberal Democrats | 166 | 7.4% |
| Catherine Mary Drapans* | Labour Party | 138 | 6.2% |
Vote shares are calculated from the official total of 2,237 valid votes and may not total exactly 100% because of rounding.
*The council’s official declaration records the Labour candidate as Catherine Mary Drapans. Earlier nomination material listed Catherine Mary Barrett. This article uses the name shown in the declared result while noting the discrepancy.
- Green majority: 389 votes
- Valid votes: 2,237
- Ballot papers issued: 2,242
- Rejected ballots: 5
- Electorate: 8,244
- Official turnout: 27%
Green gain from the Conservatives
This is formally a Green gain from the Conservatives because the vacancy arose following the death of Conservative councillor Mus Tary.
However, it also completes a longer political change within the three-member ward. Green candidates had already won the other two seats: Shasha Khan was elected in 2023 and Joel Gabriel followed in 2024.
Abear’s victory means all three Hooley, Merstham and Netherne borough councillors are now Green representatives.
The winning candidate received more than twice the Conservative vote, while Reform UK established itself as the nearest challenger on its first appearance in a by-election for this particular vacancy.
Reform takes second from Conservatives
Reform’s second-place finish is one of the most notable features of the result.
Wolf received 545 votes and 24.4% of the total, placing 91 votes ahead of Mears. The Conservatives therefore lost both the seat and their position as the principal challenger to the Greens.
Labour’s vote fell to 138, or 6.2%, despite the party having finished third with 533 votes when the ward was last contested in 2024. The Liberal Democrats remained fourth, receiving 166 votes and 7.4%.
Comparisons with previous years should be treated carefully because different seats within a multi-member ward were being contested and turnout can vary sharply at standalone by-elections. Nevertheless, the result shows the Green vote holding up strongly while Reform drew support sufficient to overtake both the Conservatives and Labour.
Comparison with the 2024 ward result
| Party2024 share2026 shareChange | |||
| Green Party | 38.4% | 41.8% | +3.4 |
| Reform UK | 10.8% | 24.4% | +13.6 |
| Conservatives | 24.1% | 20.3% | -3.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | 6.6% | 7.4% | +0.9 |
| Labour | 20.2% | 6.2% | -14.0 |
Changes are calculated from the official 2024 candidate totals and the 2026 by-election result. Figures may differ slightly because of rounding.
The largest movements were the rise in Reform’s share and the fall in Labour’s. The Green share increased by approximately 3.4 percentage points, while the Conservative share declined by 3.8 points.
Total valid votes fell from 2,636 in May 2024 to 2,237 at the standalone by-election, so changes in raw votes should not be read independently of the lower participation.
Why was the by-election held?
The vacancy followed the death of Mus Tary, who had represented Hooley, Merstham and Netherne since winning an earlier by-election in 2021.
Tary was re-elected in 2022 and later served as Reigate and Banstead Borough Council’s executive member for housing and support. He died in June 2026 following treatment for cancer.
Council leader Richard Biggs described Tary as positive, friendly and approachable, while Mayor Nick Harrison said he had made a significant contribution to the council and its residents.
Tary’s term would ordinarily have ended in May 2026, but scheduled borough elections were cancelled as part of local government reorganisation in Surrey. Existing councillors’ terms were extended until the present authority is abolished in April 2027, requiring a by-election to fill the vacancy for the remaining period.
Abear already elected to new East Surrey authority
Abear is also an elected member of the new East Surrey Council, having won a seat in the Redhill East and Meadvale division in May 2026.
The shadow unitary authority is preparing to assume responsibility when the current borough and county arrangements are replaced in April 2027.
His latest victory means he will serve on Reigate and Banstead Borough Council during its final months while also participating in the new authority’s preparations.
Result updates our original preview
This page was originally published before polling day to provide candidates, voting information and background to the vacancy. It has now been comprehensively updated with the official declaration, calculated vote shares, turnout and analysis.
The final outcome is a Green gain, a second-place finish for Reform and the loss of the Conservatives’ last remaining seat in Hooley, Merstham and Netherne.