We are delighted that Simon Leifer has won his election so convincingly. This is the first time in many years that the LibDems have put up a candidate in he Esher Ward and the loss to our vote, compared to other years, was minimal.

We are certain that Simon will make an extremely good councillor. He is diligent, quick witted and determined to change things for the better. We are sure that his lawyerly brain will be an enormous asset.

Our thanks go out to David Young, who has been such a successful councillor, where his work on Climate Change in the Cabinet has been much appreciated across the Chamber. He will be greatly missed on the East Area Planning sub committee too. He will continue to be involved with the ERA.

For future reference, please see Simon’s manifesto below.

A number of people have written to us asking for a more comprehensive biography of Simon:

He is a longstanding Esher resident married with three children and four grandchildren and is Chair of the ERA.

Simon qualified as a solicitor and has worked in the banking industry for most of his career, latterly as a part time consultant and a non-executive director in the financial services industry. In his legal career he twice took ground breaking cases to the House of Lords (now the Supreme Court) and also wrote the legal chapter to a banking industry ‘financial bible’.

He is a keen rower and punter and was a member of the 1980 Moscow Olympic rowing team. He is also president of the Thames Punting Club and Hampton Court & Dittons Regatta and enjoys being on the River Thames whenever he can.

Simon strongly believes in giving back to the community and has served as an LEA school governor and been involved in various community initiatives but never shouts about it and just gets on with it. He led the project to re-house and build a boathouse for the Dittons Skiff & Punting Club in Thames Ditton (DSPC), successfully negotiating with EBC and with grant aid organisations and he still serves as a DSPC trustee and vice-president.

He is absolutely clear that this project would not have succeeded with the tremendous help, advice and support from local residents association councillors.

Simon is the ERA’s representative on the London Green Belt Council formed in 1955 to protect London’s precious Green Belt. He also represents the ERA on the Esher Chamber of Commerce and sits on two steering committees opposed to threatened inappropriate development in Hersham Village Shopping Centre and on Hersham Golf Course.