Chris Coghlan is new Lib Dem candidate for Mole Valley

Former army officer Chris Coghlan has been selected as Mole Valley Liberal Democrats' prospective parliamentary candidate for the next general election. Chris takes over from Cllr Paul Kennedy, who stood in the last three general elections and increased the Lib Dem vote from 14% in 2015 to 34% (19,615 votes) in 2019, the local party's best ever result in Mole Valley constituency.

Paul said: "With his strong local background, Chris has a great chance to win next time, particularly in the new Dorking & Horley constituency which the Boundary Commission has proposed from July 2023. The new boundaries will give Labour and Green voters in Horley the opportunity to vote tactically for the Lib Dems to remove the discredited Conservatives.

Speaking of his time as Parliamentary candidate, Paul said: "It has been the privilege of my life to represent the Liberal Democrats here in Mole Valley over the last eight turbulent years. Together, we've fought 18 election campaigns against the Conservatives, increasing the Lib Dem vote each time, and we now run Mole Valley Council with 24 councillors to the Conservatives' nine, our biggest ever majority.

"While I can now focus more on my own area of Bookham and Fetcham, and my roles in the Mole Valley Cabinet and Surrey Police and Crime Panel, I look forward to supporting Chris in the next general election, whenever it comes and whatever the boundaries."

Chris said: "I'm looking forward to building on the fantastic legacy that Paul has built here in Mole Valley. The Liberal Democrats are currently ahead here in the latest YouGov MRP poll. We are the only party that can continue this momentum and remove the Conservatives here."

About Chris Coghlan

Chris grew up in Peaslake, in Mole Valley Constituency, where he developed a passion for public service. After working in the city as a fund manager, he founded Grow Movement, a social enterprise which trains hundreds of entrepreneurs in low-income communities around the world.

When Chris saw the threat from ISIS, he joined the Foreign Office and served in counter terrorism against suicide bombers. As an officer in the army reserve, he was mobilised and served as a military advisor embedded with Iraqi forces fighting ISIS on the ground.

Chris lives in Dorking with his wife and three daughters. He is a Mole Valley District Councillor for Dorking North.