 The 2019 borough election saw a Liberal Democrat led coalition take control of the council.in the 2019 general election, Angela Richardson retained the seat for the Conservatives.The 2011 "Financial Times" annual list of Top 500 Global Companies listed five major businesses with a significant presence in the town – the list includes Philips Electronics, Ericsson, Colgate-Palmolive, Allianz and Sanofi.