Tories’ political domination in Sussex set for its biggest test in decades

ILocal elections in Sussex on May 7 have the potential to shake decades of political certainty in the south-east and could serve as a bellwether for how the political winds blow in Britain.

Home to more than 1.7 million people, the county stretches from Hampshire in the west to Kent in the east and makes up 227 kilometers of the UK’s south coast. Major local government changes have already been made for the political map to be redrawn in 2028, with East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton being merged into a new “Mayoral Combined County Authority”. But above all, this round of local elections may throw up some surprises; especially since so much time has passed.

In May, voters will be able to elect councilors for East and West Sussex county councils for the first time since 2021. Moreover, some borough and district councils are holding partial elections, allowing voters in Worthing, Hastings, Adur and Crawley to elect new councillors.

A lot has changed since 2021, when the UK was reeling from Covid-19 lockdowns and Boris Johnson was still prime minister.

At the time, Nigel Farage was politically retired, Reform UK had not yet become a political force and Sir Keir Starmer had only been leader of the Labor Party for a year. Meanwhile, the Green Party had two leaders but only one member in parliament: Caroline Lucas from Brighton.

This means the anticipation for what’s to come in Sussex is intense. Nationally, support for the standard-bearers of the two-party system – the Conservatives and Labor – has fallen precipitously, with both parties taking a beating in the polls, with left- and right-wing candidates overtaking them in the form of the resurgent Green Party led by Zack Polanski and Reform UK led by Farage.

So will this table be valid locally? Both East Sussex and West Sussex have been governed by the Conservatives at county level for 25 and 29 years respectively; At regional and district level, all but one of the councils where elections are held are held by the Labor Party. The only exception was Hastings, where the council is run by the Green Party after the Labor-led administration collapses in 2024.

In Worthing, which has two Labor MPs and whose council is also under Labor control, the party appears to have little to fear when it comes to challenging the Tories, but can it ignore the growing Reform-Green threat?

When Independent When he visited Worthing on a stormy March day, people’s concerns, support and contention spanned much of the political spectrum.

James, 44, who was fishing on the pier, said the state of politics in the UK was “disgusting” and “everyone I talk to wants to see a Reform government because it could get a little bit better on the immigration front”.

“All these people aren’t coming here to seek refuge. This is a fucking army,” he said, pointing to the empty sea.

“As long as the Greens or Labor don’t get in, I think most people will be happy,” said Lou, who was also fishing from the pier.

Jilly Piper, who runs an art gallery in the center of Worthing, said: Independent: “Last election the only people polling and knocking on the door were Labor,” he said, adding that he had voted for them last time but saw “no one” this time. He said the council had since “wasted money” and that he hoped neither Reform nor the Greens would make gains in Worthing, but was unimpressed by the Greens’ “anti-car” policies in Brighton.

Retiree Rory Curry told Independent He hoped Labor would maintain leadership of the council. “People always talk about Reformation, but I don’t like Reformation. I don’t like their policies. I’m a liberal, so I would never vote for them.”

Another retiree, Arif, said that he voted for the Labor Party in the last election, but he will not vote again and probably will not vote. “I am a Muslim Cypriot and grew up in England and lived in Worthing for 41 years,” he said. “Most [politicians] They promise you things but then they don’t deliver.” He said he would be concerned about whether the reform would be successful or not because “they want to send the immigrants back.”

Retired toolmaker Tony Lockwood’s disillusionment with the Labor Party was one of his key reflections. Independent He would vote Green. Speaking of Polanski, he said: “The leader seems to have real heart and passion”, but despite his own enthusiasm, he said he was not convinced that people in Worthing would rally around the Greens, with locals going “their way”, but added that “the country would be devastated” if a Reform vote was given.

The atmosphere in Worthing was perhaps best summed up by Mirko Laganaro, manager of Bites coffee shop in the city centre. “I think it’s a mixed bag of nuts here right now,” he said Independent. “Even though Worthing has a very left-wing background, I’m seeing more and more people moving towards right-wing ideology; they kicked out Oswald Mosely. So it’s quite strange to come out of here and move towards a more right-wing mindset.”

In Shoreham, a few miles east of Worthing and in the heart of the Adur council area, Terri Jezeph, a local retired nurse, described the upcoming election as “a farce because the whole area is going to be restructured”.

he said Independent: “I’m a socialist, but I don’t have much respect for the British Labor Party who can’t organize an a**-up in the brewery. I can see reform making waves. I’d be appalled. They have no organization and no policies.”

Another resident, Richard O’Neil, said he would not vote Labor or Conservative. “I think the norms will break down,” he said. “People are tired of the same political rhetoric and rhetoric. Reform is certainly gaining ground and the Green Party is thriving as well. Revive Britain too; I don’t know if they have any representation here and I think Rupert Lowe talks very sensibly about some policies and not so much about others.”

“If the reform had worked out well, I probably would have left,” said Kathy Davis, who has lived in Shoreham for four years. “But I’d like to think people are more sensible. It’s a concern because the right-wing press is berating the Labor government. I’d like the Greens to win; that’s the way forward.”

Labour’s Jeremy Gardner, leader of Adur council, admitted that “given we can clearly see the national opinion polls it would be foolish not to be concerned”.

He added: “Locally, if people really look at what we’ve done in the last two years, it’s OK. If it’s about local issues, then we’re confident. The Conservatives are bleeding councillors”, he said, adding that one Conservative tried to defect to Reform but they wouldn’t let him in.

Heading further east to Hastings, where the council was controlled by the Greens, rumors of a local election on 7 May were news to many, but among those aware of this there was confidence that the Greens would retain power, as well as concerns about the rise of Reformation across the country.

Music promoter Chris King said: Independent The Labour-led council in Hastings, which collapsed in 2024, had been “terrible for years” and the Greens had been “slightly better”. “I don’t want Reformation to come in but I think they might have a chance”.

Retiree Jane Carey said: Independent: “The Greens are doing a good job” and said their national momentum could give them an advantage in Hastings. But he added: “The national newspapers and broadcasters are really pushing Reformation and I’m really fed up with it. It’s outrageous. They’re making people believe Reformation will win.”

Council leader Glenn Haffenden said: “It will be a clear race between Reform and the Greens in Hastings. “Labour is not doing well nationally.

“People see the difference between national and local politics, that’s what I believe. We’ve had a Labor council for a very long time, so having a Green council and seeing the difference between what that actually means will have a huge impact for us Greens locally.”

He added: “Having Zak as our leader is the best thing that has ever happened to the Green Party nationally. For the first time nationally and locally people see the Greens as a party that can and does win.”

He suggested that the party’s good performance in local elections could also have an impact on the next general elections and the party’s chances of being added to the list of MPs.

Haffenden said local gains for Reformation would be “terrible”. “We celebrate our diversity in Hastings. My biggest fear about Reformation coming is that they are against it. They don’t celebrate diversity. They don’t celebrate the things that make Hastings different and the things that many residents are proud to live in Hastings.”

With the election less than two weeks away, Sussex’s political future looks stranger than at any other time in the last three decades.

Sussex’s motto “we unt be druv” – local dialect for “we will not be led” – is a reminder that the county has long prided itself on doing things its own way. Today, the question remains whether this independent line will make itself felt at the ballot box once again and in which direction people will “think”.