New faces at West Sussex County Council

The alliance was announced by new leader Jay Mercer during a meeting at County Hall on Friday, May 22).

It followed elections earlier this month which saw the Liberal Democrats take 23 seats, Reform UK also take 23, the Conservatives take 11, the Green Party seven, Labour five, and the Independent Alliance one.

Addressing the many new faces gathered in the Council Chamber, Mr Mercer (Lib Dem, Horsham East) stressed his ‘hope and desire’ that they could all work together effectively.

He added: “This administration will not govern by diktat. We will listen, we will collaborate, and we will value the input of every single member who wants to see West Sussex thrive.”

Mr Mercer’s term of office is unlikely to run to the full four years given the ongoing local government reorganisation, which should see the county council, along with the district and borough councils, replaced with unitary authorities from May, 2028.

In the meantime, there is plenty of work ahead – and he highlighted six core areas on which initial efforts will focus. They are strengthening highways and empowering communities, collaborating on education and SEND support, supporting sustainable social care and health, evaluating digital opportunities, developing sustainable transport and nature recovery, and nurturing local democracy through the local government reorganisation transition.

Mr Mercer added: “The challenges ahead are undeniably complex. The financial pressures on local government across the country are steep, and the path toward reorganisation will demand our absolute best.”

Praising the ‘abundance of talent, dedication and energy’ of his fellow councillors of all parties, he added: “We have an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate that collaboration delivers better outcomes than conflict. Let us focus entirely on the people who sent us here.”