John Milne MP calls for county elections to go ahead this May

The Government is pressing forward with local government reorganisation that could see all of West Sussex’s councils at District, Borough and County levels replaced by one or more unitary authorities. Councils who claim they are ready to reorganise now can ask for their elections to be postponed and enter a fast-track process.

John Milne, MP for Horsham, said:

“This move is fundamentally undemocratic. The Conservatives know full well they’re going to fare badly in the County Council elections - so they’re grabbing any chance they can find to hang onto their seats.

“As the Deputy Prime Minister has made clear, the election postponement is supposed to be for authorities who ‘just need a few more months to put a system in place’. But the Conservatives at WSCC aren’t ready at all, so they’re proposing a far more drastic delay. They want to hold back elections until 2027, suspending the democratic process for 2 years or even longer.

“When you see how the Conservatives have lost control of all the districts and borough councils, one by one, it’s easy to see why they’re afraid to face the music today. Cancelling the election means this current Conservative administration in WSCC will be artificially extended long past its sell-by date.

“The Conservative leadership in WSCC have taken this decision without consulting either the opposition groups at County or the district and borough councils. It effectively gives them a monopoly on the process for local government reorganisation in Sussex.

“This decision is too important to be left wholly in the hands of the Conservatives. It affects every party, and every voter.”

John Milne MP also serves as West Sussex County Councillor for Horsham Riverside and is expected to stand down at the next election.