Political opinion with Kieran Mullan MP: A reflection on the local election results

By now, I am sure we have all had a chance to digest the local election results. Across East Sussex, we saw county council elections that delivered some changes to how things are run locally. We now have a significant number of Reform councillors here in East Sussex.

This now means that Reform councillors will be responsible for delivering key local services such as our roads, transport, and social care, areas where residents rightly expect competence, consistency, and accountability. With Reform in charge of these services, they have much to prove. In nearby Kent, where Reform run the council, they have raised taxes, despite their promises to the contrary. I know there are no easy answers or quick fixes to the challenges we face locally despite promises made during the election campaign.  

I want to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of many Conservative councillors who sadly lost their seats. Local government relies on people who give their time, energy, and expertise to their communities, and their service deserves recognition. But looking more closely at the results, many contests were extremely tight, with only a handful of votes separating Conservative and Reform candidates in several wards. These narrow margins show that many voters were torn and that there is still an opportunity as we are rebuilding.  

Thanks to the work of the Conservatives in opposition in partnership with campaigners, Labour has already U‑turned on 25 policies. Policies such as the Family Farm Tax and the scrapping of the Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners. We also softened the impact of the increases in business rates for pubs and hospitality which would cripple families and businesses. We haven’t been able to get all the changes we needed for example on the jobs tax. But that is what effective opposition looks like. We are willing to challenge and put forward credible alternatives like our plans to cut welfare spending and hold Labour to account. Reform have done very little of this. 

But we must still be honest with ourselves. There is still a long way to go. Voters don’t fully trust us yet. We made mistakes in government, that is true. Immigration was and remains a key particularly significant concern for many. We should have acted more decisively for example by implementing the Rwanda plan years earlier than we tried to. Acknowledging that is part of rebuilding confidence. When I was out on the doorsteps across Bexhill and Battle many people told me they were encouraged by the direction Kemi is taking the party. She is a leader with strength who says what she thinks and isn’t afraid to be unpopular. I know people want a Conservative Party that is serious, focused, and tackling your priorities. That is exactly what she and I and the rest of our MPs are working to deliver.