Liberal Democrats on Lewes District Council have hit out at the government's decision to consider a further delay to county council elections, warning that democracy in Sussex is being "kicked into the long grass." East Sussex County Council have requested a delay.

The move follows the recent announcement that inaugural Mayoral elections for Sussex will also be pushed back to 2028. This means some county councillors will have served seven years on a single four-year mandate by the time the new unitary council finally takes over.

Councillor Stephen Gauntlett, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Lewes District Council, said: "This is now a triple delay to our local democracy and it is frankly beyond the pale. We are being asked to accept that a once-in-a-generation shift to a Unitary Authority should be overseen by an administration that hasn't faced the voters since 2021. Democracy is being kicked into the long grass.

"The excuse that officers are 'too busy' to hold an election is a slight on the hard-working staff at our District and Borough councils who actually run the polling stations. Residents in Lewes and across the patch deserve a fresh mandate and a say on who leads this transition, not a group of councillors extending their own terms behind closed doors."

"If the County Council don't have the capacity to run elections, they don't have the capacity or mandate to serve our resident's interests."

Councillor Paul Mellor, Ditchling ward, said: "Residents in Lewes District and across the county are rightfully furious. They look at the state of our roads and see potholes everywhere, services closing and financial mismanagement yet they are being told they cannot vote for another two years. It is a total failure of accountability.

"By cancelling these elections, the government and the County Council are treating Sussex voters with contempt. We are heading toward a situation where people will have gone nearly seven years without a local election while their services are decimated. Our roads are in a state of ruin and our social care system is under unprecedented pressure. People deserve their say on this failure now, not in 2027."

East Sussex County Council elections were originally due in May 2025 but have faced delays due to local government reorganisation. After this delay, despite being promised as an alternate election for May 2026 the new Sussex Mayoral election was delayed.
 

Ben Dempsey, Lib Dem candidate for Sussex Mayor, has responded to the Government's statement on allowing County Councils to request the cancellation of elections in Sussex. (Details here.)

Ben Dempsey, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Sussex, said: "This is a democratic farce. The government is essentially asking Conservative council leaders if they would like to grant themselves an extra year in power. It is like a teacher asking a student if they’d prefer to skip their exams because they aren’t ready.

"The whole process has been an utter shambles. First, the May 2025 county elections were delayed with the promise of a new Mayor. Then, the government cancelled those Mayoral elections. Now, they are inviting the Sussex Tories to help them finish the job by 'requesting' a further delay to the county elections.

"At a time when trust in politics is already dangerously low, this further corrodes it by treating Sussex voters with contempt. It is simply unacceptable for unpopular Labour and Tory officials to collude in this way to deny the public their democratic right to vote.

"The government must stop looking for excuses, stop asking the councillors beyond their mandate for permission to hold elections, and simply allow the people of Sussex to have their say."

Cllr Kevin West and Lewes Liberal Democrats are urging that the office of the newly proposed Sussex Mayor be established in Lewes, the historic county town of Sussex. While the Liberal Democrats remain opposed to the introduction of Mayors across England, they argue that Lewes is the natural choice for the mayoral office due to its central role in Sussex governance and heritage. The Mayor and their office will be delegated 'unprecedented powers' according to the Government Whitepaper.

Cllr Kevin West, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Lewes Priory, stated: “Lewes has long been the heart of Sussex administration. With Sussex Police, East Sussex County Council, and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service all headquartered here, it’s clear that Lewes is already the operational hub of the region. Establishing the mayor’s office here would not only honour our town’s historic significance but also ensure accessibility and continuity for the people of Sussex.”

The Liberal Democrats have consistently voiced their concerns about the centralisation of power through the mayoral system, advocating instead for stronger local democracy and community-led decision-making. However, they believe that if a mayoral office is to be introduced, it should be located in a place that reflects the identity and administrative history of Sussex.

“Lewes is more than just a town; it’s a symbol of Sussex’s rich history and its commitment to serving its communities,” added Cllr West. “Placing the mayor’s office here would reinforce our town’s role as a cornerstone of regional governance.”

Another weekend of traffic chaos in Newhaven has led to a councillor calling for urgent action on local traffic issues.

Cllr Lesley Boniface, Town Councillor for the Newhaven Valley Ward, has received a number of complaints following traffic issues which have been ongoing for a while in the town and came to a head on Saturday 5th April when SGN set up traffic lights to work on the gas network on the junction of Rose Walk and the A259. Residents have also taken to Social Media to complain about the lack of infrastructure and planning between authorities.

“Residents have had to put up with traffic congestion in the town for far too long now. Saturday’s chaos was a perfect storm with road works on the A27, rail works which had rail replacement buses running and the SGN works."

Newhaven MP James MacCleary has been raising the alarm about traffic congestion and safety in Newhaven for months. Over Christmas, James publicly declared a traffic emergency in the town and he has also written to the Transport Secretary to press for the government to release promised funding for improvements identified in the recent Major Road Network study on the A259.

“The Conservatives have been failing Newhaven for decades and traffic is the latest example - they deny there is a problem. James and I, along with the Liberal Democrat teams think our town deserves better and want a package of improvements.”

1. Start to address the McDonalds roundabout with new lane markings to prevent congestion and confusion.

2. Remove traffic lights on the ring road where there is an underpass to aid traffic flow.

3. Fix the merge before the swing bridge heading west which causes daily tailbacks across the flyover.

4. Deal with the lack of painted white lines in the vicinity of Railway Road to reduce accidents on non-existent roundabouts.

5. Re-think the merge lanes from North Way to South Way. 

Cllr Bioniface said, "I’ll be seeking to commission a full movement study for the town to fully understand traffic flows, and walking and cycling patterns in the town to create a bespoke set of recommendations”

James MacCleary MP saids: “I, along with other local residents, am fed up with sitting in traffic. Newhaven has been served poorly by its traffic and road design. It just isn’t good enough to hear the County Council repeatedly saying there’s nothing they can do or that there isn’t a problem. Perhaps if more of them had to drive through Newhaven like the rest of us, then they would appreciate the problem.

“I raised the issue over Christmas and have written to the government to get them to release funding for promised improvements.

“There is no doubt it has got a lot worse with traffic jams at all times of the day on the flyover often backing up past Denton Corner. It isn’t just affecting residents, it is also affecting businesses in Newhaven and along the coast.

“The most recent traffic issues falling on a weekend with rail replacement buses, especially grates when local services aren’t co-ordinating. I’ll be writing to the relevant authorities asking them to do better with planned events and to fix the traffic issues long term”.

James MacCleary MP has condemned the decision to cancel this May’s local elections in East Sussex, calling it an attack on democracy that denies local residents their voice at a crucial time for the county. The Labour government have delayed elections for one year for elections for a unitary authority in 2026 after a request to delay from East Sussex Conservatives.

The Conservative-led East Sussex County Council, backed by Labour ministers, has succeeded in blocking these elections, preventing voters from holding them accountable for years of failure. Since 2021, the Liberal Democrats have been making gains from the Conservatives across East Sussex, and at the most recent General Election, the Liberal Democrats made significant progress, electing 5 MPs and proving that residents are ready for change.

Liberal Democrats have pledged to continue fighting for local communities and holding the failing Conservative administration to account.

James asked Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner after the announcement of the cancellations: “What justification she (Rayner) has for giving a mandate to a Conservative administration that has lost its overall majority and hangs on by the chair casting vote, to negotiate a generationally defining deal on behalf of residents of East Sussex against their will?”

James said: “This is nothing short of a disgrace. The Conservatives are running scared and have pushed for this election cancellation in a desperate attempt to cling to power. Meanwhile, Labour has stood by and let them get away with it, knowing they have no chance of winning here.

“Voters are rightly fed up with this Conservative council’s appalling record—financial mismanagement, crumbling roads, axed frontline services, and neglect of vulnerable residents. They know they were on track to lose seats in May, so instead of facing the voters, they have silenced them. 

“These elections should have been a chance for local people to demand better and decide on the future of how their areas are shaped under reorganisation, but instead, the Conservatives and Labour have shut them out of the process. This is an insult to democracy.”

“The Liberal Democrats will not stop standing up for our residents. We will keep campaigning, listening to local people, and fighting for the fair deal our communities so desperately need. 

The Conservatives might have cancelled this election, but they cannot escape the judgement of voters forever.”

A petition opposing East Sussex County Council’s proposed booking system for household waste recycling sites has been formally submitted by the Liberal Democrats, with 3,466 residents signing in protest.

The petition, which has gained rapid support since its launch, highlights widespread public concern that a booking system would create unnecessary obstacles to waste disposal. Residents have voiced fears that the move will disproportionately impact those without internet access, increase fly-tipping, and disrupt the current, efficient walk-in system.

The submission follows weeks of growing opposition, with local people expressing frustration at what they see as an unnecessary and restrictive change. The Liberal Democrats argue that similar systems introduced elsewhere have proven unpopular and risk reducing responsible waste disposal.

Lewes Liberal Democrats are urging East Sussex County Council to abandon the proposal and retain the current walk-in system, ensuring waste disposal remains accessible to all.

Cllr Kevin West,  Liberal Democrat Lewes Town Councillor, said: “The overwhelming response to our petition makes it clear: people in East Sussex do not want a booking system for their local tips. More than 3,400 residents have spoken up against this plan, and it’s time for the County Council to listen. This scheme is unnecessary. So many residents have contacted us to say they don’t encounter issues at the tip and a change is fixing a problem that doesn’t exist. Additionally they are concerned that it may be inconvenient, and risks increasing fly-tipping across our communities.”