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."

Ben Dempsey has highlighted the cost of the Government’s "shambolic" decision to delay the election of a Sussex Mayor until 2028, highlighting that the move will cost the county £100 million in lost investment.

Following a damning report from the Institute for Government (IfG), Dempsey accused Ministers of "tearing up the plan" for devolution and leaving Sussex in the slow lane while other regions race ahead.

The election for Sussex Mayor was revealed to be the closest of any Mayor election in the country, in analysis by the Telegraph, with Lib Dems a close second behind Reform UK.

The Government had originally committed to holding the inaugural mayoral election in May 2026. The Government’s U-turn pushes that date back by two years.

The IfG’s analysis shows this delay has a tangible, multi-million pound price tag. Had the election gone ahead as planned, Sussex would have accessed major funding pots for housing, transport, and growth in 2026/27 and 2027/28. That investment has now been kicked down the road.

Commenting on the £100m blow to the region, Ben Dempsey, Lib Dem candidate for Sussex Mayor said: “The cost of the Government’s chaos is now clear; a £100 million penalty for Sussex.

“The creation of Mayor offered the chance for a positive future for Sussex, harnessing our unique identity, strengthening our community and driving investment. Instead, the Government has pulled the rug out from under us. While they dither and delay, our region is being denied up to £100 million of investment that should be fixing our roads, building homes, and boosting our local economy right now.

“It is frankly insulting to claim we aren't 'ready' when the Government set the timetable themselves. We have done our part. It is the Government that has lost its nerve.

“This delay follows County Council election delays in 2025, which may now happen. It looks less like a logistical necessity and more like political gamesmanship. The Government is either incompetent or it is running scared of the electorate, and Sussex is paying the price.

“We are being left without a seat at the table or a champion to fight our corner. Ministers need to explain how they are going to repair voters’ faith in local democracy, and restore the funding that Sussex has lost.”

Responding to news that the government will delay multiple Mayor elections to 2028, Ben Dempsey, Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of Sussex, said:

“This is a complete mess, created by a government that seems to be defined by shambolic indecision.

“The Liberal Democrats have been promoting a positive vision for Sussex’s future – protecting our environment, improving our transport and growing our economy, harnessing Sussex’s unique identity.

“The people of Sussex are now being denied the chance to vote for that future, eroding our democracy and wasting public money that was being invested in preparing for the role of Mayor.

“This decision shows the government either isn’t serious about delivering growth and sustainability in Sussex, or is too incompetent to deliver it. The only silver lining is that the election in 2028 will take place with a fairer voting system.

“The Lib Dems will continue promoting our positive vision for a prosperous, tolerant and green future for Sussex, starting with the county council elections in May.

“Sussex is a wonderful place with so much untapped potential. We deserve better than this chaos and we will continue to campaign for a brighter future for our county.”

Further delay to County elections would be ‘an insult to democracy’, says Lib Dem Ben Dempsey.

Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of Sussex Ben Dempsey has written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, to demand that elections in Sussex go ahead in 2026 - amid rumours the government is considering delaying County Council elections again.

Ben Dempsey, Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of Sussex, said: ‘If the government genuinely cares about our democracy, council elections across Sussex must go ahead in 2026.

‘These councillors were elected during the COVID pandemic when Boris Johnson was in Number 10. They have overstayed their democratic mandate, and letting them stay in power for a potential seven year term would be an insult to democracy.

‘Since the elections were delayed, Liberal Democrats have been winning in by-elections across Sussex. It is now high time the whole of East and West Sussex have their say.

‘We must not kick off a new chapter of local government by denying people their voice about who leads them at this critical time.

‘The government must let council elections go ahead this May. If elections aren’t held, voters will assume the Labour government and Conservative councillors are running scared of the electorate.’

The full letter is copied below.

Dear Secretary of State,

As the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Sussex, I have noted with great concern reports that your government is planning to delay County Council elections in East and West Sussex for a further year. I am writing to urge you to allow council elections to proceed in May 2026.

These elections have already been delayed once, in 2025, meaning current County Councillors are now in the fifth year of their terms, a year beyond their mandate.

When these councillors were elected the country was still facing Covid lockdowns, and Boris Johnson was still Prime Minister. The political landscape has completely changed since then, and the current councillors no longer have democratic legitimacy.

This is particularly significant because, as you know, in 2026 we are electing the first Mayor of Sussex and creating a combined mayoral authority across the county. With the new unitary authorities not due to take full control of decisions from county councils until 2028, delaying elections would likely mean councillors serving a seven year term.

This is the biggest change to local government in a generation. It would be quite simply unacceptable for this process to be led by councillors who have not faced the electorate since 2021 and no longer have a mandate from the people.

I am supportive of your government’s decision to create a Mayor of Sussex, and think it can deliver benefits for residents here.

If council elections are delayed again, though, it would risk undermining people’s faith in local government reorganisation before it has even begun. The government would be accused of colluding with the Conservatives and running scared of the electorate, particularly given recent local gains made across Sussex by Lib Dems and Reform.

As someone who wants to see local government in Sussex succeed, I urge you to give voters their say, and allow council elections to go ahead in Sussex in May 2026.

Yours Sincerely,

Ben Dempsey, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Sussex

 

Ben Dempsey, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Sussex and an environmental expert, has condemned the Chancellor of the Exchequer for an ‘appalling’ attitude to nature in Sussex.

According to the Guardian, Chancellor Rachel Reeves was recorded claiming she had unblocked the development of 20,000 new homes that had been held up by ‘some snails that are a protected species or something.’ She said she acted because ‘we’ve got a good relationship with the developer and he brought it to our attention.’

The Chancellor was apparently referring to a new agreement on water neutrality in North Sussex, where local authorities have been working with the government for four years on how to deliver much-needed homes while also protecting the environment.

In particular, environmental concerns relate to the abstraction of water from rivers and wetlands in the Arun Valley, which could threaten several endangered species and habitats.

Ben Dempsey, who has a PhD in nature conservation, said: ‘The attitude shown to Sussex’s natural environment by the Chancellor is appalling.

‘We want to deliver more homes for people in Sussex, ensuring it is coupled with our responsibility to protect our environment. Local councils have been working hard to achieve that.

“Ill-informed and dismissive comments from the Chancellor don’t help.

"Nature is not the enemy of growth – it is our strongest ally. Nature underpins our farming, our economy, our recreation and our wellbeing. Nature provides us with clean air, clean water and good mental health. It protects us from drought and from floods.

"I want to deliver the homes that people in Sussex need with a properly designed strategy that weaves nature into our communities, protects our environment, and gives everyone a healthy place to live.

"The Chancellor’s attitude seems to be the opposite of that. She apparently doesn’t care about Sussex’s environment at all. It is reminiscent of her high-handed approach to businesses, which were left struggling to cope with her sudden rise in national insurance contributions last year.

“We need a Mayor of Sussex who will stand up to central government and fight Sussex’s corner – making sure that the homes we need are delivered in harmony with our environment. We must recognise that our environment and economy go hand in hand, and not portray nature as an inconvenience to be swept aside.”

 

Liberal Democrats in Sussex say they will oppose any plans to lift the ban on fracking, which would threaten sites across the Sussex Weald.

Ben Dempsey, the Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of Sussex and an environmental expert, and Alison Bennett, Lib Dem MP for Mid Sussex, spoke out  after Reform UK stated they would 'immediately' lift the ban on fracking if they win power, putting parts of the county at risk of industrialisation.

The Lib Dems committed instead to delivering a thriving, sustainable future for Sussex with nature at its heart.

Sussex’s Weald Basin has previously been identified as an area for drilling. It includes test drilling sites like Balcombe, which is located within the High Weald National Landscape (AONB) and near infrastructure like the Balcombe rail tunnel and Ardingly Reservoir.

Reform’s plans would reverse the existing moratorium on fracking at sites in Sussex and elsewhere, overruling local councils and jeopardising the stability and natural beauty of our region.

Lib Dems say the science is clear: fracking is both significantly more expensive than renewable alternatives and will not materially affect the wholesale price of gas. It would sacrifice the beauty and biodiversity of the Sussex countryside for a fossil fuel that is high-cost, high-risk and would exacerbate the climate crisis.

Alison Bennett, Lib Dem MP for Mid Sussex said: "Unlike Sussex Conservative MPs who have historically flip flopped on their position on fracking according to who their leader was at the time, I and the Liberal Democrats have been consistent in saying no to fracking in Sussex. I am determined that we must never let fracking happen here, or anywhere in the UK."

Ben Dempsey, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor and an environmental expert with a PhD in nature conservation, said: “Our beautiful natural environment is one of Sussex’s greatest assets. As Mayor, I want to weave nature into our landscape and communities - improving our health and wellbeing, supporting our farmers and growing our nature-based economy. Reform’s plans to prioritise fracking, which is both expensive and damaging, run completely counter to the sustainable, thriving future for Sussex that I want to see.

“The message from people in Sussex is clear. Don’t frack our Sussex countryside.

“True security and prosperity for our region lies in embracing the power of our natural resources through proper investment in energy efficiency like home insulation, and renewables like the Rampion wind farm.

“Every pound spent on fracking is a pound taken away from the vital investment needed in clean energy generation, which would genuinely lower household bills, boost local green jobs, and protect our air and water quality. We need more renewable energy like Rampion.

“As your Mayor, I will ensure that nature and the environment are at the heart of every decision. I will use the full power of the Mayoral office to oppose any fracking licence application, protecting our green spaces, our air and our water. We can choose nature and long-term prosperity over short-term fossil fuel extraction.”

• Friends of the Earth outline areas at risk of fracking. 10 are Sussex Constituencies: https://policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/download/list-mp-constituencies-potential-fracking-areas
• Previous analysis has confirmed that additional fracking in the UK will not materially affect the wholesale market price of gas: Gas drive will not solve energy crisis, climate advisers tell Liz Truss
• Data on fracking licenses is taken from “Fracking: the Facts”.
• Reform’s commitment to reverse the ban on fracking is outlined here: Get ready for fracking, Reform UK tells energy firms - BBC News
• The following Conservative MPs previously voted against a ban on fracking in 2022, demonstrating the parliamentary threat to the area: Andrew Griffith, Mims Davies, Kieran Mullan & Nus Ghani.