Lewes Lib Dems slam "undemocratic" triple delay to East Sussex elections

 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.