Reorganisation of local government in Sussex in 2020 - We Wunt Be Druv!

The Government are keen to make any offer of increased powers to local authorities conditional upon devolution to reorganised local government structures, including more “metro mayors” (where a single elected individual directs the delivery of services across a number of local government units). This may well be reflected in a forthcoming White Paper.

In Sussex we need more powers for our local authorities. To make traffic in our city of Brighton and Hove run we need the powers that London Boroughs have in relation to “red routes”, in many seaside towns we need the power to raise tourist taxes to provide the additional resources to pump prime community wealth building and we need enhanced planning powers to require the provision of genuinely affordable housing in sufficient quantities from property developers who can afford to appeal decisions made by local authorities.

However, there is not a shred of evidence that local people in Sussex want a change in our local government structures in order to have these local powers for the Councillors we elect. We were given a Duke of Sussex we didn’t ask for and that hasn’t turned out well, we don’t need a Mayor of Sussex to go with him (or to stay after he has gone). East and West Sussex County Councils might manage for a while with one Chief Executive – but that doesn’t mean that the people of Sussex have asked for a change in local government structures.

The people of Sussex could make good choices with greater local powers, but we won’t want to be forced into changes we didn’t ask for in order to get those powers – and I hope that our local Tories will be as loyal to Sussex as they can expect that the rest of us will be.

We Wunt Be Druv.