Many of us expect that the General Election outcome will remain in place for five years until May 2029 when the opportunity to vote next arises.

During the next 10 days it will be decided who will become Ministers for the Government. It will be interesting to see which of our local MPs are able to hold their seats.

Whilst the cabinet is being formed it is good to reflect with respect the effort of unsuccessful candidates. Voting changes emerged this year in the wards across East and West Sussex as Uckfield has been removed and merged with East Grinstead becoming East Grinstead and Uckfield. Wealden is now Sussex Weald, Hove is listed as Hove and Portslade and Brighton Kemptown has become Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven.

All areas of Sussex had Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Green representation but compared to the last fifteen years there was more independent candidates and alternative Political coverage. Sussex is unique in offering alternatives compared to Kent, Surrey and beyond who have mainly stayed with Conservative or Labour votes.

The most significant alternative was Reform UK having fifteen candidates across Sussex. It was created back in 2021 and previously known as the Brexit Party. In 2019 the only representations were Brighton and Hove and Eastbourne. This year Reform UK provided representatives throughout Sussex although the newly formed East Grinstead and Uckfield for East and West Sussex and Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven did not have their candidates. In the 2019 General Election they obtained the largest Party vote, 1,327, in Brighton Kemptown so it would be good to know why Reform UK was not represented in these two areas 2024.

The Women’s Equality Party group chose to endorse the green candidate Sian Berry for Brighton Pavilion. They expressed ‘The Women’s Equality Party wants to see Sian continue and extend Caroline’s legacy and challenge the next government to do more and more imaginatively’. It was good to read that Sandi Toksvig showed her support to the Women’s Equality Party and spoke to their president Catherine Mayer.

A significant aspect of this Election were the candidates who stood as individual Independents across Sussex. Each of the three wards in Brighton and Hove had Independents as did the new East Grinstead and Uckfield. There were independents in Weald and Hastings and Rye. Two Independents stood in Bexhill and Battle. West Sussex had independent candidates for Worthing West and Chichester. East Worthing and Shoreham had three.

There was notable representation for the SDP. This group was listed as the Social Democratic Party since 1990 holding 122 locations across the UK they state they have “a comprehensive set of policy solutions for housing, trade, industry, health and immigration.’’ In Sussex this party represented Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, Horsham, Arundel and South Downs, Lewes and the Sussex Weald. In 1980 the SDPs held ‘second place’ votes for Wealden, Hove, Horsham, Chichester, Brighton Pavilion and Bexhill and Battle. Crawley and Brighton Kemptown the SDP received fewer votes.

The Official Monster Raving Loony Party was represented in Brighton Pavilion and Mid Sussex and claim that ‘Since 1982 this group has been the shining light of British politics, bringing frivolity to otherwise dull elections’.

The Workers Party of Britain founded by George Galloway nationally and claim ‘The workers of Britain emerged out of the complete abandonment of the working-class majority of Great Britain by Labour’ were supported in Crawley and Hastings and Rye.

Littlehampton, Sussex Weald, Crawley, Bognor Regis could vote for the Heritage Party, founded in 2020 by David Kurten previously part of UKIP and the Brexit Alliance. Their belief is that that the UK, ‘Has been led down a path of managed decline by successive governments, and the current government is ruining our society, culture and economy’.

Bexhill and Battle, Sussex Weald and Eastbourne were represented by UKIP UK Independence Party who express; ‘We are proud of our culture, supportive of Service Personnel and Veterans, renowned for saying the politically unsayable and believe in a small state, Freedom of Speech and will fight against the ever-creeping establishment, Cancel Culture and Wokeism’.

Bexhill and Battle were represented by the Independent Network and the Party of Women who express ‘Women are not able to speak freely about our concerns in our places of work, within the NHS, to our children’s schools and in all areas of our public and private life without fear of intimidation or punishment. Single-sex spaces and services are vanishing in care, hospitals, and schools, and even on Girl Guides residential trips!’ Fifteen other areas across the UK represent the Party of Women.

Hastings and Rye had representation from the Communist Party of Britain who describe their mission as ‘waging the struggle for socialism in trade unions and communities across Britain, in the women’s movement, alongside anti-racists, anti-fascists and peace campaigners’.

Crawley had TUSC (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) who believe ‘The Tories are heading for an historic defeat and no trade unionist, anti-war on Gaza demonstrator, working class community campaigner, climate protester, or socialist activist will be sorry to see them go’.

The English Democrat Party in East Grinstead and Uckfield state they are the ‘only political party that is putting the people of England, and the English Nation’s interests first’.

Clearly these seventeen different parties did not take enough votes to become MPs. However, it is important that awareness of their aims is publicly understood and recognised.