Let’s reflect on efforts of those who lost out

Posted on July 8, 2024 by ianchisnall

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.

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I am delighted that Sian Berry has been successful

Posted on July 5, 2024 by ianchisnall

I had voted for Sian yesterday because Caroline Lucas was retiring this year who I have voted in the past. This morning my colleague Andy Winter has published this piece which is available here and here is the text he provided this morning at about 7am that is below.

There have also been three other Green Party MPs across the UK which is very significant. These other MPs are based in North Herefordshire – Ellie Chowns, Bristol Central – Carla Denyer and Waveney Valley between Norfolk and Suffolk – Adrian Ramsay.

Later on it was very significant to see on Wednesday 17th July from Sian who was the only Sussex MP who responded to the response from the King Charles 111 on that day for the whole of Parliament and Government requirements. So here is the comment from Sian below after the text from her voting on 4th July.

Debate on the Address – 1st Day (here) – Sian Berry:

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for calling me. I congratulate the hon. Members for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey (Graham Leadbitter), for Bolton North East (Kirith Entwistle), for Wolverhampton West (Warinder Juss) and for Southport (Patrick Hurley) on making excellent maiden speeches today.

I am so honoured to be here in this historic Chamber today as part of a brand-new group of Green colleagues, who I must now call my honourable Friends. We are very pleased today to hear a wide range of new Bills being proposed. We welcome some measures. Some we will seek to improve and some we will seek to change or add to.

Listening to people in my constituency during the election, it was hard not to be affected by the strength of public feeling and distress about the climate emergency and the degradation of our natural environment, and by the huge desire to defend social justice and public services. This Parliament must seek to deliver for them.

This is my maiden speech; I stand here thanks to the votes and values of the fantastic people of Brighton Pavilion. They have put their trust in me and the Green party, and for that I extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation. Brighton has always been a truly special place, from its origins as a fishing village and Roman villa complex, to its Regency and railway booms, with its huge sense of spirit and a warm welcome to every visitor to our famous beach.

But Brighton has always been so much more than a seaside resort. The richness and variety of our culture and entertainment is legendary. From Victorian innovation, through the 1960s of my parents and my own decade of youth in the far away 1990s, to the present day, our music, theatre, comedy and literary traditions have always blended with cutting-edge, creative and exciting counter- culture movements to reflect and enrich the modern world. Our cultural richness has survived, strived, struggled and then thrived through many turbulent times, not least the recent pandemic, and I am confident it will continue to do so for many centuries to come.

I am proud that the latest census confirms that nowadays my city is home to one of the UK’s largest populations of LGBT+ people, and that we host the biggest and best Pride celebrations, including Europe’s largest Trans Pride, which will be this weekend. Brighton and Hove is a welcoming city in so many ways, and I am very proud we are a city of sanctuary, committed to a culture of hospitality and welcome for those seeking refuge from war and persecution.

Brighton Pavilion has a history of dedicated, long-serving MPs. From its first election as a single-member constituency in 1950, it was represented until 1969 by Sir William Burke Teeling, an Irish writer and self-described “amateur tramp”, who walked from London to Newcastle to explore how councils were tackling unemployment. Our MP was then Julian Amery for 23 years and Derek Spencer for five years, before David Lepper served in this House as a highly-respected and hardworking MP for 13 years. And, of course, I have one of the easiest and most pleasurable jobs among new MPs in paying tribute to my immediate predecessor.

Brighton is also a special place because it has been at the heart of the green movement in England and Wales, and that continued when our own, beloved Caroline Lucas won the seat for the Green party in 2010. Caroline held the seat through three further elections, leaving a 14-year legacy that I look up to as a shining mountain to climb, as I take my very first steps here today. As well as being an excellent constituency MP, of the many ways in which Caroline influenced policy, I was most charmed by her success in working with the nature writer Mary Colwell to win a new GCSE in natural history. Helping to inspire and train up a generation of new David Attenboroughs is a real national service.

Most impressive has been Caroline’s steadfast and long-standing opposition to threats to the public’s right to protest. Caroline lived that principle and through it played a key role in ending fracking in the UK. I know that all of us sitting here today are humbly aiming to live up to the high standards, values and work ethic that she represented, and to serve here with the same energy and enthusiasm.

It is those principles that will guide my work as an MP, as well as some of my own values and enthusiasms. People who know my work in other places will be aware that listening to and supporting young people is something I feel very strongly about. With huge pleasure, I commend to the House the incredible work of Brighton and Hove Citizens, which has just won a huge campaigning victory with a beautiful example of raising up and empowering young people and their voices to make change happen. With schools across Brighton and Hove working with colleges, religious groups, workers, universities and the charity sector, Brighton and Hove Citizens has this year won a big new commitment from the council. After a long and engaging campaign, sixth formers Fi Abou-Chanad and Tally Wilcox presented a 2,000 signature-strong petition and won a pledge for hundreds of young people in Brighton schools to benefit from investment in mental health support and counselling.

That is just one group of young people among many inspiring organisations across our country that I cannot wait to hear more about in this job. They include Green New Deal Rising, the UK Youth Climate Coalition, YoungMinds, People & Planet, the National Society of Apprentices, the National Union of Students and many more. Young people should have a louder voice wherever decisions are being made, not just when they organise. I am therefore disappointed to see no specific Bill in today’s list removing barriers to voting for young people, including voter ID and age limits for elections to this House and English local councils that do not apply in Wales and Scotland.

Our 16 and 17-year-olds, and our young people, need a real voice and need those measures in this Parliament. I hope that, when we debate the Bills put forward in today’s King’s Speech, the voices of young people are sought out and listened to, and that many changes and additions are made where they are needed most, including removing the two-child benefit cap.

I am grateful for the patience of hon. Members in listening to me. I greatly look forward to seeing the impact of the young voices I plan to raise up in this Chamber being granted the same attention and respect.

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Voting challenges for the Isle of Lewis and Harris

Posted on July 2, 2024 by ianchisnall

I wrote this document on the 2nd July before the 4th July election session. We can now see the results which list that Torcuil Crichton who is the Labour MP for “Na h-Eileanan an Iar” and the second person was Susan Thomson who was the SNP member and the third person was Angus MacNeil who sadly has not become the MP for the Lewis and Harris Isle location. So here is the comment I wrote on 2nd July and I hope that Angus will be able to assist in that area in the future. Here was the earlier options:

I was delighted to visit the Isle of Lewis and Harris in 2014 and 2019 and have great holiday memories of that location. I became aware on both of these occasions that the “Na h-Eileanan an Iar” MP was Angus MacNeil who had been the SNP MP since 2005. I have observed and valued some of the contributions of the SNP.  

The support of Angus MacNeil has been very positive but back in 2023 after 18 years as the SNP member “He was re-elected for the party at the subsequent four elections, but was suspended for one week from the party’s Parliamentary group in July 2023, after which he decided not to rejoin, leading to his suspension and later expulsion from the party”

Angus is standing in this Election as an Independent member and the SNP candidate is Susan Thomson. Back in 1970 the SNP first proposed an MP to be set against the Labour Party which had always had an MP previously as far back as 1935.Calum MacDonald was the Labour MP in 1987 who replaced the proposes SNP member who was replacing Donald Stewart the SNP MP from 1970 to the end of 1987. However, Angus replaced Calum in 2005 and subsequently the Labour Party has been second every time since then.

So, this year there is Angus as Independent, Susan for SNP or Torcuil Crichton for Labour. There are here are five other Candidates participatingfor Conservative (Kenny Barker), for Scottish Christian (Donald Boyd), for Liberal Democrats (Jamie Dobson), for Reform UK (Tony Ridden) and for Scottish Family (Steven Welsh).It will be interesting to see which direction the people of the Outer Hebrides vote in this Election and what happens for “Na h-Eileanan an Iar” in 2024

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It’s about time we had a fairer voting system

Posted on July 1, 2024 by ianchisnall

This week is significant for everyone who is able to participate in Thursdays General Election. The estimated population of the UK is 67,960,000 million. Those registered to vote is given as 48,844,920. Reliable data sources state it is not possible to be completely accurate about the figures but the numbers indicate the importance of responsibility.

We will vote for our local MP’s that we want to represent us in Parliament and our MP’s will either join with their parties’ viewpoints or challenge the Government for potentially the next five years. This year is the first opportunity for the whole of Sussex to vote for 17 MP’s. Inevitably some voters will be disappointed with the outcome of their votes if an MP of their choice is not elected. Based on the past voting patterns from the last Election it is likely that a number of Sussex MPs will hold their seat in Parliament however it is also likely that the significant Conservative dominance in 2019 and in previous years is now about to change in this election. There are real possibilities for one or more Liberal Democrat MPs more Labour MPs and Green candidates for a Green MP in Sussex depending on how voters are able to show their support.

One radical decision that could be made by the new Government over the next few years would be to allow a fairer representation of the total votes cast by the public in the voting system. This would enable an alternative Political Party to be represented across the locality despite the majority vote. There are clearly some areas in Sussex that potentially want more than a one-Party MP based on the votes in the residential wards.

Some examples to consider that reflect this possibility come from back in the last General Election of 2019 and took place here in Sussex. In East Sussex there are currently five MP’s all of which are Conservatives however Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle who is 51 in July is retiring. Kieran Mullan, who has been the MP for Crewe and Nantwich since 2019 to 2024 has been put forward to replace Huw. In 2019 the Conservatives received a total of 154,748 votes which placed the five Conservative MPs, but there were three ‘second place’ responses from Liberal Democrats and two ‘second place’ responses for Labour.  Based onthese five locations in the East Sussex region covering Bexhill and Battle, Wealden, Hastings and Rye, Eastbourne and Lewes overall there were a total of 284,259 votes meaning 54% Conservative votes, 24% Liberal Democrats and 18% Labour votes. Therefore, 46% of the votes was non – conservative and 42% were focused on Liberal and Labour. These figures could indicate alternative voting decisions are welcomed in East Sussex but sadly the electoral system does not allow for an alternative MP to represent another Political viewpoint.

In 2019 West Sussex had eight Conservative MPs who obtained 56% of the total votes. Labour had eight Candidates and 23% of the votes and the Liberal Democrats had eight candidates and 17% of the votes. It would clearly be very good if the 40% had at least one other alternative representative for the regions. The differences in Brighton and Hove have not been as marked as the two parts of Sussex but they are significant. There have been two Labour MPs over a number of years. Peter Kyle for Hove is standing in this Election. Lloyd Russel Moyle represented Brighton Kemptown and Chris Ward will do so this year. In 2019 the Labour MPs claimed 104,924 votes representing 55%. The Conservative votes totalled 57,909 with a 31% representation of the vote. Brighton Pavilion had the first Green MP which I am very pleased about achieving 33,151 votes and 57% of the total vote. However, in Brighton Pavilion Labour obtained 27% of the vote.

Another example comes from Liverpool in Merseyside, which is represented by fifteen areas. One of them is Southport at the North end and has a Conservative MP. The other fourteen locations have Labour MPs. In seven of these fourteen locations the Conservatives had a bigger percentage of the vote but Labour held the majority. The Labour MPs in Liverpool gained 444,604 votes and the Conservative had 120,517. A total of 662,419 votes were cast with Labour taking 67% votes and the Conservatives 18% which is in fact the opposite of what happened in East and West Sussex. However, this example presents another similar case for there to be an alternative MP to allow voters greater access to an MP of their choice.

Here in Sussex, there are a reasonable number of people that vote Labour and Liberal Democrat in the East and West of the county and here in Brighton and Hove there could be a way for Conservative support to be represented. Clearly across Sussex the greater number of votes cast are for Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green but looking back over a number of years in East and West Sussex there have been a considerable number of other MPs from UKIP, SNP and a Green MP. In the case of Brighton and Hove there have been more Liberal Democrat, Green, UKIP and some SDP.

These considerations could be a focus for the next Government if our local MPs felt able to raise the idea of a fairer representation approach to the new Prime Minister. I hope so.

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Looking at candidates fighting in the election

Posted on June 27, 2024 by ianchisnall

Although we cannot currently know the Election outcome for Sussex MP’s in Parliament it will be interesting to consider what success some previous MPs may achieve in July.  

The Hove MP location was established as a voting event back in 1950 and this year it has now become the Hove and Portslade General election. It was led by Conservatives from the beginning of 1950 until to 1997 when the Labour MP Ivor Caplin and then Labour MP Celia Barlow held the seat until 2010 when the Conservative MP Mike Weatherley led until to 2015. Peter Kyle has now raised more than 17,000 of votes. Peter is standing in the July election and is competing against several other candidates from different Political Parties. Carline Deal for the Conservatives, Michael Wang for Liberal Democrats, Sophie Broadbent for the Green Party, Martin Hess as Reform UK and Tanushka Marah as an Independent.

The East Sussex now has five and a half of MP’s this year.

Eastbourne was formed as a voting ward in 1885 led by the Conservatives until to 1906 when a Liberal MP succeeded. This was followed by a successful Conservative candidate until to 1990 when Liberal Democrat won again. The Conservative, Nigel Waterson, led in 1992 until 2010 when Stephen Lloyd from the Liberal Democrats won. In 2015 Caroline Ansell won Stephen’s seat until 2017. Following the General Election in 2017 Stephen gained the seat but in 2019 Caroline won back. This General Election sees Caroline compete with a Liberal Democrat Josh Babarinde who was born in Eastbourne He says

“I’m passionate about Eastbourne and the people who live here, that’s why I am standing in the next General Election so that I can represent you and make sure your voices are heard and our town gets the representation that it has been lacking.”

Hastings and Rye was established in 1983 led by Conservatives until 1997 when Michael Foster won the seat which he kept until 2010. Amber Rudd ran for the Conservatives in 2010 and held the seat until 2019. Sally-Ann Hart took over and will run this year. The difference between votes awarded to Labour and Conservative was only a few thousand from Conservative to Labour, 346 in 2017 and 4,043 in 2019. It will be interesting to see how Sally-Ann will fare against Helena Dollimore the current Labour candidate. Helena was born in East Sussex and spent her lockdown as a volunteer vaccinator in Hastings supporting the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Helena has a professional background in international development. Her work at Save the Children took her from refugee camps in Bangladesh to war zones like Yemen, where she stood up for the world’s most vulnerable children. Now she is using that experience to stand up for Hastings and Rye, campaigning on issues like long Ambulance waits and ending the dumping of sewage in our sea. If elected as the Labour MP for Hastings and Rye, Helena would fight for every resident of Hastings and Rye at Westminster to deliver a fairer, greener future for all”. 

West Sussex has eight and a half MP’s this year.

Chichester began as a Conservative since 1868 although there was a Liberal MP during 1923. Some changes in voting over time which are reflected in the 2019 General Election with the Conservative gained a total of 35,402 compared with Liberal Democrats at 13,912, Labour at 9,069, Green at 2,527, Libertarian at 224 and Patria at 109. Gillian Keegan has been the Conservative MP since 2017 and the candidate for 2024. The Liberal Democrat candidate this year is Jess Brown-Fuller who says

“I’ve lived in the area since the 90s, following my Mum’s career. When we arrived in West Sussex we knew we’d found our home, so much so that I continued my education at the University of Chichester and have had my family here.”

Horsham was publicly established with MP’s from on 1945 and it has been led by Conservative MPs, Jeremy Quin has been the MP since 2015. This year Labour candidate, James Field, claims

“I’ve devoted my career to education in West Sussex, serving as a Headteacher in Horsham for many happy years”.

The Liberal Democrat candidate is John Milne who states

“I’ve lived with my family in Horsham District for 10 years. No doubt about it, moving here was one of my best decisions!”. 

Arundel and South Downs was first created in 1997 from the Conservatives which have had with the Andrew Griffith since 2019. The Liberal Candidate this year is Richard Allen who says

“The time has come for meaningful change. For action instead of failed promises. Whether it is the NHS, the environment, transport, today’s Conservative Government cannot be trusted. I will stand up for local services, not shadowy think tanks and vested interests. Together we can ensure a fair deal for all.”

Worthing West began for this MP in 1997 and the Conservative member Peter Bottomley has been the only MP during that time, he is the most senior MP in the House of Parliament. Dr Becca Cooper is the Labour and she sates

“I’m delighted to be representing Worthing West in the General Election. As the first and current Labour Leader of Worthing Borough Council, I am honoured to work alongside a dedicated group of passionate and proactive local councillors, making our wonderful town the fairest, greenest coastal town in the UK.”

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Two Bishops have raised questions for South Africa

Posted on June 18, 2024 by ianchisnall

Back on the 21st of May while the Parliament and the House of Lords was still active one of the themes that arose was a focus on South Africa and a current Bishop who is the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham named as Paul Gavin Williams set out the theme. The Minister who responded was David Cameron who was the Prime Minister back on 2010-2016 and he is now a member of the House of Lords and he is called the Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton. After Paul Williams had started the theme there were several other people who contributed and then at the end of the session John Sentamu who was previously the Archbishop of York commented. All of the session can be seen here but these are the comments from Paul and John Bishops and the response from David Cameron.

Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs what are his priorities for working with the government of South Africa after their forthcoming general election.

David Cameron: The United Kingdom enjoys a long-standing and close partnership with South Africa. In November 2022, His Majesty the King welcomed the President of South Africa to London for the first state visit of his reign. We look forward to continuing this relationship after South Africa’s elections on 29 May. Priorities would include boosting trade links, which are already worth £10.4 billion; tackling climate change and energy security; and working together to promote democracy and peace as South Africa looks forward to its G20 presidency in 2025.

Paul Williams: I thank the Secretary of State for his Answer. In recognising South Africa’s significant role and potential as a global partner, does he agree that with a new Government there is an opportunity to renew momentum and engagement through existing aid programmes in supporting NGO and important strategic church partnerships, particularly as they further their endeavours in ongoing reconciliation and bridge-building? Is it also an opportunity for His Majesty’s Government to find additional ways to support South African aspirations for economic equality, especially in light of the extreme hardship arising from financial disparities in the country?

David Cameron: Every new Government is an opportunity to start the partnership afresh and see what more can be done. We have to wait for the outcome of the elections in South Africa. The most promising avenues are in trade and, particularly, climate change and energy, where the Just Energy Transition Partnership is in place with South Africa. Having been to South Africa relatively recently, I think the other area where we need to help it is in the fight against corruption and state capture and the problems in its energy system that have led to the blackouts and difficulties that it has been having.

John Sentamu: My Lords, the noble Lord was right when he said that we are living in a contested world. In Africa—I come from Uganda—Russia and China are the greatest investors; they build hospitals, schools and roads. A lot of money used to be spent by people in this country, but I am afraid that Russia and China are taking over. I suspect the reason is that some of the new Governments and their politics find it easier to deal with the two new colonial powers. What do we need to do to reawaken ourselves? “Made in Britain” used to be great when I was growing up as a little boy in a village in Uganda.

David Cameron: That is a very important question. In fact, I discussed this with the Gambian Foreign Minister this morning, who made the point about how much more democratic and equal the Commonwealth was than the Francophonie, and how much he enjoyed the Gambia being back in the Commonwealth. That is one of the frameworks we can use. Larry Summers famously quoted an African leader saying, “The trouble is that when you come, you give us a lecture and when the Chinese come, they build us a road”. I think there is sense in that; we have to demonstrate that we are a willing and effective partner. Perhaps particularly on the Russian threat, we need to show that the UK can be a very effective security partner in helping to build capacity in countries that want it. Particularly in the Sahel, that could be an approach we can give some attention to.

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Three weeks to go and election fever hots up

Posted on June 17, 2024 by ianchisnall

It is three weeks until the General Election and announcements have been made about Political Party Candidates standing across Sussex. Two locations in particular will require a new MP due to MP’s retiring in Brighton Pavilion and in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven.

Brighton Pavilion was created as a political ward in 1950 with Conservative William Teeling until 1966 followed by Julian Amery until 1987 and Derek Spencer until 1992. David Lepper first tried to become a Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion in 1992 but he was not successful. He was the mayor of Brighton and Hove Council between 1993- 94 and in 1997 a General Election year he did become the Labour MP in Brighton Pavilion remaining until 2005. He stood down from politics in 2006 and the Labour Party proposed Nancy Platt for the 2010 concurrent General and Local elections. It was in 2008 that Caroline Lucas became the first leader of the Green Party.  She was selected to represent the constituency of Brighton Pavilion as the Green Party candidate in the 2010 elections and gained a seat in Parliament becoming the first Green MP. Caroline is retiring this year. The new Green Party candidate for Brighton Pavilion is Sian Berry also for this area a new Labour Party candidate, Tom Gray.

Brighton Kemptown was also established in 1950 with a Conservative led MP Howard Johnson who remained for nine years and then David James led until to 1964. Dennis Hobden from the Labour Party was elected and led until 1970 when Conservative Andrew Bowden was elected. Andrew remained until 1997 when Des Turner a labour MP was elected. Des remained until to 2010 when Simon Kirby a Conservative MP was elected and in 2017.  Lloyd Russell-Moyle a Labour and Co-operative Party politician was elected for Brighton Kemptown until recently. The new candidate standing for Labour in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven is Chris Ward. The Conservative Party has also endorsed a candidate, Khobi Anne Vallis, who will stand for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven. She previously stood as a Conservative Unionist Party Candidate in Broadbridge Heath and Horsham in their local elections in 2023. She had a vote count of 322 but at these elections James John Brookes from the Liberal Democrats was elected with a vote count of 579.

There are three MP’s that are retiring in West Sussex.

Crawley was formed as a political ward just over 40 years ago which was represented in Parliament by the conservative MP Nicholas Soames until 1997. Laura Moffat a Labour MP ran against Nicolas Soames in the 1997 elections winning the seat. She was re-elected three times running against Henry Smith and held her position until 2010. Henry ran in the 2010 elections and won the seat for Crawley but he is retiring this year. Peter Lamb a Labour MP is running for the ward in Northgate and West Green having previously tried running against Henry Smith in 2019. The Conservative candidate proposed for this area is Zack Ali who states on his website ‘I care deeply about looking after our communities and leaving the world a better place for future generations’.

East Worthing and Shoreham was created back in 1997 and the only MP has been Tim Loughton the local Conservative MP for that area. During different election periods the Labour Party candidates were in second position on most occasions but on two occasions the Liberal Democrats came second. The Conservative candidate who is now trying for the ward is Leila Williams. Leila states “I am delighted to have been selected as the Conservative party candidate for the area in which I have lived and worked for many years”. She has previously been a member of Adur District council and is currently a deputy divisional director of operations for University Sussex Hospitals NHS foundation. The Labour Party candidate for this election in this ward is Tom Rutland who states “I want to be your Labour MP, so that we can deliver the kind of change East Worthing and Shoreham needs from Westminster.” The Liberal Democrat candidate is David Batchelor who works in the hospitality and healthcare sector supporting the provision of inclusive workplaces for people with medical and physical challenges.

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton was established in 1997 and has been led by Conservatives from then until now. Nick Gibb who has been the local Conservative MP for nearly 30 years and is now retiring. His colleague Alison Griffiths will stand this year. The Labour Party has held second position five times in seven elections now proposes Clare Walsh.  

One MP is retiring in East Sussex.

The ward Bexhill & Battle was established in 1983 and it was controlled by Conservatives during that time with Huw Merriman being the only Conservative MP since 2015.  Huw stood down as a government minister in May of this year and is now standing down as an MP for this ward. The other previous Conservative MPs were Charles Wardle and Gregory Barker.  The proposed new Conservative Candidate is Kieran Mullan an MP for Crewe and Nantwich, Cheshire since 2019. Previously he tried to win the area of Wolverhampton South East in 2017 and Birmingham Hodge Hill in 2015. The Labour candidate for Bexhill and Battle is Christine Bayliss who tried for election in 2017 and 2019. She states “I am a local business owner, a former Sussex Police Officer and hard-working Rother District Councillor.”

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Will Patrick become the first Labour MP for Southport?

Posted on June 15, 2024 by ianchisnall

My column below which I published back in mid June spoke about Patrick Purley and his potential MP role for Southport – I have now seen that he was correct with 17,252 votes and Damien Moore for Conservative who has been the MP in the past be he has only achieved 11,463 votes on Thursday 4th July!. Here is my previous comment below:

I was born in Crosby and lived there till I was 18 and I now live in Brighton but I visit the area regularly and it is close to Southport. This year on 4th July the General Election is taking place and so Southport along with all other settings will vote their MP. Southport has been Conservative since 2015 and the current MP Damien Moore is standing again but during his time as Southport MP the Labour group has been the second support.

Previously on 2015 when Damien tried to win, the MP was Liberal Democrat and indeed they have been the MP arrangement for Southport since 1997 and previously when the Conservative was the MP from 1992 and in 1987 Liberal was MP and Conservative second and then previously back to 1970 the Conservatives were MPs and Liberal was second group. All the way back to 1885 when this location was created there have only been Liberal or Conservative MPs.

Given that the Conservative location has been less significant in the last few years and also that Labour has been the second group in Southport it would be very interesting to see if they win on 4th July? The previous Labour person was Liz Savage but now it is Patrick Hurley so it will be interesting to see what happens in the next month!

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My friend Alastair Cutting is new Bishop of Woolwich

Posted on June 15, 2024 by ianchisnall

A number of years ago I became the Mission & Unity Coordinator and the Ecumenical Officer for the Churches Together in Sussex and I was delighted to meet Alastair Cutting. He was the Vicar of Copthorne initially and then from 2010 he was the Vicar of Henfield. A few years later in 2013 he left Sussex and moved to became the Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich in the Dioceses of Southwark and I had the opportunity to meet him on many times. He was also connected to a colleague who is Simon Gates who is the Archdeacon of Lambeth. Simon was based in Crosby at the same time as me which was from 1960 to 1978 when I moved to Sussex. In the last few months it was very sad that the Bishop of Woolwich who was Karowei Dorgu who died back in September. However I am delighted that Alastair is now the new Bishop of Woolwich which is very significant. His details can be seen here on the website from the Diocese of Southwark which is very nice.

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Some new aspects of the Birkenhead area this year

Posted on June 15, 2024 by ianchisnall

This year there are some MP changes on the Birkenhead area of the Merseyside group and also connected to the Cheshire arrangement in preparation for the voting on the 4th July setting. It is interesting to observe what is taking place. One of the reasons that I am very interested to this is because I was born in Crosby which is near to Birkenhead and although I am in Brighton I regularly go back to Liverpool and I am also very aware of the case for the Liverpool area.

Two of the people who have been the Labour MPs in Birkenhead for many years are Angela Eagle and Alison McGovern. Angela is on the Wallasey MP which she began on 1992 when she was able to reduce the previous Conservative MP setting and she has been the MP for the last 32 years and she is taking on this arrangement aspect. Alison became the MP for Wirral South on 2010 when she was taking on a previous Labour MP before she moved but she is now taking on for the Birkenhead group following for the removal of the Wirral South group. Angela and Alison have been significant people for Labour for a number of years on Parliament.

The Wirral South has been closed and some aspects of it have gone onto Birkenhead which Alison will obtain this year and the other location is for Wirral West which was run by Margaret Greenwood who has the Labour MP from 2015 until to this year but the current person is Matthew Patrick who is hoping to won, but there was Conservative person Esther McVey who was the MP from 2010 to 2015. It will be interested to see what happens on July and the current Conservative person is Jenny Johnson.

The Wirral South was transferred to Wirral West and Birkenhead which are in Merseyside and the other aspect is for the new Ellesmere Port and Bromborough area which is at the end of the Cheshire area and that group was previously called Ellesmere Port and Neston. It will be interesting to see how the results on those groups in Merseyside and Cheshire.

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