Thursday’s election saw Labour tightening its grip on the local council as it increased its number of councillors to 24. The Tories held onto the remainding eight seats, leaving other opposition parties out in the cold, though the Greens came tantalisingly close to taking a seat off Labour. Nick Terdre reports.
Hastings Conservatives “have their eyes set on seizing control of Hastings council,” they say. With a full slate of 32 candidates they are looking to improve their current tally of eight councillors, which has left them in a decided minority compared with Labour’s 23. Nick Terdre reports.
Make Votes Matter held its first public meeting in Hastings this month as it sets out to build local support for a momentous change in our democracy – switching to an electoral system in which the number of votes cast for each party is reflected in the number of seats won. Nick Terdre reports.
Jeremy Corbyn’s meteoric rise since he entered Labour’s leadership contest has got the world in a tizzy – suppose he actually wins?! Would that make Labour unelectable or a force for radical change? HOT asked two local activists, Rachel Lever and Clive Gross, to write for and against the following proposition: Is it realistic to suppose that the Labour Party, which in the general election endorsed the Tories’ austerity policy and now appears to have difficulty seeing itself as the opposition, can lead the struggle for a society based on a fair distribution of wealth and resources and sustainable environmental policies? Below is Rachel’s argument in favour. Clive’s argument against is here.
Unlike in other parts of the country, there was no breakthrough for Ukip, the UK Independence Party, in the local elections in Hastings, where it lost its only seat to the Tories. With 16 seats up for grabs, Labour gained one from the Tories, ending up with 11 against the Tories’ five. Nick Terdre reports.
