Bourne chosen as Tories’ mayoral candidate

The Conservatives have selected Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne as their candidate for Sussex’s first mayoral election in May next year, though none of the other parties has yet done so. The latest polls suggest that most voters in Sussex favour Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats over the Tories. This year’s postponed county council elections will also take place next  May, along with local elections. Nick Terdre reports, research and graphics by Russell Hall.

Last week the Conservatives chose Katy Bourne, the Sussex police and crime commissioner (PCC), as their mayoral candidate. She came out top in a poll of Sussex party members also contested by Tim Loughton, who served as MP for East Worthing and Shoreham from 1997 to 2024, Sally-Ann Hart, MP for Hastings & Rye from 2019 to 2024, and Paul Marshall, leader of West Sussex County Council.

According to his own report, Tim Loughton came a close second. Interestingly, the poll was conducted using the supplementary vote system which the Tory government under Boris Johnson did away with for mayoral and PCC elections.

“I am absolutely delighted to have been selected as the Conservative candidate for the first Mayor of Sussex,” Bourne declared. “I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me and assure Conservative members across our beautiful county that I will work hard for you all and do my utmost to make you proud…

“For now, my work as Police and Crime Commissioner continues and I look forward to the mayoral campaign ahead and securing the very best deal for Sussex.”

The election will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026 and be decided by the first-past-the-post system. The Labour government’s English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will restore the supplementary vote system for mayoral elections but not before 2027.

Of the other parties, the only prospective candidate known so far is Dan Yates, former leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, who has put his name forward for Labour.

The Greens expect to reveal their candidate in due course. “We’re undertaking a full selection process and will be announcing our candidate in the coming months,” Justin Wynne, chair of Hastings & Rye Greens Party, told HOT.

“We’ll be fully contesting this role as we believe a Green Mayor is absolutely achievable. Greens are the only party offering real solutions to the huge inequality and climate crises we’re facing, and we’re confident the people of Sussex will back us to create a fairer, greener Sussex for all.”

The Liberal Democrats also have a selection process underway and expect to have a candidate in place by September, Hastings & Rye party chair Martin Griffiths told HOT.

Labour and Reform UK have been asked about their plans to contest the mayoral election, but neither has yet responded.

Reform ahead in the polls

Given Reform UK’s surge in popularity it is unlikely they will miss out on this opportunity to elect a representative to a position of power. According to the most recent poll of Westminster voting intentions in the county, which was conducted by YouGov with fieldwork between 29 May and 18 June, they are the party with the most support in Sussex, with a central estimate of 24.4%, followed by the Lib Dems with 22.8%.

Then come the Conservatives, 19.7%, followed by Labour, 17.1%, and finally the Greens, 14.2%.

After cancelling the county council elections due last May in East and West Sussex, as well as five other areas accepted onto the Devolution Priority Programme, the government now says they will take place next year, giving opposition parties in East Sussex the chance to take power from the minority Conservative administration in County Hall.

Local elections will also take place next year in Hastings and the other lower-tier councils in East Sussex, so there will be a Super Electoral Thursday on 7 May. This should guarantee a much better turnout than the 24.5% achieved at the Sussex PCC election last year.

The government warns, however, that if these councils are subsequently abolished as it plans under the devolution process, the term of office for the elected representatives will be accordingly reduced.

 

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