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Mayoral vote 2026 to go ahead but concerns raised

Lucinda Adam
BBC Sussex, political reporter
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Voters in Brighton and Sussex will got to the polls to elect their first mayor in May 2026, the government has confirmed.

Plans for Brighton and Sussex to hold its first mayoral election next May and create a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) have been approved by the government.

The mayor and MCCA will have responsibility for housing, infrastructure development, the economy, environment, public health and safety, including police and fire services.

A government consultation showed while larger councils and academic institutions agreed Sussex would benefit from devolution, residents, town and parish councils and businesses were more sceptical.

Brighton & Hove and East and West Sussex council leaders welcomed the approval, with the government saying devolution was "fundamental" to achieving growth.

The government's eight-week consultation into devolution in Brighton and Sussex held between February and April this year showed that about two thirds of the public did not agree that an MCCA would deliver benefits, support the economy and local needs or improve services or social outcomes.

Respondents who disagreed with the proposals raised concerns about the risk of Brighton and Hove and large towns dominating and disproportionally benefiting, while leaving rural communities and other areas behind.

They also highlighted issues around the erosion of identity, political distrust of mayoral power, and increased complexity and confusion about who is responsible for what.

'Major step forward'

Brighton & Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey, said: "Decisions about the things that matter to all of us will be made closer to local people, communities and businesses affected."

East Sussex County Council leader Keith Glazier, said: "I believe that everyone in Sussex could benefit from our areas working together and with an elected mayor on some of the biggest issues ahead, such as jobs, transport, housing and the environment."

Paul Marshall, the leader of West Sussex County Council, said the government's announcement was "a major step forward in the shaping of local government in Sussex".

"By providing us with the next steps we are now closer to bringing major decision making on key areas down to a local level. This provides Sussex with a voice at national level to deliver on vital issues such as transport, infrastructure and health," he said.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said devolution allows for better coordination and more locally-made decisions across strategic policy areas.

Council reorganisation continues

Alongside devolution of power to a mayor and MCCA, local government reorganisation will see all 12 boroughs and districts and two county councils replaced.

Newly created unitary authorities will take on the running of day-to-day services like schools, waste, social care, planning applications and managing benefits and charges.

Brighton & Hove has already been a unitary authority since 1997.

Brighton & Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council have until September to finalise plans to submit to the government about how many unitary authorities will be created and across which areas.

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