Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Business and backing our communities in Mid Sussex

Last week provided two different opportunities to meet people across our local community. 

In Haywards Heath, I was pleased to spend some time at the Orchards Shopping Centre supporting our local Town Councillors' surgery and speaking with residents about the issues that matter most to them. These events gave people the chance to seek help with a specific local issue, discuss a wider community concern, or simply stop for a conversation and engage with their local representatives. 

As always, these chats were interesting and insightful. It is often through these informal discussions that we gain a better understanding of the challenges people face which help us to decide our priorities for the area. A big thank you to everyone who stopped to talk, as well as to the local councillors for organising the event and making themselves available to residents. 

Then, earlier in the week, I attended the Burgess Hill Business Parks Association 2026 Awards. The evening was a fantastic celebration of the innovation, ambition and success that exists within our local business community, recognising the organisations and individuals who contribute so much to our local economy and wider community. 

In my remarks on the evening, I spoke about one of the most rewarding aspects of being an MP: getting out and about across the constituency and meeting the people who make our communities thrive. Our business leaders are central to that success. They create jobs, give young people their first opportunities in the workplace, innovate, take risks and keep our local economy moving forward.  

I also reflected on the fact that businesses are only ever as strong as the people behind them. Behind every successful company is someone with a vision, a good idea and the determination to see it through. The awards were an opportunity to recognise those achievements and celebrate the people who make them possible. 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their views at both events. Whether speaking with residents at a councillors' surgery or business leaders at an awards ceremony, the same principle applies. Strong communities are built when people feel valued and involved in shaping the future of their home.