Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: The stitch-up unravels - local elections in Sussex restored

Politics really does move fast. At the end of last year, the government gave Conservatives at West Sussex County Council the option to cancel local elections. Unsurprisingly, they took it, leaving Sussex residents facing the loss of their democratic right to vote for a second year in a row, and councillors serving extended terms.

After Christmas, I presented my ‘Stop the stitch-up’ petition to Parliament opposing the cancellation. Just a fortnight ago, I was again calling for May’s elections to go ahead. Days later, while Parliament was in recess, the government performed another U-turn. Local Government Minister Steve Reed confirmed that the elections – previously cancelled to “enable focussed work on reorganisation” – would now proceed.

It is right that the public get the chance to vote. That is why my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have campaigned against this decision from the start: launching a petition, marching on County Hall in Chichester, and raising the issue repeatedly in Parliament. But the handling of this has been an utter shambles, and another example of government incompetence.

Despite the chaos and disruption caused by this fiasco, we are ready. Support is growing across Sussex as we take our positive message to voters. That was clear when we welcomed Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey to Mid Sussex to launch our campaign. As he said in Haywards Heath, these elections are a chance to stop Reform, paint Sussex bright Lib Dem orange and deliver the real change people are crying out for.

This episode has shown that the attempted stitch-up between Conservative councillors and Labour ministers should not be forgotten. The people of Sussex deserve councillors who will fight tooth and nail for them. The Liberal Democrats are those local champions; focused on fixing potholes, improving schools and protecting those who need extra support.