January 30th, 2026.



Councillors have passed a Green Party-led vote of no confidence in Sussex police and crime commissioner, Katy Bourne, following her appearance at a protest march in Crowborough, and her calls for asylum seekers to wear electronic tags.

The Sussex Police and Crime Panel, an oversight body made up of councillors from across Sussex and Brighton, voted heavily in favour of the no confidence and censure motion tabled by Green Party councillor and representative on the panel, Paul Keene, (pictured).

Councillor Keene’s motion said that the panel had lost confidence in the commissioner after she attended a protest march against the housing of asylum seekers in a former army barracks in Crowborough in November last year, and after she called for asylum seekers to be fitted with electronic tags.

The motion added that her lack of impartiality had brought the office of commissioner and policing into disrepute.

Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative representatives voted alongside their Green Party colleagues at the panel's meeting on Friday (30 January) to support the motion.

Councillor Keene said: “The police and crime panel (PCP) took no pleasure in doing their oversight duty today but it is overwhelmingly clear that many members of the public have taken strong exception to the commissioner’s actions in Crowborough, on the radio, and online regarding asylum seekers.

“The motion was passed cross-party, but was actually not political. It simply shows the depth and strength of feeling across Sussex about the commissioner’s actions. With the state of the world as it is, PCP members today stood up and represented their constituents and clearly showed what Sussex is made of."

Green Party candidate for Brighton and Sussex mayor, and deputy leader of Wealden District Council, Rachel Milward, said: “The Sussex Police and Crime Panel have got this right. Katy Bourne has been profoundly irresponsible.

“Whilst the concerns about Home Office mismanagement are valid, these protests were also attended by far-right figures – such as Nick Tenconi – and have caused many in our community to feel unsafe. We need a police and crime commissioner, and a future Mayor of Sussex and Brighton, that is committed to public safety. Katy Bourne and her colleagues have legitimised a narrative of hate and division for self-interested, party-political reasons.”