March 16th, 2026.



East Sussex Green Group of councillors has condemned the decision by the Conservative-controlled governance committee of East Sussex County Council to appoint only Conservative councillors as East Sussex's two representatives on the new Combined Authority.

The decision, taken at last week's Governance Committee meeting, means that East Sussex's voice on the Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority Board, which will shape the future of East Sussex; its economy, transport, housing, and public services, will be represented entirely by a party that does not command a majority on the council. The voices of the thousands of East Sussex residents who voted for opposition parties will be entirely absent from the Combined Authority table.

The Green Group argues that good governance demands that representatives sent to bodies of this significance reflect the political make-up of the county at large, not just the ruling group. In councils across the country, it is standard democratic practice to include opposition representatives on joint and combined authority bodies, particularly where no single party holds a majority.

Councillor Johnny Denis, (pictured), leader of the East Sussex Green Group, said: "This is a democratic disgrace. The Conservatives do not have a majority on East Sussex County Council, yet they have voted today to send only their own members to represent our entire county at the Combined Authority. This isn't just unfair — it is an affront to every resident who voted for a party other than the Conservatives. The Conservatives are not democrats, but are clinging to power at any cost.

"This administration has attempted to thwart democracy at every turn, holding the chair on every committee, twice asking the government to allow the cancellation of elections, now using the Governance Committee Chair's casting vote to make sure they have undue sway on the new Combined Authority. They are not democrats. The people of East Sussex are furious with them and will rightly oust them at the County Council Elections in May".