East Sussex County Council has tipped into no overall control after two by-elections. The local authority, which receives three quarters of Rye residents’ council tax, had been Conservative led since 2017.
On August 3, residents in Eastbourne’s Meads division elected Liberal Democrat Brett Wright as their new councillor. The week before on July 27, Anne Cross, a Green party candidate, was elected for Heathfield and Mayfield. As a result, the Conservatives now hold 25 out of 50 seats, still remaining the council’s single largest political group but falling one seat short of an overall majority. The rest of the council is now made up of 12 Liberal Democrats, five Greens, five Labour councillors, two Independent Democrats and one Independent — meaning non-Conservatives collectively hold 25 seats.
This new political balance is unlikely to result in Conservatives losing their leadership of the council, as even a five-way coalition of these opposition councillors would only be able to muster an equal number of seats. However, it does mean that councillor absences could have a more significant impact on full council votes and it also increases the possibility of full council votes becoming tied in future meetings.
The LDRS also understands that opposition councillors may be seeking a review of the council’s political balance on committees, considering the by-election results. As committee seats are already allocated proportionately, this may only result in minor changes.
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