Comment: Democracy Restored in West Sussex

Last week, common sense prevailed. 

After months of uncertainty, protest, and mounting public pressure, the government has confirmed that local elections scheduled for May 2026 will go ahead. The attempt to postpone 30 council elections, including right here in West Sussex, has been withdrawn. 

When many of us stood on the steps of County Hall earlier this year, cross-party, we made a simple case: democracy matters. The right to vote is not a procedural inconvenience. It is a fundamental right, and the government clearly received legal advice to that effect which caused them to change course.  

Jess Brown-Fuller MP and Alison Bennett MP led a cross-party protest against the postponement of WSCC elections. 

The decision to delay elections would have meant councillors serving seven-year terms, which is nearly double the standard mandate. That was always unacceptable. However complex local government reorganisation may be, it cannot come at the expense of democratic accountability. 

I welcome the decision to reverse course. 

Credit must go to residents, campaigners and colleagues across parties who refused to accept that elections could simply be brushed aside. When people spoke up, they made clear that West Sussex would not quietly surrender its voice. 

The government initially argued that councils undergoing reorganisation faced pressure and cost concerns. While those challenges are real, they are not new, and they are not justification for denying millions of people the opportunity to vote. 

The right to vote does not belong to one party, it belongs to the people. Many of us, from across the political spectrum, were opposing these delays from the outset. Residents were speaking out long before court papers were filed. Democracy was defended by communities, councillors, MPs and campaigners who believe in public service.  

Local elections are not some box-ticking exercise. They are how residents hold decision-makers to account for potholes left unrepaired, for stretched SEND provision, for social care packages unavailable, and for the many everyday services that shape people’s lives. 

For months, uncertainty hung over councils, candidates and electoral staff. That uncertainty should never have arisen. Public trust is fragile, and once shaken, it is not easily rebuilt. Democracy delayed really is democracy denied.  

In Chichester, we can now move forward, and our campaign will begin. And in May 2026, the people will decide.