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Green Party wins control of council in Hastings

Claudia Sermbezis,in Hastings,
Juliette Parkin,in Crawleyand
Tanya Gupta,South East
BBC Wide view inside a large sports hall where rows of tables are set up and election staff sort yellow ballot papers, with basketball hoops visible on the wallsBBC
The Green Party won a majority at Hastings Borough Council

The Green Party will lead its first ever majority council in the South East following this year's local elections.

The Green Party has gained a majority on Hastings Borough Council, which was previously under no overall control. The party now holds 19 of the 32 seats, with Reform UK second and Labour now in third place.

Across Sussex, all 120 seats on the two county councils were contested, and partial elections were held in Adur, Worthing and Crawley.

On West Sussex County Council, the Conservatives lost their majority, leaving the authority in no overall control. East Sussex County Council has remained in no overall control.

In the borough and district councils, Labour held Adur and Crawley.

However, Labour lost Worthing, leaving the council in no overall control.

In Hastings, council leader Glenn Haffenden said: "To get a majority today, I don't even know how to actually even explain that in words.

"We are the third only Green Party in the country to have a majority council, so to have that here in Hastings is just beyond words at the moment."

Election staff stand around long tables sorting yellow ballot papers into trays, with stacks of papers spread across the surface during a vote count
Seats in four areas were up for election as well as at both county councils

Julia Hilton, who was re-elected as an East Sussex county councillor for the Green Party in Old Hastings and Tressell, said her party was "delighted" with the results.

After a number of women were elected, she said: "There's a really powerful female voice coming from Hastings to influence East Sussex County Council."

She said voters had said they wanted to see roads repaired and potholes fixed, and also raised concerns about adult social care, housing and education.

Hilton also said people had felt "distant" from how decisions were made, adding: "I think we really need to change that."

Close view of a man in a light-coloured suit and red tie standing in a large indoor hall during an election count, with tables, ballot boxes and people working in the background
Peter Lamb, Labour MP for Crawley, renewed calls for Sir Keir Starmer to resign

At the Crawley count, Peter Lamb, Labour MP for Crawley, said he had renewed calls for the prime minister to resign.

"I called for Keir Starmer to go two months ago, I said he should set out a timetable," Lamb said.

"Had he done so at the time, many more of my local government colleagues could be here today."

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