Councillors Call for Probe Into Pre-Election Council Announcements

Two Conservative councillors in Brighton and Hove are calling for an investigation after claiming they were blocked from raising concerns about council publicity during recent by-elections.

Cllrs Alistair McNair and Anne Meadows say Brighton and Hove City Council breached rules limiting political announcements in the run-up to elections.

They argue the council issued a press release about plans for a new £65 million King Alfred leisure centre just days before the Queen’s Park by-election in September, and that Labour councillors then promoted the plans on social media.

They say a similar issue occurred in May when the council announced a free one-month extension to garden waste collections during another by-election campaign.

The statutory code on council publicity states councils must take extra care during “periods of heightened sensitivity” before elections.

The pair submitted a motion asking for a formal report and an apology, but the request was rejected and not added to the full council agenda.

The council said the matter should instead be handled through its standards complaints process.

Cllr McNair said the King Alfred announcement “could have waited” until after polling day, while Cllr Meadows said the issues make it feel like the ruling administration was trying to influence voters.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it had no further comment.