First Sussex Mayoral Election Will Be first Past The Post

Voting for Sussex and Brighton’s first mayor is likely to be through the first past the post system, although city councillors would like to see a different approach.

Currently, the proposals are for the first election through the first past the post system, but a change to the supplementary vote, as previously used for the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner elections, after 2027.

At Brighton and Hove City Council’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Labour councillor Ty Goddard declared his preference for the supplementary vote system.

During the meeting on Thursday 31 July, Councillor Goddard noted how other mayoral elections had “yo-yoed” from supplementary vote to first part the post.

He said:

“Isn’t it a shame that the May 2026 elections, if those go ahead and everything is passed, that this is going to be on a first-past-the-post basis.

"It would suggest to me supplementary vote has much more of a democratic basis for the kind of authority both with the capital A and the small a that’s going to be needed by that mayoral person.

“Is there any way that we could have supplementary vote in May 2026.”

Council leader Bella Sankey said she had lobbied the government for the supplementary vote system and hopes the position will change and be in place for May 2026.

Councillor Sankey said:

“In an area of this size, this number of people, 1.7 million, trying to deliver a voting system that brings about the greatest amount of possible consensus, so not everyone is getting their first choice, but people are not unhappy with the outcome, I think is something we should be striving for.

“I am pleased the government has shifted its position. If at all possible, it would be best to get our authority on the right setting from the get-go and try to find a way to have that voting system in place for next May.”

Green councillor Ollie Sykes asked about the political make-up of the proposed new strategic mayoral authority.

The Sussex-wide body will include the leaders and deputy leaders of Brighton and Hove City Council, and East and West Sussex county councils, as well as up to seven non-voting commissioners who will lead on specific areas such as transport.

Should local government reorganisation move forward, then the leaders of the unitary councils will make up the strategic mayoral authority.

Councillor Sykes said:

“One can envisage a situation where there may be a difference in the political make-up of those respective bodies.

“Given the duties, powers, areas of competence, how do we envisage managing that tension is there potential for that to undermine the purpose and effectiveness of devolution as a whole?”

Labour councillor John Hewitt, cabinet advisor for devolution and local government reorganisation, gave Tees Valley as an example as Ben Houchen is the Conservative mayor for the region, working with Labour members of the strategic authority.

On the Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority, Councillor Hewitt said:

“The make up could be a mayor of one political party and a cabinet, the members of the strategic authority could be a wide range, especially if we were to have five unitary authorities making up that authority, that would be ten plus the mayors.”

“I don’t think that would undermine any decision-making, it would be a real opportunity for all those parties to work collaboratively together. They would all want what’s best for their region.”

In the autumn, a full council meeting will debate the powers and funding of the new authority ahead of a cabinet decision.

The Conservatives announced their candidate on Thursday, 31 July, the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne, whose current role will be absorbed into the mayoral authority.

No other political party has announced a candidate.

Candidates require a nomination paper signed by 100 local voters, including at least 10 from each constituent council. They must live within the area, and give a deposit of £5,000.