Political group leaders on Worthing Borough Council have begun talks to decide who will run the authority following this year’s local elections.
No party secured an overall majority on the council, meaning discussions are now taking place between the different group leaders, facilitated by council officers.
The talks will determine which group, or combination of groups, will lead the administration for 2026/27. The council says it hopes an agreement can be reached in the coming days.
It is a scene now playing out across other parts of the South, where local election results have left several councils under no overall control and political groups having to negotiate how administrations will be formed.
Until an agreement is reached in Worthing, the council’s chief executive, Paul Brewer, will take any significant decisions required to ensure work supporting Worthing’s communities continues as usual.
The political make-up of the borough council changed following this year’s elections, with 13 seats contested. Green candidates won six of those seats, Reform UK took five, while Labour and the Liberal Democrats won one each.
As a result, Worthing Borough Council is now made up of 15 Labour councillors, eight Greens, six Conservatives, five Reform UK councillors, two Worthing Community Independents and one Liberal Democrat.
A party needs 19 seats to hold a majority on the council. With no single group reaching that number, councillors must now decide how they can work together to form an administration.
The Greens and Worthing Community Independents have already joined forces to create a new group on the council, called the Green and Independent Alliance. Councillor Claire Hunt is the group leader, with Councillor Carl Walker serving as deputy leader.
Worthing Borough Council says it will provide further updates on the process over the coming days.
A full council meeting will take place on Tuesday 19 May 2026, when councillors are expected to elect a new leader of Worthing and a new mayor of the borough.
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