The political map across Sussex and Hampshire has been redrawn after voters delivered one of the biggest county council shake-ups in decades.
In West Sussex County Council, the Conservatives lost control after Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats both won 23 seats. The Conservatives fell to 11, with the Greens on 7, Labour on 5 and the Local Alliance taking 1.
In East Sussex County Council, Reform UK became the largest party, taking 22 of the 50 seats. The Liberal Democrats won 13, the Greens 11, the Conservatives 3, and one Independent was elected.
Hampshire County Council also saw a major change. The Conservatives lost control of the county council for the first time in almost 30 years. They finished on 27 seats, just ahead of the Liberal Democrats on 26. Reform UK won 20, while the Greens, Labour, an Independent, the Whitehill and Bordon Community Party, and Community Campaign Hart each won 1.
For residents, this is not just political theatre. These councils run some of the services people rely on most.
The day after an election, care packages still need funding, and budgets still need balancing. But now, the decisions behind those services will have to be made in a very different way.
With no party in overall control in West Sussex, East Sussex or Hampshire, there is no single group able to push through its plans alone and this may now depend on negotiation, compromise or vote-by-vote support.
The results also come at a pivotal moment for Local Government Reorganisation, known as LGR. The Government wants to replace the current system.
That means these newly-elected councillors could help shape not just next year’s budget, but the future structure of local government for decades.
In West Sussex, there has already been disagreement over whether the county should become one single unitary authority or be split into two. In East Sussex, the main proposal has been for a single unitary council covering the current county area. In Hampshire, the future structure of local government is also likely to become one of the biggest political questions facing the council.
The election has left the Conservatives weakened, Reform UK with a major new presence in local government, and the Liberal Democrats and Greens in stronger positions across parts of the South.
For residents, the question now is simple: will this new political balance bring more scrutiny and better compromise, or slower decision-making at a time when councils are already under pressure?
What is clear is that Sussex and Hampshire have entered a new political era, just as the future shape of local government is being decided.
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