A review of the Brighton and Hove election period

Since 2015, the general area of ​​Brighton has been a stronghold for Labour and Green seats. This trend has continued in the most recent elections, with Chris Ward representing Labour in Kemptown, Siân Berry representing the Greens in Brighton Pavilion and Peter Kyle retaining his position as MP for Hove and Portslade. Despite the consistency in party representation, this election marks some unexpected changes for Brighton. Written by Lily Tucker

Brighton, Kemptown

Former Labour MP Lloyd Russell Moyle has been suspended from the Labour Party over what he described as a “vexatious and politically motivated complaint” (BBC News). Moyle’s suspension stemmed from an anonymous source making an as-yet-unknown complaint about the politician. Chris Ward was the nominated candidate in his place. Unlike Faiza Shaheen, Adnan Hussain and other recently dismissed ex-Labour members, Moyle chose not to run as an independent, a decision he believed would better support the people of Kemptown. Labour’s stance on a ceasefire led to many members leaving the party, resulting in a record number of independent seats (5) and candidates across the UK also splitting the vote in many areas. This occurred in Shaheen’s constituency of Chingford and Woodford Green, which elected Ian Duncan Smith, the former Thatcher-esq Conservative Party leader, where the Labour vote was split between two candidates. Although Moyles’ popularity could have secured another independent seat, his decision not to stand ensured a Labour victory, with Ward winning 17,800 votes.

Ward’s nomination as Labour representative caused a stir in the local community, as he was labelled a “parachute candidate”. In response, Ward tweeted a video explaining that he was born and raised in Brighton. However, his selection was not very popular, leading to the emergence of parody Twitter accounts mocking his lacklustre campaign strategy.

Ward has worked closely with Starmer and has indicated that his political leanings lie towards the right wing of the Labour Party. He appears committed to the party’s manifesto and is unlikely to vote against Labour in parliament.

Hove and Portslade

Peter Kyle returns to represent Hove and Portslade for the 9th year. Having risen through the ranks of the Labour Party, he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology following the election. Nationally, Kyle has campaigned for a lower voting age and a number of reforms to protect victims’ rights. Locally, he aims to increase employment through the “New Deal for Working People”, creating more jobs in Brighton for the people of Brighton. Kyle’s popularity is evident, having secured 20,000 more votes than the next most popular candidate.

However, Kyle has not been without controversy. According to the Action Network, Kyle is the only Brighton and Hove MP not to publicly condemn the actions of the Israeli state. A petition set up to encourage him to do so has received over 1,400 signatures, but this has not seemed to impact his local popularity.

Brighton Pavilion

Brighton Pavilion remains a Green stronghold in the UK, recently joined by 3 other constituencies. When Green Party leader Caroline Lucas decided to step down, there were fears that Green popularity in Brighton might fall, but Siân Berry’s 28,000-vote majority re-secured the Green seat – albeit with a slight drop in Lucas’s popularity.

This is Berry’s first time as an elected MP, after a long history of unsuccessful bids. She worked alongside the London mayor focusing on transport and housing and served two terms as leader of the Green Party. She appears dedicated to the Green Party and will again vote against them in parliament.

When considering Brighton’s future, both the Labour and Green manifestos show clear overlap on housing and transport – specifically renationalising the railways. Hopefully this means that Brighton and Hove council will be unified, at least in these key areas.

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