This week (13th January) we saw the betrayal of democracy in Worthing. At an extraordinary meeting of Worthing Borough Council the majority of Labour councillors voted to request that the 2026 elections to Worthing Borough Council be delayed.
To justify dodging the voters in May, Labour leader Sophie Cox argued that this would free up 'officer capacity' to deliver the Government's plans to abolish Worthing Borough Council and give power for local decisions to a bigger council covering at least half of West Sussex.
This extraordinary council meeting was called by the Worthing Conservative councillors to stop the Worthing Labour Party from making this decision behind closed doors without any public debate.
Cllr Kevin Jenkins, leader of the Conservative group said: "If we hadn't called this meeting, then councillors would not have had the opportunity to debate this matter, and the public would not have had the opportunity to attend the meeting and ask questions. I would like to thank the 50 plus persons who attended the Town Hall and asked questions of Cllr Cox and listened to the debate. It did get a bit raucous at times, but that was simply our residents expressing their frustration at this Labour Council and Government that simply aren't listening to them".
Cllr Jenkins said: It seems that 2024 will go down in history as the last recorded elections to Worthing Borough Council. The delay to the 2026 elections is in effect, a cancellation. 2026 will go as the year that true local democracy for Worthing Borough Council died, leaving a Labour administration clinging to power in Worthing and squatting in their town hall bunker with no public mandate for their actions.