I have never seen such trying times in local government.  The service demand pressures, and financial pressures are well-documented, but when things are tough, it would really help if the government didn’t deliberately make things worse!

Last week’s statement from the Labour Government on local government reorganisation was shambolic.  Sussex was the only area in this tranche that didn’t receive a decision as to what our new Unitary Authorities will be.  But we did get one decision, that being the most logical, most efficient, and least disruptive of the two options put forward within West Sussex, a whole county unitary, has been ruled out.

We are now in the absurd position where the government are going to consult on a new option, after the local elections take place in May.  Nobody within West Sussex put forward this option, of Crawley, Horsham, Mid-Sussex and Chichester for our new Unitary Authority.  While that option alone would work financially, it wouldn’t for the rest of West Sussex - Arun, Adur and Worthing.  Therefore, I’m concerned something else is planned and it’s frustrating that political meddling and incompetence is causing such mayhem for Crawley.

Additionally, we have Labour locally setting up an additional precept-setting Crawley town council, making a mockery of their government’s proposal to rationalise local government in the first place.  Every Labour Crawley Borough Councillor voted against our Conservative amendment to hold a Crawley-wide referendum this May on Labour’s setting up of a town council.

The best way to tell Labour locally that you wanted a Crawley referendum is to treat the local elections this May as a de facto referendum.  Only Crawley Conservatives called for that referendum, so only a Conservative vote is a vote to tell Labour they were wrong to deny it.

We’ve got to the stage where many Crawley residents would be happy if the government dropped the whole thing.  With no other party in Crawley having anything to say on this chaotic local government reorganisation, again, it is a Conservative vote in May that is the most effective way to make your voice heard loud and clear.

Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group

1st April 2026