Tories lose control of Sussex council in by-election

The loss in East Sussex is another setback for Rishi Sunak's 2024 electoral hopes. Photo: Peter Nicholls/PA

Rishi Sunak lost another blow to the Blue Wall as the Liberal Democrats toppled another Tory council, taking over the party's seat for 18 years.

The Conservatives lost control of East Sussex County Council, which has been Tory-majority since 2017. when Liberal Democrat candidate Brett Wright won the Eastbourne Meads seat on Wednesday night.

The Liberal Democrats believe the victory, which took the council out of total control, signals they can secure a victory in next year's general election in Sussex's 'true Blue Wall battleground'.

«Expect to see a lot of Ed Davey «

A Liberal Democrat source said he «expects to see a lot of Ed Davey [in the area] in the coming year,» a sign that the party is targeting the country's traditional conservative heartland.

The Tory defeat comes after the Liberal Democrats celebrated a historic by-election victory in the traditional Tory heart of the West Country last month, when Sarah Dyke beat the Conservatives to win the MP for Somerton and Frome with a majority of over 11,000. p>

A Liberal Democrat source said the council victory showed the Eastbourne parliamentary constituency could be a similar success story for the party in 2024, where it is «not far behind» the Conservatives.

«We've been throwing a kitchen sink into Eastbourne for a Liberal Democrat MP for a while now, so a lot of what you saw in Somerton and Frome is already happening in Eastbourne.»

The source added: «It's been a real growth story for us there and in parts of Sussex where we historically didn't have a Liberal Democrat presence before and now do.»

The party won seven Tory seats. in nearby Lewis County Council and one in Eastbourne in May.

«Another big win»

Sarah Olney, MP, Liberal Democrat Treasury Department spokesperson, said: “This is another big victory for the Liberal Democrats over the Conservative Party in [its] former heartland. From Sussex to Somerset, people tell us they're fed up with being taken for granted by the Conservative Party.”

The East Sussex seat has long been a bipartisan contest between two parties. Tory MP Caroline Ansell won the seat she originally held between 2015 and 2017 to her Liberal Democrat challenger Stephen Lloyd in the 2019 election.

Josh Babarinde, Liberal Democrat candidate for a seat in Parliament, was chosen more than 18 months ago by a party that hopes to topple Ms Ansell's 4,000-strong majority in 2024.

Mr Babarinde tweeted: «Meads was known as the most safe Tory neighborhood in the city…until yesterday when we won it in the county council by-election with [Liberal Democrat] Brett Wright.»

Conservative campaign headquarters was contacted for comment.