Voters across Sussex, including Brighton & Hove, will go to the polls on Thursday 2 May to pick the new Police and Crime Commissioner, the same day as two Brighton & Hove City Council by-elections (in Queen’s Park and Kemptown) caused by the resignation of two former Labour councillors.

The Green Party has chosen former BBC journalist Jonathan Kent as its candidate for Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner

The Green Party candidate won 13.4% of the vote Sussex-wide when the post was last contested in 2021 – although it is likely that Green support in Brighton & Hove, where there is strong support for the Greens, was proportionally higher.

Jonathan said: “We know what the best policing looks like because so many officers deliver that day-in day-out. I want everyone who lives in Sussex to be able to expect that regardless of the colour of their skin, background, gender or [other] orientation.”

“I’ll focus on preventing crime and violence, women’s and girls’ safety and support better funding for youth services while working to ensure we have excellent officers who are welcomed to the heart of every community and every home.”

Siân Berry, Green MP candidate for Brighton Pavilion constituency, said: “Green members in Sussex have made a great choice. Jonathan is exactly the sort of person needed for a position like this.

“We are in strong agreement about the need to prevent crime in the first place, and that’s why funding for youth services is so crucial and will be such a big part of his campaign.

“Youth services have been undervalued and undercut under this Conservative government, but this is where the investment is needed.”

The Green Party believes that criminal justice cannot be divorced from its wider social context. The party has long argued for more focus on crime prevention and the use of restorative justice, an approach increasingly being adopted by police services across the country including in Sussex.

Restorative justice puts the emphasis on the offender making amends to the victim of their crime and aims to avoid pushing people into a life of reoffending.

Jonathan grew up and lives in Ticehurst in Sussex and went to local state schools before reading philosophy and theology at Oxford University.

As a former journalist and foreign correspondent, he campaigned on issues such as human rights, miscarriages of justice, the treatment of migrant workers and sex trafficking.

Jonathan said: “People are really struggling at the moment – the NHS, schools, transport and the other services we rely on have been run down; the cost of living is rising and incomes aren’t stretching as far as they used to.”

“Wildlife and nature are struggling too. Our beaches and rivers are polluted, habitats are being destroyed. At the same time countries that should be finding ways to work together to stop our climate spinning out of control are increasingly in conflict with one another instead.”

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Greens believe that the answer lies in working together across social divides and party lines to build a Britain and a future in which everyone matters.”

ends

For more info on voter registration for the Police & Crime Commissioner election and how to make your vote count, visit Brighton & Hove City Council’s election pages

The post Greens select former BBC journalist as Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner candidate appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

2 April 2024 – Ricky, 45, is a community campaigner, disability sports teacher and a dad. Brighton-born, he has lived in the city for most of his life and in east Brighton for the last eight years. 

“Every penny counts right now for schools, social care, charity, community and third sector organisations in the city. So, for Labour to spend a load of taxpayer cash on by-elections in the month that everyone (including me) has seen their council tax bill jump by 5% is wrong.”

Ricky said: “I have been involved with disability sports for years and have been campaigning to get better leisure centre facilities here in Brighton, with our public services, charity and community services being hit hard by cuts.

“I have felt for a long time that our elected officials locally and nationally do not represent people that rely on these public services. At a time when our public services are being stripped back with budget cuts, the people of Brighton and Hove are footing the bill for the by-elections here in Kemptown and in Queen’s Park, due to the previously elected people who won these seats allegedly not living in Brighton.

“Not only should the preceding councillors pay back any allowances or tax-payer money they received, but the party that selected them should pay all the costs to hold this by-election. Every penny counts right now for schools, social care, charity, community and third sector organisations in the city. So, for Labour to spend a load of taxpayer cash on by-elections in the month that everyone (including me) has seen their council tax bill jump by 5% is wrong.”  

Ricky added, “It should not have to be ordinary people  paying for these by-elections during our cost-of-living crisis and as child poverty and homelessness are rising in the city. If elected, you will find me in and around the community, at the end of an email or a zoom call to highlight the things that matter to all the people of Kemptown ward.” 

Ricky is passionate about protecting local services from the massive funding cuts to local authorities carried out by the Conservative government. He is critical of the decision by Brighton & Hove’s Labour-run council to close schools and axe vital voluntary and charity sector funding. In Ricky’s view, Labour have abandoned many of the promises they made to residents in last year’s local elections and residents in Kemptown deserve a strong opposition voice to hold the Labour administration to account. As a wheelchair user, Ricky also has first-hand knowledge of NHS services. 

The Greens were the closest challengers to Labour in the May 2023  local elections.

The Kemptown by-election is taking place due to the resignation of ex-Labour councillor Bharti Gajjar. Ms Gajjar was expelled from Labour last December alongside former Queen’s Park councillor, Chandni Mistry after the party investigated claims that the pair were living in Leicester. Both councillors have allegedly claimed thousands of pounds in allowances, despite barely attending any meetings; they are reported to have been unresponsive when contacted by residents. Questions still remain about how two individuals believed to be living outside the city were selected by the Labour Party. 

Ricky Perrin’s longer personal statement is below ‘Voter Information’ if of interest.

Ends

Notes

Voter information

• The election will take place on Thursday 2 May – polls to open from 7am to 10pm. Remember to bring valid voter ID.
• Voter deadlines: deadline for council to receive new postal vote or proxy vote applications is 17 April, 5pm. 
• More information from Brighton & Hove City Council Elections Department https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/voting-and-elections/kemptown-and-queens-park-elections-thursday-2-may-2024
• Residents in Queens Park ward who wish to vote in the by-election and need to register please visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
• Or call council electoral services on 01273 291 999 (Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1:30pm) or email: electors@brighton-hove

To help with Ricky’s campaign contact the Brighton & Hove Green Party on our site: https://www.brightonhovegreens.org/contact/

Personal statement from Ricky Perrin

I was born in Brighton and have spent almost my whole life living in different areas of the city, living in east Brighton for the last eight years. In my early 20s, I had an injury that left me paralysed and using a wheelchair; my insurance did not pay out and I spent many years relying on the NHS, doctors, pharmacies, social housing, charities, and community services.

I have first-hand experience of needing our local services, and I feel they need protection so that if you or your family need them one day in the future, they are there for you in your time of need.

I am always getting involved in community bits and pieces, from food co-ops and food banks to community sports and community hubs; many people see me out and about walking my dog around the streets of Brighton, the seafront or in local parks.

Having always lived by the sea I get very upset by the levels of sewage being pumped into our rivers and sea and this led me to get more involved with the Green Party as they highlighted the issue. 

I have a teenage son, now 17. As he has grown up, I have become more concerned with climate issues, thinking about the world we leave behind us for future generations.

I currently work for a local disability charity in the mental health lived experience team. On my days off I take sports wheelchairs to schools and get children playing wheelchair sports like basketball, tennis and rugby. So if your child has returned home from school saying they did wheelchair sports in the last eight years then that could have been with me! I hope meeting them changed the perception of people with a disability they had before meeting me.

A year ago I missed out on being elected in the local elections in Brighton. While  I am really happy to have another go at being elected, I am upset about the reasons why these by-elections are being held! 

I hope that running as a candidate for a second time will inspire more people with mental and physical health conditions and disabilities to get involved in politics. 

++++++++++

The post Mental health worker and disability champion Ricky Perrin to stand for Greens – Brighton Kemptown council by-election appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

27 March 2024

Local teacher Luke Walker is the Green Party’s candidate for the Queen’s Park by-election on Brighton & Hove City Council. The by-election in the central Brighton neighbourhood will take place on Thursday 2 May. 

Luke, 46, is a green campaigner, a writer and a keen gardener on his allotment. A dad, Luke has lived with his family near Queen’s Park for 11 years and in Brighton for over 20 years.

He is passionate about protecting local services from the devastating cuts being made by the Tory government and by Brighton & Hove’s Labour-run council, after Labour abandoned many of the promises they made to residents at last year’s local elections.

The Queen’s Park by-election has been triggered by the resignation of scandal-ridden ex-Labour councillor Chandni Mistry, who had claimed thousands of pounds of allowances yet attended almost no meetings for months and failed to reply to residents’ communications.

Similar circumstances lie behind the resignation of Ms. Mistry’s mother Bharti Ghajjar in neighbouring Kemptown ward, where another by-election will be held on the same day.

“If elected, I will deliver from day one what people in Queen’s Park thought they were getting last May, but were cheated out of: decent, honest and diligent representation to help make the lives of residents better. I share residents’ anger about Labour’s failure to do proper background checks on their candidates.

“Through no fault of their own, local people who voted Labour last May ended up electing a councillor who it seems might not have been legally allowed to stand for election and, once elected, didn’t do much work.

“Former councillors Ms. Mistry and Gajjar claimed at least £23,000 in allowances from local taxpayers.

“Labour have also landed residents with a bill of tens of thousands of pounds for the council to hold these elections, three years before time.

“This money could instead have been spent on the essential local services that Labour are now cutting, such as schools, rough sleepers’ hostels and services for people with disabilities. I am today calling again for the Labour party to pay back into council coffers the funds they have wasted on these by-elections.”

Luke added, “This by-election boils down to Greens versus Labour. Greens’ commitment and dedication to the community versus the school-closing, promise-breaking Labour party, with their incompetent and unsafe recruitment process.

“We can fix this on 2 May and offer residents what they’ve been cheated out of for the last ten months. If elected, I will be an advocate for residents, taking action for social justice and standing against inequality.”

The Greens are strong challengers in Queen’s Park, with a track record of serving residents.

Former Green councillor Clare Rainey represented the area until last year and delivered community wins during her term including securing funding for the rebuilding of the Brighton Youth Centre on Edward Street and for the refurbishment of Queen’s Park playground.

Vote information

• The election will take place on Thursday 2 May – polls open from 7am to 10pm. Remember to bring valid voter ID.
• Voter deadlines: deadline for council to receive new postal vote or proxy vote applications is 17 April, 5pm. 
• More information from Brighton & Hove City Council Elections Department https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/voting-and-elections/kemptown-and-queens-park-elections-thursday-2-may-2024
• Residents in Queens Park who wish to vote in the by-election and need to register please visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or call council electoral services on 01273 291 999 (Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1:30pm) or email: [email protected]

The post Teacher Luke Walker to stand for Greens in Brighton Queen’s Park council by-election appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

“Labour have themselves suggested that their two councillors, who recently resigned, were ineligible to stand in the first place. This means that Labour’s due diligence was clearly very poor, if it was undertaken at all.”

“It is the mismanagement and incompetence of Labour that has caused this additional effort and expense for the council, which we estimate at up to £40,000 just to organise these by-elections, in addition to the allowances claimed by Labour’s disgraced ex-councillors.

Labour should pay the cost of the two by-elections

“It is outrageous that local council tax payers should have to foot the bill. It’s time for Labour to do the decent thing and meet the cost that they have forced the council to incur.”

“We don’t let just anyone stand for us – we always select candidates who have a strong track record of supporting their local communities and the city as a whole,” said Cllr Davis.

The Green Party will announce their two candidates for the by-elections this week and have stated that both candidates will be long-established local people.

The post Labour should pay for “unnecessary by-elections” appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Elaine Hills (Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven) Sophie Broadbent (Hove & Portslade)

Caroline Lucas MP said: “Having campaigned alongside both Sophie and Elaine I know how incredibly passionate they are about this community and the solutions that will truly make a difference to people’s lives here in Brighton and Hove.   

“With Sian Berry in Brighton Pavilion as well, we will have three fantastic Green Party women to represent our city at the next General Election.

“Neither of the main parties are offering the radical and transformational change which voters want and which the challenges of our time demand.

“At such a pivotal moment for action, it is more important than ever that we have Green MPs in Westminster to push the next Government to be bolder, braver and better.”

Sian Berry said: “People all along the seafront will have the chance to vote Green and Elaine, Sophie and I are united in wanting to bring more strong and independent voices to Westminster. I’m delighted at their selection.

“Whenever the Prime Minister decides to call a General Election and put the country out of its misery, we will be ready. 

“Nearly every single news story is about how our welfare state and public services are being destroyed. Green MPs will get the best out of Labour and won’t let them get away with their worst.”

Dan Rue, chair of Brighton and Hove Green Party, said: “With Sian’s fantastic campaign across Brighton Pavilion going from strength to strength, we’re now delighted to have two more great candidates in Sophie and Elaine to represent the Green Party over the entire Brighton & Hove area. 

“Despite the clear need for substantial change in our country, voters are being told they must settle for Starmer’s lacklustre Labour as a result of our broken two party political system. 

“In Sophie and Elaine we have two local, strong and independent candidates with a track record of fighting for what is right and getting results.”

In her current role, Sophie Broadbent works to help the advertising production community measure and reduce carbon use. She is also a therapeutic counsellor, and a volunteer for the Climate Psychology Alliance, supporting people with their emotions around the environmental and ecological emergency.

Sophie said, “I am very proud to be selected as Green Party candidate for MP in Hove & Portslade. I’m ready to listen to local people and work hard to represent their concerns in Westminster, where I would hold the government to account and advocate for policies that deliver a fairer, more sustainable future for everybody. 

“As a local mum of two,  I care deeply about protecting the natural world which we all rely on – and all the people living in it. I would campaign for clean water, affordable housing, a fully funded NHS, fair wages, and a better education system so we can deliver a bright future for all.”

Elaine Hills, a lecturer at the University of Brighton, has lived in the city for 25 years. She brings a wealth of experience and a proven commitment to environmental protection and social justice. Having served as a councillor in the city until 2023, she has an extensive track record of community representation and engagement, along with a clear understanding of the issues facing local residents. 

Elaine said, “It is an honour to have been selected as the Green Party’s parliamentary candidate for Kemptown and Peacehaven. I am deeply committed to working hard for the area’s amazing residents and to ensuring their voices are heard and represented in parliament.  

“Unlike the Tories and Labour, Greens will push for greener, fairer policies. Voters care deeply about protecting the environment. They want water,  energy and transport to be in public hands, rather than cash cows for shareholders, and Greens are the only party pushing for this. 

“More Greens in Parliament will lead to policies that prioritise the lives and well-being of residents and our precious planet. With my experience, passion and dedication, I am ready to stand up for the people of Kemptown and Peacehaven in Parliament.”

ends

The post Greens select Sophie Broadbent as parliamentary candidate for Hove and Portslade and Elaine Hills for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Letter to Will Tuckley Council Chief Executive from the Green Group of Councillors

In the letter co-signed by all seven Green councillors, Cllr Davis says the council needs to learn lessons and implement changes to prevent such abuse of responsibilities happening again.

Will Tuckley
Chief Executive Office
Brighton and Hove City Council
Hove Town Hall
Norton Road
Hove, BN3 3BQ

6 March 2024

RE: COUNCILLORS MISTRY AND GAJJAR

Dear Will,

I am disappointed that no response has been forthcoming to my letter dated 21.02 on the issues concerning Cllr Mistry and Cllr Gajjar, however I appreciate that the situation has now changed with both formally submitting their resignation so am hoping that you are now able to follow up on the below.

As referenced previously, the Green Group of Councillors estimate these two councillors have now pocketed an allowance of approximately £23,000 total since they were elected.

This is despite the fact these councillors failed to turn up to council meetings or to participate in council business; in addition, that they also failed to respond to or represent any residents in the wards of Queen’s Park and Kemptown, with the press confirming they instead devised their own ‘auto-reply’ to any resident correspondence.

We do not share the view of Lloyd Russell Moyle that the resignation of these two councillors ‘draws a line under this affair.’

This is far from the case and some serious questions still remain unanswered. We appreciate many of these fall at the door of the Labour Party, with representatives as of yet providing no apology nor explanation as to how their selection process allowed for this to happen and go unchecked for so long, or reported to the police when issues were known.

However we appreciate this is out of your control, so this letter focuses primarily on the actions I believe you can have some say over as Chief Executive. We would hope that in future the council and all political parties can commit to providing greater assurances over their selection process. Have any questions to this effect been asked of political leaders by electoral services?

We request council officers investigate and respond to, as raised in our last letter:

– At a time of severe budget cuts to the council and forced staff redundancies we cannot stand by while two individuals who clearly show no regard for council business or democratic representation pocket money that could otherwise be used to save services residents desperately need. This amount for example is roughly the same as the cost of the 79 bus to Ditchling Beacon that has just been cut by the Labour council.

Could you confirm the amount they have received to date? Given it is clear they did not fulfil their duties, can you explain what recourse the council has to request these allowances are returned and any due payment withheld?

– What actions can officers take to redress the number of resident enquiries to these councillors that will have gone without a response? We should all view it as entirely unacceptable that messages from residents could be falling into a black hole. What complaints route has been offered to residents who have raised concerns about non-responses? Are there any lessons learned that can be shared?

– What can be done to address the current apparent loophole that allows councillors to sign in to meetings in order to retain the payment of their allowances, but not attend?

We are clear that lessons must be learned from this recent debacle. I would also like to check whether BHCC’s legal officers have explored whether there is scope to argue that the fact Ms Mistry and Ms Gajjar merely signed into the 1 February meeting, and then chose to leave before any official council business started, means that they did not in fact “attend” the meeting at all as set out in the Local Government Act 1972.

I believe that it is reasonable to suggest that by choosing to leave the meeting before the start of official business, they did not in fact “attend” as they were not present for the core business, they did not vote or contribute, and they were unwilling stay and discuss important matters affecting residents in the city. It is not acceptable for elected representatives to simply rock up, sign a register, and leave, and then to expect to collect allowances.

I do feel that in order to prevent this kind of disregard for council business happening again in future, it is important that BHCC is open to looking at testing legal interpretations given the reasonable assumption that many residents will hold in the city, which is that by leaving before any official business started, Ms Mistry and Ms Gajjar did not in fact “attend” the meeting.

A more appropriate description was presented in the local media by describing it as “popping by”.
Finally we remain seriously concerned that the Labour Party have failed to answer for the selection process that has allowed the potential introduction of electoral fraud into Brighton & Hove. 

I hope you can understand that we ask these questions not because we expect council officers to be responsible for the behaviour of councillors or political parties, but because we feel there are a series of actions that could already be implemented to prevent this behaviour setting a dangerous precedent.

We cannot allow the disdainful actions of two councillors to send an unsuitable message about the standards we rightly expect of all those seeking to become elected members of our council.

Please could you respond particularly on the matter of councillor allowances as soon as possible. If these two councillors are convicted of electoral fraud, can you also explain what if any measures can be taken to ensure these councillors repay any allowances claimed fraudulently.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Steve Davis

Co-signed by:
Councillor Kerry Pickett
Councillor Raphael Hill
Councillor Chloë Goldsmith
Councillor Ellen McLeay
Councillor Pete West
Councillor Sue Shanks

More on this story at https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2024/03/14/absent-councillors-may-prompt-review-of-rules-on-allowances/

This page was updated on 28.03.24.

The post Labour-run Brighton & Hove council must take action after ex-Labour councillor £23,000 expenses scandal appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

The Labour-run council recently unveiled plans to scrap the existing committee system and instead replace it with a ‘cabinet’ system.

If approved, the changes will mean key decisions could be left to a small cohort of Labour councillors, often taken without any public scrutiny either from opposition councillors or residents.

Greens say the council should allow local people to vote on Labour’s plans – a people’s vote on changes to local democracy.

They say Labour’s plan would strip away at the foundations of local democracy in the city. Labour have already resticted opposition councillors’ ability to start debates in the council chamber, with public petitions submitted ahead of deadlines being left off council agendas.

A report outlining the planned change to a cabinet system suggests scrutiny committees would meet only a handful of times each year – and potentially soon be made up exclusively of Labour councillors.

Why does this matter?

Decision making on key issues impacting the entire city, such as those relating to air quality, could also be made exclusively by a single councillor appointed lead member for that policy area – or be delegated to council officers – while more power would be concentrated in the hands of the leader of the council leader.

Research into the structure of existing cabinet systems being used at 57 other unitary authorities across the country also found the vast majority (44) had four or more scrutiny committees. Locally, in Brighton and Hove, Labour have proposed just two.

Green Party councillors propose a local referendum on Labour’s plans – a people’s vote on changes to local democracy.

Without a referendum, Greens argue, it means no mandate currently exists for significant changes to local democracy. Not least because Labour made no mention of the controversial plans in its manifesto ahead of the last council elections.

Cllr Steve Davis, Green leader of the opposition on Brighton & Hove City Council, said Green councillors had submitted a notice of motion – also backed by Conservative councillors – calling for a referendum, which councillors will debate at Full Council on 28 March.

“This is nothing more than a power grab by the local Labour leadership. It is a significant and concerning change to how our democracy works in Brighton and Hove and one which we are firmly opposed to.

“This was not in Labour’s manifesto. They do not have a mandate to force through such sweeping changes which have the potential to undermine local democracy.

“Residents need to be given the chance to have their say on these plans. Any changes should be delayed until after a people’s vote and Labour should commit to honouring its outcome.

“If the Labour leadership is adamant this is a positive step for the city and not just their own party, they should be confident enough to make their case to the people of Brighton and Hove and agree to abide by what residents decide.”

The post Greens call for referendum on local council democracy appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Taxpayer to foot £1.5m bill thanks to Labour’s decision to close schools, say Greens

Labour’s decision to close two much-loved local schools could end up costing the taxpayer £1.5million, according to opposition Green councillors on Labour-run Brighton & Hove City Council.

Labour councillors had ignored last-minute pleas from parents and teachers and voted overwhelmingly to push ahead with their plans to close St Peter’s Community Primary School and Nursery, in Portslade, and St Bartholomew’s Church of England (CofE) Primary School.

Green councillors had voted against both proposals but their efforts to save the two schools were frustrated as Labour used their majority to force through the unpopular closures.

Green councillors have criticised the Labour leadership for outrightly dismissing a series of viable alternatives to closure put forward by the schools, including a suggestion by St Bartholomew’s head Katie Blood to drastically reduce the school’s deficit by switching to a half-form entry.

Labour councillors even rejected proposals to use a slower, phased approach to closure, which parents and staff argued would cause far less disruption to the lives of pupils at the school, an above-average number of whom have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Despite the fierce opposition from families and staff and the workable alternatives presented to them, Labour moved decisively to vote for the third and final time to close both schools at a special council meeting on Monday evening.

Green councillors have now condemned the short-sightedness of Labour’s decisions and are warning taxpayers the move will cost the council upwards of £1.5million – money Greens say the council can ill-afford at a time of huge budget cuts. [1]

Opposition councillors have also questioned whether the funding crisis in our schools is going to improve any time soon – with the national Labour Party offering no indication funding will be restored under a Labour government – and whether further local schools will be identified for closure by Labour in the coming years.

Siân Berry, Green Party candidate for Brighton Pavilion constituency met protestors outside Hove Town Hall and attended the meeting from the public gallery, said:

“These votes saw just two Labour abstentions and the rest following the party whip to the letter. The Council should be listening to parents, pupils, and importantly, teachers.

“It’s clear that they aren’t interested in hearing alternative proposals. The headteacher at St Bart’s proposed an extended timetable and Greens support this sensible suggestion.

“But Labour is not even open to communication on this issue, and it has left parents and teachers feeling ignored. The impact on families who are now trying to find new schools and the stress of that while not being heard through the whole process means this has been a very sorry episode.

“The St Bart’s team could now appeal to the official adjudicators, so this isn’t necessarily over, but it was a sad day to see so many ideas ignored.”

Green councillor Chloë Goldsmith, who sits on the Children, Families, and Schools Committee, said: “For the third time pupils, parents, and staff of these two well-loved community schools turned up to plead with Labour councillors not to close their schools – or, at the very least, to listen to their alternative proposals that would minimise the intense disruption and harm these sudden closures will cause.

“This uncaring Labour administration chose instead to double down on their decisions, voting to push ahead with these closures on an accelerated timeline that does nothing to mitigate the harm they are inflicting on families and staff.

“Labour councillors have repeatedly dismissed the professional opinions of staff at these schools because they say they don’t see how their alternatives would improve things for the children.

“The arrogance required to think they know better than the educators who work with these children day in, day out, is astounding.

“Not only does Labour’s decision to close the schools come at a huge cost to pupil and staff wellbeing, but it will come at a serious financial cost to the council too. How Labour can justify spending over a million pounds closing two schools at a time when funding is desperately needed to keep council services running is shocking. All this process has proven is that Labour are unwilling to listen to our communities.”

ENDS

[1] As stated in Full Council meeting report:
St Bartholomew’s (Brighton):
Potential redundancy and possible pension costs – Based on latest estimated data from Human Resources there is an estimated cost of £413,000. Write-off of deficits at the point of closure – there is a deficit of approximately £200,000 expected at the end of the 2023/24 financial year. For the purposes of financial planning there is an assumption that there will be a final deficit of £250,000 at the end of the summer term 2024. Team around the school, costs to the Council of supporting displaced pupils, securing school sites after closure – Costs are not fixed but an estimate of £175,000 has been made to cover these areas. Potential pay protection of redeployments – There is uncertainty about the number of potential redeployments and whether protected pay arrangements will be required. An estimate of £40,000 is being allowed which represents 10 staff at £2,000 each for 2 years.

Total potential costs as summarised above total £878,000.

St Peter’s (Portslade):
Potential redundancy and possible pension costs – Based on latest estimated data from Human Resources there is an estimated cost of £230,000. This represents an assumption that 75% of staff will accept an offer of redundancy which is felt to be a prudent estimate. Write-off of deficits at the point of closure – there is a deficit of approximately £200,000 expected at the end of the 2023/24 financial year. For the purposes of planning there is an assumption that there will be a final deficit of £250k at the end of the summer term 2024.Team around the school, costs to the Council of supporting displaced pupils, securing school sites after closure – Costs are not fixed but an estimate of £175,000 has been made to cover these areas.

Total Potential Costs as summarised above total £695,000.

The post Labour’s £1.5m hit to taxpayers to close local schools appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Green Leader of the Opposition on Brighton & Hove City Council Councillor Steve Davis has reacted to news that two former Labour councillors, Bharti Gajjar and Chandni Mistry, currently under investigation into claims of electoral fraud, have stated they will resign.

Councillor Davis said “This announcement is long overdue. It’s a disgrace that thanks to Labour’s careless selection process, residents of Queen’s Park and Kemptown have been without proper representation for almost ten months.

“This whole tawdry episode only highlights the disregard Labour had for voters at the last election, making empty promises and fielding candidates with no intention of representing their wards.

“With the outcomes of the police investigation into electoral fraud not yet known, and clear indications that Labour knew about issues with these candidates months before they notified the police or residents, serious questions remain unanswered.”

“The city now pays the price of Labour’s botched selection process through two more costly by-elections – not to mention the thousands of pounds in allowances these councillors claimed while unable to fulfil their duties. Greens will be putting forward excellent local candidates ready and determined to give local residents the representation they truly deserve.

“We will fight to ensure a voice for the people in Queen’s Park and Kemptown who have been let down by Labour and denied access to local democracy for so long.”

ends

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The ‘Our City Our World’ project worked with schools throughout the city to raise awareness of climate change but saw its £41,000 council funding scrapped by Labour last week as part of £30 million of cuts to local services.

That decision led one local headteacher, St Nicolas Church of England Primary School’s Andy Richbell, to start a petition on the local authority’s website – attracting hundreds of signatures in support of the project.

The petition, which called on the council to maintain previous levels of funding for the school environmental education budget, points to local surveys which show 90 per cent of young people, 97 per cent of parents and guardians, and 98 per cent of teachers think it is important pupils learn about climate change in school.

It also highlights the fact the climate emergency is often listed by young people as one of their main concerns for the future.

The Our City Our World project was started by a previous Green administration and the party is supporting calls for the council to continue to fund resources in this area – and if not, to explain how sustainability and climate change will continue to be taught.

Green councillor Sue Shanks, who sits on the Children, Families, and Schools Committee for the Green Party, asked Labour what it planned to do in place of the project when the committee met on Thursday.

Cllr Shanks said: “We know the climate emergency is something which causes a lot of concern among our young people and understandably so and it is absolutely vital the subject is covered in schools.

“Brighton & Hove City Council has previously spoken about the Our City Our World project with great pride and I know it has been well received in schools by teachers and pupils alike.

“Removing the funding for the project risks undoing much of the fantastic work already done in local schools and – much like the rest of the council’s budget decisions – schools were not informed of plans to cut the funding until very late in the day, meaning there wasn’t enough time to campaign to protect it.

“We need to hear from Labour how issues of sustainability and the climate emergency will be remain integrated in the curriculum without the Our City Our World programme.

“This was an incredibly popular project, which young people clearly valued and felt was an important part of their education.

“We owe it to them, and future generations, to do all we can to make sure these important issues to do not fall off the agenda because of this money-saving decision.”

ends

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