IT was a disastrous night for the Tories as Labour swept to power in a landslide victory with Sir Keir Starmer becoming Britain’s new Prime Minister.
The people of UK have woken up to a new Government and voters had their say in Sussex as the political landscape dramatically changed nationally after 14 years of Tory leadership has come to an end.
Labour was predicted to win the majority and they won 411 seats, up 209 on their total from the 2019 election.
The Tories were tipped to win 130 seats in the exit polls but they only secured 121 seats in the end. This is down 244 from their 2019 total of 365 seats.
The Liberal Democrats gained 60 seats for a total of 71 and the Scottish National Party won nine seats, down from 48 in 2019.
Reform UK claimed five seats while the Green Party of England and Wales won four.
As the Tory vote collapsed it proved to be an excellent night for both the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, whose leader Nigel Farage was elected to Parliament in his eight attempt.
Sir Keir celebrated his party’s win in the early hours of today and he tweeted: “The work of change begins today.”
It was largely a bad night for Conservatives in Sussex, but Dr Kieran Mullan bucked the trend as he clinched victory in Bexhill and Battle with 16,186 votes while Labour’s Christine Bayliss claimed 13,529.
However, high-profile casualties included former former Education Secretary Gillian Keegan who lost in Chichester while the Liberal-Democrats won in Eastbourne as Josh Babarinde saw off Conservative Caroline Ansell.
Mr Babarinde, a former youth and anti-gangs worker, won 23,742 votes with Ms Ansell claiming 11,538. In a major turnaround, the Liberal-Democrats claimed victory in Lewes, which is traditionally a Tory-stronghold, where James MacCleary seeing off Tory Maria Caulfield.
Mr MacCleary said: “I’m really excited to have been elected. We have a fantastic list of things to get to work on.”
The Lib-Dems claimed another notable success from the Tories in Mid-Sussex with candidate Alison Bennett taking 21,136 votes, well ahead of Tory candidate Kristy Adams who finished behind both the Labour and Reform UK candidates.
The Tories also held on in East Grinstead and Uckfield where Mims Davies claimed 19,319 votes.
Tory Nus Ghani held her seat in Sussex Weald. She had 16,758 votes to ensure her return to Parliament.
Labour gained a fourth seat from the Tories in Crawley as its candidate Peter Lamb claimed 17,453 votes, well ahead of Zack Ali, the Tory candidate.
In Hastings and Rye, new Labour MP Helena Dollimore said “it was a privilege to have been elected” and she won with 19,139 votes, a majority of 8,653.
Meanwhile the Liberal-Democrats were also successful in Horsham as John Milne powered to victory with 21,632 votes.
It was also a great night for the Green Party which held onto Brighton Pavilion after Caroline Lucas stepped down prior to the election. Sian Berry retained the seat with a whopping 28,809 votes, well ahead of Labour’s Tom Gray.
Labour secured success in Hove and Portslade with Peter Kyle comfortably retaining his seat while the party also won Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven.
In a rare success for the Tories they held Arundel and South Downs through Andrew Griffith.
Labour had additional reason to celebrate as they secured wins in West Worthing, as well as East Worthing and Shoreham.
Bexhill and Battle: Conservative hold
Kieran Mullan, Conservative and Unionist Party, 16,186
Christine Bayliss, Labour Party, 13,529
Ian Gribbin, Reform UK, 7,929
Becky Jones, Liberal Democrats, 3,473
Jonathan Christopher Kent, Green Party, 2,972
Abul Azad, Independent, 2,206
Jeff Newnham, Independent, 769
Julia Long, Party Of Women, 332
Nigel Adam Jacklin, Independent Network, 210
Colin Martin Sullivan, UKIP, 144
Electorate 72,198
Turnout 66 per cent
Eastbourne: Liberal-Democrats gain from Conservative
Josh Babarinde, Liberal-Democrats: 23, 742
Caroline Ansell, Conservative: 11,538
Mark Ashdown, Reform UK: 6,061
Paul Richards, Labour: 2,689
Mike Munson, Green: 1,421
Ian Garbutt, UKIP: 154
Hastings and Rye: Labour hold
Helena Dollimore, Labour and Co-operative Party: 19,134
Sally-Ann Hart, The Conservative Party: 10,481
Lucian Fernando, Reform UK: 7,401
Becca Horn, Green Party: 5,761
Guy Gillan Harris, Liberal Democrats: 2,586
Phil Colley, Workers Party For Britain, For Gaza: 362
Nicholas William Davies, Communist Party of Britain: 136
Paul Edward Crosland, Independent: 129
Lewes: Liberal-Democrats gain from Conservative
James MacCleary, Liberal-Democrats: 26,895
Maria Caulfield, Conservative: 14,271
Bernard Brown, Reform UK: 6,335
Danny Sweeny, Labour: 3,574
Paul Keene, Green: 1,869
Rowena Easton, Social Democratic Party: 229
Sussex Weald: Conservative hold
Nus Ghani, Conservative: 16,758
Danielle Newson, Liberal-Democrat: 9,916
David Morgan, Reform UK: 8,920
Dipesh Patel, Labour: 8,239
Austin Henderson, Green: 3,726
Shaun Bowler, Independent: 953
Stephen Gander, Social Democratic Party: 319
Dominie Stemp, Heritage Party: 156
Chris Magness, UKIP: 152
Brighton Kemptown Peacehaven: Labour hold
Chris Ward, Labour: 17,893
Khobi Vallis, Conservative: 8,230
Elaine Hills, Green: 7,997
Stewart Stone, Liberal Democrat: 3,949
Emma Wall, Independent: 1,833
Valerie Gray, Social Democratic Party: 784
Brighton Pavilion: Green hold
Sian Berry, Green: 28,809
Tom Gray, Labour: 14,519
Sarah Webster, Conservative: 3,975
Mark Mulvihill, Reform UK: 2,836
Ashley Ridley, Liberal Democrat: 1,604
Citizen Skwith, Monster Raving Loony Party: 257
Carl Buckfield, Social Democratic Party: 184
Steve Al, Independent: 179
Hove and Portslade: Labour hold
Peter Kyle, Labour: 27,209
Sophie Broadbent, Green: 7,418
Caroline Deal, Conservative: 6,630
Martin Hess, Reform UK: 4,558
Tanushka Marah, Independent: 3,048
Michael Wang, Liberal Democrat: 3,046
West Sussex
Arundel and South Downs: Conservative hold
Andrew Griffith, Conservative: 22,001
Richard Allen, Liberal Democrat: 9,867
Chris Philipsborn, Labour: 9,782
David Thomas, Reform UK: 7,391
Steve McAucliffe, Green: 5,515
Mike Smith, Social Democratic Party: 184
Bognor Regis and Littlehampton: Conservative hold
Alison Griffiths, Conservative: 15,678
Clare Walsh, Labour: 13,913
Sandra Daniells, Reform UK: 10,262
Henry Jones, Liberal Democrat: 5,081
Carol Birch, Green: 2,185
David Kurten, Heritage Party: 708
Chichester: Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative
Jess Brown-Fuller, Liberal Democrat: 25,540
Gillian Keegan, Conservative: 13,368
Teresa De Santis, Reform UK: 7,859
Tom Collinge, Labour: 3,175
Tim Young, Green: 1,815
Andrew Emerson, Independent: 190
Crawley: Labour gain from Conservative
Peter Lamb, Labour: 17,453
Zack Ali, Conservative: 12,218
Tim Charters, Reform UK: 8,447
Iain Dickson, Green: 2,621
Linda Bamieh, Workers Party of Britain: 2,407
Lee Gibbs, Liberal Democrat: 2,205
Robin Burnham, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition: 153
Dan Weir, Heritage Party: 138
East Grinstead and Uckfield: Conservative hold
Mims Davies, Conservative: 19,319
Benedict Dempsey, Liberal Democrat: 10,839
Ben Cox, Labour: 10,440
Christina Coleman, Green: 5,277
Ian Gibson, Independent: 2,482
William Highton, English Democrats: 2,036
East Worthing and Shoreham: Labour gain from Conservative
Tom Rutland, Labour: 22,210
Leila Williams, Conservative: 12,601
Lionel Harman, Reform UK: 7,169
Debbie Woudman, Green: 3,246
David Batchelor, Liberal Democrat: 3,180
Frank Ward, Independent: 320
John Greenshields, Independent: 273
Ivana Foreman, Independent: 169
Horsham: Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative
John Milne, Liberal Democrat: 21,632
Jeremy Quin, Conservative: 19,115
Hugo Miller, Reform UK: 6,116
James Field, Labour: 5,979
Catherine Ross, Green: 2,137
Jim Duggan, The Peace Party: 276
Paul Abbott, Social Democratic Party: 244
Mid Sussex: Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative
Alison Bennett, Liberal Democrat: 21, 136
Kristy Adams, Conservative: 14,474
Dave Rowntree, Labour: 9,397
Gary Johnson, Reform UK: 5,921
Baron von Thunderclap, Monster Raving Loony Party: 352
Worthing West: Labour gain from Conservative
Beccy Cooper, Labour: 20,519
Peter Bottomley, Conservative: 16,570
Edmund Rooke, Reform UK: 7,562
Sonya Mallin, Green: 3,274
Morag Chugg, Liberal Democrat: 2,708
Kathryn Attwood, Independent: 364
