County Council elections matter because public safety matters

Lives & property at increased risk

There are those who try to defend the deterioration in our fire & rescue service by suggesting we no longer need the same resources. I think the people who suffered in these very recent incidents might disagree. 

Only this week, one Reform County Councillor, Stuart Barclay, who defected from the Conservatives, claimed that we don't need the same resources because "incidents are at a record low". Not only a false claim, but fundamentally flawed thinking. The number of incidents has never been a factor in determining fire service resources.    

The relevant factors are to ensure that at any time, there can be a quick and effective response to any emergency, anywhere in West Sussex, that when additional or specialist resources are needed they arrive quickly, and that when several incidents occur at the same time they can all be dealt with effectively.

There are more incidents, not less:

1975 - 28 fire stations and 46 frontline fire engines

 for an average of under 100 emergencies a week.

2025 - 24 fire stations and 35 frontline fire engines 

for an average of over 170 emergencies a week.

To make matters worse, up to two thirds of those 35 remaining frontline fire engines can be without enough firefighters to crew them. This all results in longer response times, which results in greater risk to lives and property.

The Conservatives have seriously neglected our fire & rescue service

Why voting on Thursday matters for the fire & rescue service

These County Council elections will determine who manages our fire & rescue service for the next two years, and who prepares it for the expected amalgamation with East Sussex. If we want an effective fire & rescue service for the future we have to elect the right County Councillors.

There are those who are misleading voters by suggesting a vote for them will help remove the current Government. It won't, the Government has a substantial majority so, like it or not, Labour will be in Government until the next general election in 2029. 

Vote in the right people now and there is hope for a better fire & rescue service. 

Vote in the wrong people and there will be more cuts, more deterioration, and more risk for us all.

Who are the right people? 

It certainly isn't the Conservatives, as the deterioration of our fire & rescue service rests squarely with them. It isn't Reform, they have a lot of Conservative defectors standing, plus many more unknown candidates with no record of public service. The only local comments from Reform suggest that they are content with a less effective fire & rescue service, so they may well make further cuts.

That leaves Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Independent candidates. I am satisfied that those political parties understand the problems of an under-resourced fire & rescue service, and it was Labour and Liberal Democrat County Councillors who fought the cuts and have supported the service and firefighters. The Independent candidates vary, with some supportive and others more in tune with Conservative cuts.

Choosing a candidate to oust the Conservatives becomes a little more difficult, as core support for different parties varies in different parts of the County. An indication of who that might be could be if that party has an MP in the area, or if they already run borough or district councils in your local area. Another is if they keep in regular touch with residents via leaflets, social media, and canvassing, or do you only hear from them at election time?

From my research of policies, and discussions with different political parties, I do not believe our fire & rescue service will be safe in the hands of the Conservatives or Reform.

Your vote matters on May 7th

If you value an effective fire and rescue service and support our firefighters, then please choose Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrat, or Independent candidates who do want to provide an effective fire & rescue service.

The County Council election matters for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service

These elections are about local services

They are not about national issues

There are those who will try to persuade you that voting for their Political Party's candidates will change what is happening in Westminster and Downing Street. It won't, but it will determine not only who is running our fire & rescue service for the next two years, but how it will be set up to cover the whole of Sussex in the years to follow.  

On May 7th we will have the chance to vote for those candidates we trust to support our fire & rescue service, and will work to keep us all safe. It is very clear that the Conservatives have, since 2010, let our fire & rescue service deteriorate to the sorry state it is in today. 

We need County Councillors who will run 

West Sussex County Council properly 

So, who should we vote for?

Well, I see no possibility of Conservative candidates undoing the damage their party has done to our fire & rescue service. Damage that has resulted in substantially longer response times, seriously reduced service resilience, and inadequate protection for residents. 

Many county councillors are not seeking re-election, but these are the Conservatives who are. They are also ones who previously voted for cuts to the fire & rescue service, and  don't deserve to be re-elected:

Richard Burrett (Pound Hill)

Michael Cloake (Durrington & Salvington)

Janet Duncton (Petworth)

Jeremy Hunt (Chichester North)

Amanda Jupp (Billingshurst)

Bob Lanzer (Maidenbower & Worth)

Simon Oakley (Chichester East)

Ashvin Patel (Bognor Regis West & Aldwick)

Bryan Turner (Broadwater)

The Conservatives have not supported firefighters or the safety of our communities

Who voted to stop damaging fire & rescue service cuts?

The Labour and Liberal Democrat county councillors voted against the cuts and have shown strong support for our fire & rescue service, so I believe their candidates will continue to fight for improvements to public safety. It is interesting to note that we now have two former county councillors, one Labour and one Liberal Democrat, who supported the fire & rescue service, and are now Members of Parliament.  

These are the county councillors from those parties who are standing and who voted against fire & rescue service cuts. They deserve to be re-elected:

Chris Oxlade (Bewbush & Ifield West)

Robin Rogers (Worthing West)

James Walsh (Littlehampton East)

Labour and Liberal Democrat county councillors support our fire & rescue service

Candidates from other political parties

Past conversations with Green Party members indicate that they understand the dangers posed by an inadequately resourced fire & rescue service, so I believe that their candidates will support the service. If they are the candidate in your area that is most likely to keep a Conservative from being elected, it may well be worth lending the Green Party your vote.

Now what about Reform candidates? Well, the only Reform county councillors on West Sussex County Council, who were elected as Conservatives and then defected, have done nothing to support our fire & rescue service. Like the party's leadership, who are almost all ex-Conservatives, I only see hard line Conservative policies under a new label. That will inevitably result in more cuts to the fire & rescue service, and even worse attacks on firefighter pay and conditions.

Since the election was announced, I have only heard from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Reform. I know there are a Green Party and a Labour candidate standing locally, but I suspect their efforts are focussed on other areas. However, the contact I have received so far is quite revealing.

Reform being unwilling to name their candidate in their leaflets, or tell me anything about them, and their failure to mention anything about West Sussex County Council is quite disturbing. It indicates that they don't understand the problems at the council, which means they won't have any solutions. It also shows they have no real interest in what happens to our fire & rescue service. 

Not telling voters who their candidate is suggests that they would rather we didn't know about their candidate's past, their views, their ability, or perhaps the lack of it. 

Who you choose to vote for is entirely a matter for you, but if you want an effective fire & rescue service, I would urge you to choose someone who has the best chance of defeating the Conservative and Reform candidates. 

That may mean not voting for your usual choice or may mean voting differently to how you would vote in a General Election, but getting the right candidates elected has never been more important for our fire & rescue service.

Support the future of our fire & rescue service by choosing your County Councillor wisely on May 7

Why response times matter and how to make your vote count

Those who try to justify Conservative controlled West Sussex County Council's inadequate fire & rescue service response standards will claim that response times don't matter. They will also falsely claim that the risk to people and property varies according to their geographic location.

Response times matter

Research has shown that fires can double in size every minute. That means twice the amount of material burning and twice the amount of toxic smoke produced every minute. This graph shows that doubling in size against response times. 

It shows that once you get to ten minutes, the opportunity to save lives and property rapidly decreases. That is why, when further research has been carried out to identify optimum response times, the conclusions are usually ten minutes or less. 

Response times for the first fire engine

1 = West Midlands (whole area) - 5 minutes

2 = Hampshire (whole area) - 8 minutes

3 = Surrey (whole area) and 2% of West Sussex - 10 minutes

4 = 37% of West Sussex - 12 minutes

5 = 61% of West Sussex - 14 minutes

 

Risk is NOT different in different locations

Conservative County Councillors would have you believe that most of West Sussex is 'low risk' (blue) and most of the rest 'medium risk' (yellow). Yet, as the previous graph shows, any fire can develop and threaten lives and property just as quickly. Anywhere in West Sussex, from East Wittering to East Grinstead, or from Southwick to South Harting, the risk to lives and property is the same. The location is irrelevant when it comes to how quickly a fire will develop, only a lack of material to burn and any efforts to control it will slow it down.

When the response standards for different areas were approved, they had nothing to do with the real risk to lives and property. They simply set standards they expected could be met with the resources they had. Since then, they have cut four operational fire stations and eleven operational fire engines and crews. 

Inadequate resources mean that it is now impossible for 

firefighters to meet those already inadequate standards. 

How to make your vote count

Someone asked me recently why, when they only had half the votes cast, four in every five County Councillors elected in 2017 were Conservative. They also asked how the other half of voters could be properly represented in future.

2017 County Council Election

Political Party	Votes cast	Councillors elected
Conservative	51%	80%
Others	49%	20%

The long term answer is a change to a properly democratic election system that makes sure that Councillors are elected in proportion to votes. In the short term, however, the only viable option is to vote tactically. Now I know some people are uncomfortable with tactical voting, but if your priority is to prevent the Conservatives continuing their inept, deceitful, secretive and arrogant neglect of the fire & rescue service, it may be your only option.

In case it will help anyone, I have looked at the election results from four years ago to see which parties either beat the Conservatives or came second. Some second and third places were close, so I have shown the votes cast for each. I have also adjusted options where a party is not contesting a seat this time. 

County Council Division	Potential best tactical vote option
Angmering & Findon	Liberal Democrat
Arundel & Courtwick	Labour Party
Bersted	Liberal Democrat
Bewbush & Ifield West	Labour Party
Billingshurst	Liberal Democrat
Bognor Regis East	Liberal Democrat
Bognor Regis West & Aldwick	Liberal Democrat
Bourne	Liberal Democrat
Bramber Castle	Liberal Democrat
Broadbridge	Liberal Democrat
Broadfield	Labour Party
Broadwater	Labour Party
Burgess Hill East	Liberal Democrat
Burgess Hill North	Close (Liberal Democrat 476, Labour Party 463)
Chichester East	Liberal Democrat
Chichester North	Liberal Democrat
Chichester South	Green Party
Chichester West	Liberal Democrat
Cissbury	Close (Liberal Democrat 429, Labour Party 355)
Cuckfield & Lucastes	Liberal Democrat
Durrington & Salvington	Liberal Democrat
East Grinstead Meridian	Close (Labour Party 294, Liberal Democrat 261)
East Grinstead South & Ashurst Wood	Liberal Democrat
East Preston & Ferring	Close (Labour Party 474, Liberal Democrat 427)
Felpham	Close (Labour Party 241, Liberal Democrat 231)
Fontwell	Green Party
Goring	Labour Party
Hassocks & Burgess Hill South	Liberal Democrat
Haywards Heath East	Close (Labour Party 460, Liberal Democrat 438)
Haywards Heath Town	Liberal Democrat
Henfield	Liberal Democrat
Holbrook	Liberal Democrat
Horsham East	Liberal Democrat
Horsham Hurst	Liberal Democrat
Horsham Riverside	Liberal Democrat
Hurstpierpoint & Bolney	Liberal Democrat
Imberdown	Independent (I. P. Gibson)
Lancing	Labour Party
Langley Green & Ifield East	Labour Party
Lindfield & High Weald	Liberal Democrat
Littlehampton East	Liberal Democrat
Littlehampton Town	Liberal Democrat
Maidenbower & Worth	Labour Party
Middleton	Close (Labour Party 256, Liberal Democrat 237)
Midhurst	Liberal Democrat
Northbrook	Liberal Democrat
Northgate & West Green	Labour Party
Nyetimber	Close (Labour Party 280 Green Party 211)
Petworth	Liberal Democrat
Pound Hill	Labour Party
Pulborough	Liberal Democrat
Rother Valley	Liberal Democrat
Rustington	Liberal Democrat
Selsey	Local Alliance
Shoreham North	Labour Party
Shoreham South	Labour Party
Sompting & North Lancing	Labour Party
Southgate & Gossops Green	Labour Party
Southwater & Nuthurst	Liberal Democrat
Southwick	Labour Party
St Leonard’s Forest	Liberal Democrat
Storrington	Liberal Democrat
Tarring	Liberal Democrat
The Witterings	Close (Liberal Democrat 339, Labour Party 282)
Three Bridges	Labour Party
Tilgate & Furnace Green	Labour Party
Worth Forest	Liberal Democrat
Worthing East	Labour Party
Worthing Pier	Labour Party
Worthing West	Labour Party

It is of course impossible to precisely predict which candidates stand the best chance of defeating the Conservatives. The table is simply a guide to the last County Council election results, so it may be worth checking for any recent change in voting habits in your area since then. However, you should note that County Council Divisions cover different areas to borough, district and Parliamentary seats.

Remember, the Conservatives have already been discussing:

• Manipulating statistics to make bad figures look better by removing the worst ones;
• Sending fire engines without enough firefighters on them, simply to make response times look better;
• Preventing Councillors scrutinising their decisions and failures by claiming they are 'operational';
• And even extending the already poor response time targets.

If they secure a majority in this election, the risks we all face will be even greater than they are now.

Our Fire & Rescue Service is not safe

in Conservative hands

Who to vote for on May 6, if you care about your safety and about the fire & rescue service

If you want a fire & rescue service that keeps you safe, then your vote matters on the 6th of May. Please make sure you are registered and that you use your vote in all the elections on that day. If you are already registered, make it easy to vote by applying for a postal vote, but please note that your completed application form must arrive by 20th April.

I am not a member of a political party and my vote is not guaranteed to any particular party. That is because none of them have policies that I am in full agreement with, so when I vote I consider the candidates, their policies and their performance. 

Whilst campaigning in support of our fire & rescue services I have spoken to politicians, local and national, from every political party that will listen. I have yet to decide which candidates will get my vote in May and I will not try to influence anyone else to vote for specific candidates or political parties. 

However, based on past performance, the one thing I am sure of is that I will not be voting for any Conservative candidates. That is because Conservative Government policies and Conservative County Councillors have, over the last ten years, done immense damage to our fire & rescue service. 

As a result, we are all less safe.

Policies and decisions have not only been inept, they have been arrogantly steamrollered through with dishonest claims, unsubstantiated assurances and inadequate scrutiny.

Valid public concerns have been ignored, firefighters bullied,

and opposition Councillors treated with contempt.

Remember this?

There are still just 24 operational fire stations with 11 fewer operational fire engines, but even more incidents are being attended. Conservative Councillors falsely claimed that incidents would decrease, yet they have increased every year since 2015/16.

Even more incidents attended

In 2015, after the second round of cuts to the service, Conservative Cabinet Member Lionel Barnard stepped down. Conservative Leader Louise Goldsmith said at the time that he had left the fire and rescue service "in very good shape".

Just three years later Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services began an inspection that resulted in our fire & rescue service getting the worst report of the 45 services in England. 

Of the three principal areas they reviewed, how staff were looked after was rated inadequate, and both effectiveness and efficiency were rated as requires improvement. Not one of the sub categories achieved an acceptable 'good' rating. None of this was the fault of staff in the service, the blame lies squarely with the inept Council.

The County Council's Conservative administration repeatedly ignored warnings from firefighters, from the public, and from opposition Councillors. Conservative Councillors summarily dismissed genuine concerns as 'scaremongering'. The one well informed Conservative County Councillor who voiced concerns subsequently resigned, and others who dared to ask awkward questions were disciplined.

Conservatives: "in very good shape" = 

Inspectors: "inadequate" & "requires improvement".

We were told in 2014 that planned cuts were 'improvements' that would ensure at least 30 fire engines available around the clock. Despite warnings that the cuts would make fire crew availability worse, the Conservatives stuck their heads in the sand and went ahead. The result was that during the day, less than half that number were available and on occasions as few as ten fire engines were available to cover the whole of West Sussex.

We were told that money taken from operational response, by cutting fire engines and firefighters, would be used for prevention to save more lives. In 2015/16, when the cuts took effect, there were four fire deaths in West Sussex. In the first three quarters of 2020/21 there have already been four fire deaths in West Sussex (quarter four figures have not been released). The number of fire casualties taken to hospital has increased. In 2015/16 it was 43, in 2019/20 (latest full year figures) it was fifty two, a 21% increase.

The Conservative Government is talking about taking the fire & rescue service away from County Councils and giving control to Police & Crime Commissioners. There is no justification for this PCC empire building, and it will give the public even less of a say in how their fire & rescue service is run.

The Fire & Rescue Service should be safer in County Council hands, 

but it will not be safer if those hands are Conservative Party hands.