A second Brighton councillor has announced that he is to stand down.
Conservative councillor Lee Wares, who represents Patcham ward on Brighton and Hove City Council, said today (Sunday 7 February) that he is moving to be closer to his elderly parents.
Just over a week ago Labour councillor Tracey Hill, who represents Hollingdean and Stanmer ward, said that she would be stepping down for similar family reasons.
Councillor Wares’s resignation is expected to trigger a by-election on Thursday 6 May, the same date as the Sussex police and crime commissioner elections.
He said: “This has been a difficult decision to make but so I can better support my parents in the West Country it has become necessary.
“By moving closer to them, it will make remaining a city councillor impossible.
“It has been an enormous privilege to represent Patcham and Hollingbury and I will always be grateful for the kindness and support residents have extended to me.
“Serving on the council in opposition is challenging and I am proud to have worked alongside my Conservative colleagues in holding the administration to account.”
“I wish my colleagues well in these difficult times and know they will do their very best for residents and the City.”
Conservative group leader Councillor Steve Bell said: “It is of great sadness that Lee has decided to leave the council but I am sure everybody will understand. I know it has not been easy for him.
“Lee has been a tremendous asset to the Conservative group and has worked tirelessly in the best interests of the city and Patcham and Hollingbury where he was elected twice.”
“Lee will leave us with a significant contribution to tackle climate change with his project to plant 8,000 trees in Hollingbury now under way.
“He was also instrumental in exposing the inadequacies of Cityclean and bringing the scandal of the home to school transport service to the public eye.
“Lee has also been a strong advocate challenging the current plans for Valley Gardens Phase Three and cycle lanes.
“We wish him good luck and know that he will approach the future in the same professional, considerate and dedicated way that he has during his time as a councillor.”
it is shame that only 2 current cllrs are triggering a by-election
Probably the very best Councillor, of any Party, that our City and our benighted Council has been blessed with since being formed in 1997!
Despite the many and justified criticisms of City councillors on this website, and recognising that actually getting elected is a major achievment, by his tremendous capacity for work, supported by his excellent education and knowledgeable competence, Lee Wares has set a ‘Gold Standard’which all of our other Councillors need to strive to match, or even to exceed, to the maximum of their capacities.
And perhaps those who can’t, or won’t, need to consider a graceful resignation, to offer their seat to a better candidate (and regardless of Party big-wigs who promise to shield their inadequacies from close scrutiny)?
And Cllr. Wares’ finest & most sustained achievements?
On the one hand he was almost always ready to listen to any citizen on any topic relevant to our City; and on the other hand he did not accept at face-value whatever deliberately misleading information Council staff continually tried to parry his fully-justified probing with!
Nothing deterred Councillor Wares simply kept asking for more documents to show him that 2 plus 2 did actually add-up to 4 (which, with the culture of intellectual-dishonesty of too many of our Council staff, it almost never did!).
Naturally the best interests of close family go above those of the residents of our City (whom Cllr Wares almost certainly regards as part of his extended family?).
Godspeed, Councillor Wares, and thankyou again for all your diligent work in trying to save our City from itself!
Thank you for your public service. Good luck and best wishes to you and your family.
Lee and I disagree on many things, but there can be no doubt that he is a very effective and able Councillor who cares deeply for the city. He held the Labour and Green Administrations to account which is what a good opposition Councillor should do. He will be a loss to the City for sure and I wish him the best.
As others have said Lee is the gold standard councilor. Always approachable and open to a chat. His work on challenging the Home to School Transport Fiasco and the closure of Madeira Drive/ Blue Badge Parking on the A259 has helped no end the disabled community, of which I consider him a champion. We don’t always agree politically but that was perhaps Lee’s best quality – it didn’t matter what your political background was he would listen and help. All the best Lee
Lee is one of the few decent ‘councillors’ in Brighton. Most of them are simply not ‘fit for purpose’ in particular Pete West. I will never forget listening to Pete West talking on radio Sussex about the debacle os closing off one lane of traffic heading west from the palace pier and that the ensuing gridlock causing buses to have to re-route could be rectified by tweeking the traffic lights.
On the contrary, Lee has been the opposite, actually getting things done and trying to improve things.
Good luck Lee.
A cllr this effective & responsible is a rarity. Sad to see him go.
This is a huge shame, but sane residents obviously understand that pressing family issues come first, commiserate with Lee in his predicament and wish him all the very best. Let’s hope that someone equally good (tough act to follow) comes forward for the by-election and wins. Doesn’t matter if they’re Tory or a very competent Independent, like Bridget Fishleigh in Rottingdean Coastal, but hopefully there will be a genuine and outstanding candidate who is not a puppet representative of the woefully out of touch, limp and incompetent Greens (allegedly ‘led’ by McCafferty who has been totally invisible ever since he got in charge, and, frankly, in leadership terms, couldn’t even handle a chihuahua on a bit of string), or Madam Platts and her Labour colleagues pretending to be an official opposition which they’re not, as they don’t oppose anything that the Greens want, and most of them are no better than the incompetent Greens but have a bright red leftie tinge. Lee’s ward deserves something very much better than incompetent Greens or Momentum Labour and I hope, that when the election comes round, the voters will see sense.