The Liberal Democrats have picked a former Sussex University student to be the party’s candidate to become the first directly elected mayor of Sussex.
The party said: “Ben Dempsey, 46, grew up in Haywards Heath and has spent the last 25 years working primarily in the environment and humanitarian sectors for organisations like Save the Children.
“He has a PhD in nature conservation from the University of Sussex and currently works to deliver nature recovery in the UK with a large wildlife charity.”
The Lib Dems said that Labour and the Conservatives were in freefall and they were the only party that could stop Reform UK from winning the mayoral election.
The party said that, according to the lates YouGov opinion poll, Reform is leading in Sussex on 24.4 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats close behind on 22.8 per cent.
The Lib Dems said: “The Conservatives (19.7 per cent), Labour (17.1 per cent) and the Green Party (14.2 per cent) trail behind.
“The Liberal Democrats have five Sussex MPs and lead several district councils in both West and East Sussex.”
Mr Dempsey previously served as district councillor for Hassocks and was the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for the new East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency in 2024, coming second. He lives in Ditchling with his wife and children.
Mr Dempsey said: “People across Sussex are worried about the cost of living, the state of our transport, health and care services and the condition of our environment.
“They are also alarmed at the rise of populist right-wing politics as some try to sow division in our communities.
“A lot of people have lost all faith in politics. It’s time we restored some hope.
“The Sussex I know is decent, tolerant and open-minded. This election is a chance to promote a positive, unifying vision for stronger communities, better services and a thriving environment.
“In my career, I have experience of bringing people together with a shared vision of what’s possible.
“That’s what I will do as mayor of Sussex, helping to restore decency to our politics and deliver the things people most care about.
“I will focus on a fair deal on housing, better public transport and making Sussex a nature superpower.
“I will deliver by reaching across party divides, looking for common ground. Liberal Democrats will win with unity, not division.
“We are focusing on British values of tolerance, decency, and respect. In this election, we are the party best-placed to stand up for those values, win the mayoral election and chart a positive future for Sussex.”
Mr Dempsey said that his priorities were
- A new deal for housing – delivering low-cost, sustainable homes that people need based on a clear vision for the future, promoting new homes without giving free rein to developers.
- Transport that works – especially delivering more and cheaper bus services to support rural and urban parts of the county, better link east to west and help regenerate our communities and economy.
- Making Sussex a nature superpower – putting nature recovery at the heart of decision-making, especially planning, to improve our health and well-being and strengthen Sussex’s nature-based economy.
