New Green councillor wants to 'hold Labour to account' as he returns to job

A councillor says he wants to “hold Labour to account” after being re-elected to the ward he last served five years ago.

Ollie Sykes represented Brunswick and Adelaide in Hove as a Green between 2011 and 2019.

On Thursday he was re-elected to Brighton and Hove City Council in a by-election

Cllr Sykes said: “The story of the night is that Brighton Pavilion remains Green and that’s fantastic. Greens regaining the seat in Brunswick and Adelaide may not quite be at the top of the news agenda but I’m honoured that voters have chosen me to represent them.

“Having been a councillor in the ward for eight years, I know it well and can’t wait to get stuck in and get to work straight away.”

His return comes over a year after the Greens were booted out of Brunswick and Adelaide. Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty and deputy leader Hannah Allbrooke were both dumped as Labour assumed power with Ms Allbrooke losing by just six votes.

But a by-election was sparked when Labour Councillor Jilly Stevens announced she would be stepping down due to ill health.

Cllr Sykes beat Labour candidate Alice Burton to bring Green politics back to the ward. He polled 2,193 votes compared with her 1,873.

Cllr Sykes said he and the Greens will now try to hold the Labour council to account after it transitioned to a cabinet model which centralises the party’s control and decision-making.

Councillor Steve Davis, leader of the Brighton Green group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ollie to join our fantastic group of Green councillors. He brings with him years of experience and a wealth of knowledge that will help us be an even more effective opposition.

“The fact that Labour have lost this seat less than a year and a half after they narrowly won it at the last local elections shows that people are already unhappy with how this administration is being run. We will continue to hold them to account and represent the views of residents in the council chamber.”

The other candidates were Chris Woodley, Brighton and Hove Independents, who got 588 votes, Liberal Democrat Claire Lachlan (389) and Independent Jamie Rutherford Gillespie (98).