‘Sussex deserves a mayor who understands every part of it’

CLPs in Sussex are nominating applicants seeking to become Labour’s candidate for the first Sussex mayoral election next year. You can find articles written by the other three applicants here.

Sussex is one of the most diverse counties in the country,  and that’s exactly why it needs a Mayor who understands all of it.

From the coastal city of Brighton & Hove to the market towns of Mid Sussex and the rural villages of the Weald, this region is full of contrasts. But too often those contrasts have become divides. Pockets of deprivation sit beside prosperity, and communities without decent transport, housing or digital access are left behind while others surge ahead.

Sussex risks becoming the “squashed middle child” of England, less urban than Manchester, less rural than Devon, too easily overlooked by Westminster. A Mayor can change that.

A Labour Mayor can raise Sussex’s voice.

Why I’m standing

I’m standing to be Labour’s candidate for Sussex Mayor because I believe this region can be a model for how local leadership, backed by national ambition, can deliver real change.

With 15 years in business and more than a decade in public and voluntary leadership, I know how to get things done. I’ve led national campaigns, run local charities, and served as a councillor in Adur. I currently represent members on Labour’s National Executive Committee, where I’ve helped shape our Clean Energy Superpower mission and fought for openness and member democracy.

But my story starts in the countryside. I grew up in a working rural family and understand the challenges facing communities that feel disconnected, whether it’s from public transport, local jobs or decision-making.

Later in life, I founded the Adur Community Café, which has become a thriving space where people from every background share food, friendship and a sense of belonging. I’ve also run charities supporting families affected by the justice system and seen firsthand how housing inequality and social isolation affect people’s lives.

Those experiences in business, community leadership and politics have shaped my view that leadership is about connection. Listening. Bringing people together to make things happen.

READ MORE: ‘Young Labour women must take up space’

What a Labour Mayor can deliver

This campaign isn’t about personalities or postcodes. It’s about what Sussex needs and what Labour can deliver.

We are a county of potential. We have world-class universities, a thriving creative sector, leading science and tech industries, and a coastline that could power the clean, low-carbon economy of the future. But we’re held back by broken infrastructure, a lack of homes people can afford to live in, and regional inequality that divides our towns and villages.

A Labour Mayor would bring Sussex together to deliver where the decades of Conservative dominance has failed:

1. Homes and infrastructure that work for everyone

We’ll tackle the housing crisis by delivering social homes and demanding better standards across the board. Infrastructure will come first, not as an afterthought. New homes must be backed by reliable transport, schools and health services.

2. Secure, well-paid jobs through a green economy

Sussex can lead Britain’s transition to clean energy. From our Sussex Ports to Crawley’s business hubs, we’ll invest in renewables, retrofit and green construction to create long-term, well-paid jobs.

3. A clean, safe environment

Flood prevention, cleaner air, and nature recovery will all be priorities. A Labour Mayor will make sure Sussex plays a leading role in the journey to net zero.

4. Safer communities

Public safety is about more than policing. It’s about prevention. That means rebuilding youth services, tackling violence against women and girls, and supporting community policing that’s visible, trusted and effective.

5. Health and well-being for every community

We’ll strengthen collaboration between the NHS, councils and the voluntary sector — tackling health inequalities and ensuring mental health and loneliness are treated as seriously as physical health.

6. Active and accessible travel

Ever since Beeching began to remove sections of our county rail network, Sussex has been poorly connected. Instead of quick, direct rail connecting many of our towns and villages, we’ve ended up with congested roads, where a 7 mile commute becomes a 40 minute slog to get home before the kids bedtime. A Labour Mayor can deliver an integrated travel strategy which prioritises more active, more accessible travel so all can reclaim their freedom and time.

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A unifier, not a divider

Sussex needs a Mayor who can balance the competing demands of equality, diversity, accessibility and connection, someone who understands that success for the region depends on every part of it pulling together.

I’m proud to be that kind of leader. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I know how to listen and how to lead. I build teams that deliver results, and I believe in doing politics differently. I’ve been bringing people together my whole career; it’s what makes projects successful, and it’s what will make this campaign and the role of Sussex Mayor successful. 

As Mayor, I’ll work side by side with our local councils, MPs, businesses and voluntary groups to get things done. Because if we get Sussex right, we can show the whole country what an inclusive, low-carbon, forward-looking region looks like under Labour leadership.

The choice ahead

I won’t lie, the campaign to be Mayor won’t be easy. That’s exactly why we need someone who is a proven campaigner, one who has defied the odds before and come out successful. 

This is our chance to show that politics doesn’t have to be divided between coast and countryside, town and city, old and young. We can build a Sussex that’s a greener, more inclusive and better connected place where everyone feels part of our future.

That’s why I’m standing. To bring us together and to be a campaigning voice championing every town, village and city in Sussex. 

Follow the campaign: Cat Arnold for Sussex Mayor

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