More than a third of the city’s councillors are standing down and will not be running for re-election, it can be revealed.

Of the 53 councillors currently on Brighton and Hove City Council, 21 have announced they will not run in the May election.

Nine of those not running for re-election are Green councillors, with six Labour and three Conservative. Three of the council’s seven independent candidates will also not run for re-election.

Fifty four seats on the council will be up for grabs on May 4 - one seat is currently vacant following the death of Rottingdean councillor Robert McIntosh last week from bowel cancer.

Full list of Brighton and Hove councillors standing down

  • John Allcock (Labour, Goldsmid)
  • Carmen Appich (Labour, Westbourne)
  • Nichole Brennan (Independent, East Brighton)
  • Vanessa Brown (Conservative, Hove Park)
  • Nicholas Childs (Independent, Queen’s Park)
  • Lizzie Deane (Green, St Peter’s and North Laine)
  • Tom Druitt (Green, Regency)
  • Marianna Ebel (Green, Goldsmid)
  • David Gibson (Green, Hanover and Elm Grove)
  • Chris Henry (Labour, Westbourne)
  • Amy Heley (Green, Preston Park)
  • Elaine Hills (Green, Hanover and Elm Grove)
  • Tony Janio (Independent, Hangleton and Knoll)
  • Mary Mears (Conservative, Rottingdean Coastal)
  • Clare Moonan (Labour, Central Hove)
  • Robert Nemeth (Conservative, Wish)
  • Sarah Nield (Green, Withdean)
  • Martin Osborne (Green, Hollingdean and Stanmer)
  • Alex Phillips (Green, Regency)
  • Nancy Platts (Labour, East Brighton)
  • Dan Yates (Labour, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean)

Nine of the Green Party’s 20 councillors have opted not to stand in the election in May, including the current Mayor of the city Lizzie Deane.

Elaine Hills, who co-chairs the council’s environment, transport and sustainability, is also not running for re-election, along with Marianna Ebel, Martin Osborne and David Gibson.

Regency’s husband-and-wife councillors Tom Druitt and Alex Phillips signalled they would not stand for re-election last year. 

The decision came after The Argus revealed that Cllr Phillips was overpaid childcare expenses by the council, with the councillor claiming for more than two hours or longer above the confirmed duration of approved duties on 27 occasions.

While an independent investigation found that there had been no deliberate attempt to misuse public funds for personal gain, she apologised and repaid £490.

Amy Heley, who won a national award for Young Councillor of the Year in 2021, also announced she would step down after serving just four years on the council.

The Argus:

Among the six Labour councillors standing down are former council leaders Nancy Platts and Dan Yates, as well as the party’s group co-leaders Carmen Appich and John Allcock.

Prior to his death from bowel cancer last week, Robert McIntosh had also announced he would not run for re-election in May.

Three Conservative councillors have said they will not run for re-election, including former council leader Mary Mears.

Ms Mears announced her resignation after three decades as a councillor in February after suffering from a stroke.

Two independent councillors who had previously been Labour representatives on the council, Nichole Brennan and Nicholas Childs, will also stand down.

Tony Janio, who quit the Conservative Party shortly after his election win in 2019, recently rejoined the Tories but announced he will not stand for re-election.

Voters will go to the polls on May 4 to elect the city’s 54 councillors for the next four years.