No, I don’t know either. I know there’s been talk about ‘unitary councils’ for some years, and that Labour has been making plans lately, which some have cynically suggested might enable them to cancel local elections that they are likely to lose.

What came as more of a surprise to me, when I happened to hear that ESCC will be making decisions about our local democracy on the 9th January, was that ‘local political leaders’ have already given the nod to the idea of scrapping Hastings Borough Council. Does this include our current council ‘leader’ Julia Hilton I wonder? I note that when HBC’s Chief Exec suddenly stood down recently, Hilton’s administration seemed quite gleeful at bringing in a shared CEO to replace her, saying in their press releases that they were looking forward to ‘working more closely’ with other councils.

I know, I know, we all have mixed feelings about HBC – fact is, we have very mixed up ideas about it too. I know this because whenever people complain to me about ‘the council’, it often turns out they’re pointing the finger at HBC and complaining about something ESCC has done (or vice versa). Please bear in mind though that if we let the current Tory County Councillors decide what happens next, it’ll be them running everything in Hastings – from afar – after that. Yes, them. Those people who have been responsible for our roads, street lighting and schools for the past umpteen years…

In the dark

I have to say I felt completely blind-sided, and don’t feel much better now. I heard about it between Christmas and New Year (someone mentioned it in an email about something else) and ESCC will be making decisions on 9th January. Clearly, right wing councillors will be quite happy because it means right-wing councillors will be deciding our future. Labour councillors will say it’s okay because it’s a Starmer plan, so they’ll have to like it – that’s how the Labour Party works these days, and Greens are ‘looking forward to working with’ their pals in Lewes, Eastbourne and Timbuctu, probably.

That just leaves the Independent councillors, you know, the ones Labour and the Greens always leave out of everything in the hope we’ll forget that they exist.

[NB added 6th Jan: It seems my impression was wrong – with 3 days to go, Julia Hilton now has a statement opposing the move on her FB page. Let us hope the Greens now get together with the Independents and fight this.]

Enter Divest East Sussex

But here, at the last minute, is another group who really don’t want to hand us to the Tories – Divest East Sussex have put together instructions and a template letter for us to have our say – we have until the 9th January. Please click the link below, and send your email. Remember to copy Divest East Sussex in – if they get enough responses, they’ll be putting a press release together. Please do it now, and hang onto your hats!

Click here for instructions and email template.

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