# 2024 Worthing Borough Council election

The 2024 Worthing Borough Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections being held in the United Kingdom on the same day.
Labour retained their majority on the council. Three days after the election, three Labour councillors resigned from the party, although the party retained its majority.

## By-elections

At the 2024 United Kingdom General Election, Council leader Dr Beccy Cooper was elected as the MP for Worthing West. As a result, she resigned as Leader and as a Councillor on Wednesday July 10th, neccecitating a by-election in Marine Ward. Cllr Sophie Cox replaced Beccy as Leader on Tuesday 23rd July 2024.

## Background

Worthing Borough Council elects a third of its councillors 3 out of every 4 years, with elections to West Sussex County Council in the 4th year. 13 seats out of 37 were up for election in 2024.
At the previous election, held in 2023, the Labour Party increased the number of seats they had on the council by 1 to have 24 seats. The Conservative Party lost 2 seats and the Greens gained 1. As a result, the council remained under Labour control.
The Liberal Democrats went into the election defending their last seat on the Council, in Tarring ward, having been in overall control of the Council as recently as 2003.
Pre-Election Composition :
| 241111 |||
| Party | Party | Seats |
| | Labour | 24 |
| | Conservative | 11 |
| | Green | 1 |
| | Lib Dem | 1 |

## Ward Results

All 13 wards have a full slate of candidates from Labour, the Conservatives, the Greens and the Lib Dems.
The Candidates nominated for each ward are as follows (* indicates incumbent):

### Broadwater

Broadwater :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Catherine Glynn-Davies* | 1,218 | 58.8 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | John Robert Salisbury | 515 | 24.8 | −2.7 |
| | Green | Valerie Eileen Daphne Knight | 190 | 9.1 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Christopher Apsey | 149 | 7.2 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 703 | 34.01 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,096 | 30.61 | −3.00 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,847 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Castle

Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Sam Theodoridi(*) | 895 | 47.0 | −3.3 |
| | Conservative | Tom Taylor | 591 | 31.0 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nick Wiltshire | 253 | 13.3 | +2.8 |
| | Green | Nellie De Goguel | 166 | 8.7 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 304 | 16.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,921 | 27.69 | −3.16 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,937 | | |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Central

Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosey Whorlow* | 1,372 | 59.2 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | Diane Guest | 519 | 22.4 | −1.4 |
| | Green | Jo Paul | 272 | 11.7 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Kingston | 156 | 6.7 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 860 | 36.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,346 | 30.55 | −1.08 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,679 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Durrington

Durrington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Josh Harris | 583 | 42.7 | −5.1 |
| | Labour | Mary Bridget Mernagh | 538 | 39.4 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Donin | 168 | 12.3 | −3.5 |
| | Green | Jimi Taylor | 77 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 45 | 3.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,383 | 30.76 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,496 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Gaisford

Gaisford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Turley* | 1,364 | 55.9 | −0.5 |
| | Conservative | Bryan Turner | 669 | 27.4 | +0.5 |
| | Green | Stephen Wardle Carlysmith | 249 | 10.2 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Etchells | 158 | 6.5 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 695 | 28.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,455 | 35.15 | −3.37 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,984 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Goring

Goring :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Ian Arthur Davey | 1,696 | 55.8 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative | Paisley Thompson | 982 | 32.3 | −2.6 |
| | Labour | Tshepo Ronald Skwambane | 271 | 8.2 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Merlin Jones | 89 | 2.9 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 714 | 23.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,066 | 44.51 | −1.76 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,888 | | |
| | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Heene

Heene :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Ellum | 1,245 | 56.3 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Roy Barraclough | 580 | 26.2 | −1.3 |
| | Green | Constantine De Goguel | 232 | 10.5 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matt Hoyland | 153 | 6.9 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 665 | 30.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,228 | 33.81 | −0.68 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,589 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Marine

Marine :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rebecca Cooper* | 1,501 | 56.0 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | Oliver Jones | 833 | 31.1 | −1.7 |
| | Green | Julie Dawe | 198 | 7.4 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trudi Ann Starling | 149 | 5.6 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 668 | 24.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,699 | 40.40 | −1.26 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,680 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Northbrook

Northbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dom Ford | 647 | 47.9 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative | Russ Cochran* | 517 | 38.2 | −5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Thurston Rodgers | 103 | 7.6 | −4.3 |
| | Green | James Edmund Raymond Darrall | 85 | 6.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 130 | 9.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,358 | 24.98 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,436 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Offington

Offington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Sparkes* | 1,256 | 52.7 | −1.2 |
| | Labour | Liz Nicholson | 782 | 32.8 | +4.5 |
| | Green | Steve Rhodes | 186 | 7.8 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iona Harte | 161 | 6.8 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 474 | 19.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,402 | 36.81 | −0.47 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,525 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Salvington

Salvington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Nowak* | 1,154 | 47.8 | +0.9 |
| | Labour | Anthony Paul Squires | 847 | 35.1 | ±0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emma Kate Norton | 242 | 10.0 | −0.6 |
| | Green | Sonya Lynne Mallin | 170 | 7.1 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 307 | 12.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,435 | 34.12 | −0.61 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,136 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Selden

Selden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jon Roser* | 1,168 | 57.1 | −5.4 |
| | Conservative | Sarah Louise Blake | 529 | 25.8 | +2.8 |
| | Green | Clare Ann Marshall | 193 | 9.4 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Beryl Brown | 157 | 7.7 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 639 | 31.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,061 | 33.50 | −2.45 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,152 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Tarring

Tarring :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lysanne Charlotte Skinner | 1,009 | 44.6 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hazel Thorpe* | 765 | 33.8 | +7.5 |
| | Conservative | Christina Shane-Chan | 337 | 14.9 | −1.0 |
| | Green | Karen Elizabeth Brooks | 151 | 6.7 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 234 | 10.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,292 | 35.96 | −2.13 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,373 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

## By-elections
### Marine

Marine by-election: 20 September 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Taylor | 885 | 41.3 | +10.2 |
| | Labour | Mary Mernagh | 781 | 36.4 | –19.6 |
| | Reform UK | Lionel Harman | 228 | 10.6 | N/A |
| | Green | Jimi Taylor | 138 | 6.4 | –1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicholas Wiltshire | 113 | 5.3 | –0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 104 | 4.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,146 | 32.0 | –8.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 14.9 | |

### Heene

Heene by-election: 10 October 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Luke Houghton | 742 | 42.0 | +15.8 |
| | Labour | Anthony Squires | 704 | 39.9 | –16.4 |
| | Green | Kate Thornton | 186 | 10.5 | ±0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trudi Starling | 133 | 7.5 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 2.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,776 | 27.0 | –6.8 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 16.1 | |