A total of 70 seats were up for grabs on West Sussex County Council, which has remained under Tory control since 1997.
Subsequent by-elections and defections meant the Conservatives operated with 38 councillors prior to this election.
Today’s results have been led by the Liberal Democrats, who won 23 seats. They were followed by Reform UK with 15 seats, then Conservatives with 11.
Pictures from the counts at Worthing Leisure Centre (Image: Eddie Mitchell)
The Green Party secured seven seats, Labour four and Local Alliance one.
These results are currently not inclusive of Crawley’s county results, where the counts were delayed into the evening.
However, no party would have gained a majority, leaving West Sussex County Council under no overall control.
Labour kept its control of Crawley Borough Council, where 13 of the council’s 36 seats were up for election.
Reform gained 10 seats, which takes their numbers on the council to 11.
Three Labour councillors were elected, taking their total to 21.
No Conservative councillors were elected, with their total on the council now four.
A total of 14 seats were up for grabs on Adur District Council, where overall control was retained by Labour today.
Reform UK gained six seats on the council, while five Labour candidates were elected, two independent and one Green.
Lloyd Lievens, chairman of Reform UK East Worthing and Shoreham, said today’s results marked “a historic breakthrough for the party”.
Reform UK candidates at Worthing Leisure Centre today (Image: Reform UK)
He said: “We are proud to have secured victories in Cokeham, Peverel, Southlands, Hillside, Churchill and Widewater, alongside major wins in Lancing and Sompting and North Lancing at county level, as well as success in Offington, Worthing.
“Reform UK is the only party in Adur to make any gains at this election – and voters have delivered a clear message by wiping the Conservative Party out locally.
“These results show that residents want change, stronger local representation, and councillors who will put their communities first.
“We want to thank every resident who placed their trust in Reform UK, and every volunteer who worked tirelessly throughout the campaign.
“This is just the beginning.”
Worthing Borough Council lost its Labour control today, with the latest polls resulting in no overall control.
Labour held only a single seat out of those contested today, while the Greens gained six and five were elected for Reform. Labour also lost its seat in Tarring to Hazel Thorpe for the Liberal Democrats.
Speaking to The Argus, Ms Thorpe said she was “very, very pleased” to return to Worthing Borough Council.
Hazel Thorpe, newly elected Liberal Democrat borough councillor for Tarring (Image: The Argus)
“I’m part of the Sussex Liberal Democrats and we have done extremely well in Chichester and Mid Sussex,” she added.
“I hope to bring some of that success and make it rub off on Worthing so Worthing becomes a liberal council again at some stage in the future.”
The council is now made up of 15 Labour members, eight Greens, six Conservatives, five Reform UK members, two Worthing Community Independents and one Liberal Democrat.
The full council will meet on May 19 to elect a new leader of Worthing and a new mayor of the borough.
It was a jubilant response from the Green Party at Worthing Leisure Centre, where the count for Adur and Worthing took place today.
Debbie Woudman, co-chair of Worthing Green Party and newly elected borough councillor for Heene, said Worthing has chosen “hope and hard work over hate and division”.
Debbie Woudman, co-chair of Worthing Green Party and newly elected borough councillor for Heene (Image: The Argus)
She said: “We’ve been let down by 15 years of austerity under consecutive Conservative and Labour governments.
“It’s clear now the choice in Worthing is against division and chaos that would have come with a Reform wipe-out and people are voting for hope and hard work with the Green Party.
“People want to have something different than managed decline. People are done with the traditional parties, they want a different, better, hopeful kind of politics that serves all of the people.
“The Greens that have been elected today absolutely commit to working hard, listening to the people of Worthing and to serving them.
“We are beyond delighted.”
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