The Argus • 31/03/2025

MPs condemn government’s ‘reckless’ Spring Budget

On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves used her spring statement to announce a series of public spending cuts in order to balance the books without raising taxes. Following the Spring Statement, Liberal Democrat MP James for Lewes has said that the Chancellor “missed her chance” to deliver the change needed for his constituents, whilst Tory MP Mims Davies for East Grinsted and Uckfield called it “reckless”. Liberal Democrat MP James for Lewes in the House of Commons (Image: House of Comm...

The Argus • 28/03/2025

Academic says university must ‘move on’ from free speech row after investigation

The Office for Students (OfS) issued a record penalty of £585,000 to the university after an investigation ruled it had failed in its duty to uphold freedom of speech on campus. The investigation, which took nearly three-and-a-half years, came after protests called for the dismissal of former academic Professor Kathleen Stock in 2021 over her views on gender identity. University of Sussex in Falmer (Image: Eddie Mitchell) Writing for the online magazine UnHerd today, professor Stock said...

The Argus • 24/03/2025

Councils will get millions more to fix potholes - if they prove they are fixing them

From mid-April, local authorities will start to receive their share of the Government’s record £1.6bn highway maintenance funding, including an extra £79m for the South East.  This includes Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC), West Sussex County Council and East Sussex County Council. But to get the full amount, all councils in England must now publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work.  Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will...

The Argus • 22/03/2025

Protest held against welfare reforms in Brighton city centre

Supporters of Crips Against Cuts Brighton (CACB), a disabled-led pressure group, were demonstrating at the Clock Tower, Brighton on Saturday. The demonstration aimed to raise awareness of the “devastating impact” that the recently announced cuts will have on local residents. The £5 billion of savings, through the welfare reforms, will largely come from changes to eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), but also from a reduction of the health element of universal credit,...

The Argus • 17/03/2025

Council wants to turn hospital building into 500 social housing units

Deputy Council Leader Jacob Taylor said the authority wants to work in partnership with owners Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust to create social housing at the  Brighton General Hospital site in Elm Grove. This would include turning the Arundel Building into housing units, while also supporting the trust in building a long-awaited health hub on the land.Deputy Council Leader Jacob Taylor and Cllr Ty Galvin in front of Brighton General Hospital (Image: Ramy Abou-Setta/The Argus) Cllr Tay...

The Argus • 13/03/2025

School could be shut for five days over strikes protesting job cuts

Parents, teachers, students and politicians gathered outside Western Road Community Primary School in Lewes on Wednesday morning for the first day of strike action. The National Education Union (NEU) has called for five more days of strikes due to the proposed reduction of teachers and teaching assistant positions in the school. Strike days coming up include:  March 18, March 20, March 25, March 26, and March 27. The school, which according to parents is already "oversubscribed and h...

The Argus • 09/03/2025

Plans revealed to permanently block off busy road to prevent 'rat run'

Brighton and Hove City Council has proposed a traffic regulation order to the junction of Fonthill Road and Newtown Road in Hove. Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport, parking and public realm, said: “This is designed to reduce vehicle speed, to limit the use of these residential streets as rat runs, and to make this area safer for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and the community as a whole." The proposed plans by the council (Image: BHCC) READ MORE: Brighton potho...

The Argus • 07/03/2025

Cabbies' pothole fury as driver says constant swerving makes him look drunk

But Brighton and Hove City Council said tackling potholes is a "real priority" and welcomed a large increase in funding to help with road maintenance. Andrew Peters is part of the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association - which consists of drivers from across the city. READ MORE: Large pothole has been discovered on A259 in Brighton He said potholes across the city are so bad, he has had to tell customers he is not drunk - just swerving around the trenches in the road. Andrew sai...

The Argus • 06/03/2025

The 8 key issues from Brighton and Hove's budget discussed by top councillor

Last week, the council put forward its budget for 2025/26 totalling around £1.1 billion, which was backed by the cabinet members. Speaking with the Argus, deputy leader of the council Jacob Taylor, who is also cabinet member for finance and city regeneration, shared details about the priorities of the council within this budget, the reason for cuts in some sectors and why the council will be paying back £2.2 million for the next 14 years. "If we go back to September, we published a budge...

The Argus • 03/03/2025

Sussex hospital trust delivers biggest waiting list reduction in entire NHS

The reduction achieved by University Hospitals Sussex accounted for nearly one-fifth of England’s total reduction in 2024, according to the trust. Dr George Findlay, the trust’s chief executive, said: “Clearly, too many people are waiting too long to access hospital services, and I wish to apologise to everyone who continues to wait for treatment at one of our hospitals. “However, it’s also important we acknowledge and commend the hard work and innovations of our teams in Sussex, especia...

The Argus • 28/02/2025

Council staff taken to hospital after suspected 'airborne issue' in Brighton office

Brighton and Hove City Council had to close its offices on Thursday in Bartholomew House, Brighton after two council staff working there "required medical attention". Jess Gibbons, chief executive of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “As a precaution, due to concerns that it may have been caused by an airborne issue, we took immediate steps to close the building while investigations were undertaken." The offices will be closed to staff until Monday. Bartholomew House in BrightonS...

The Argus • 27/02/2025

MP slams 'outrageous' decision by council to close care facilities across county

East Sussex County Council held its cabinet meeting on Tuesday where the a vote was passed to close and slash support for several social care facilities in the county, including the Phoenix Centre, Milton Grange, Linden Court in Eastbourne and Hookstead in Crowborough. It was branded the 'council's darkest day' by critics. This decision, which was confirmed following a consultation with nearly 3,500 people, means the end of 'essential' services in East Sussex for elderly people and those...

The Argus • 25/02/2025

City residents can opt-out of controversial weed killer scheme

Brighton and Hove City Council has announced that residents who live on roads that have existing 20mph zones and have fewer than 100 homes can opt-out of the council's weed maintenance programme.  The council currently uses a "controlled droplet application" of glyphosate, a controversial weed killer, to treat weeds in the pavement. It say that it is necessary to keep on top of weed growth and ensure roads and pathways are accessible and clear for all. Councillor Tim Rowkins, cabinet mem...

The Argus • 25/02/2025

Sussex man who runs Ukraine drone factory says 'we have to keep fighting'

Richard Woodruff, from East Sussex, travelled to Lviv in western Ukraine in June 2022, just months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The 31-year-old said that he was moved by the atrocities in Bucha, where war crimes were allegedly carried out by the Kremlin’s occupying forces, and decided to volunteer. The former publisher spent his first year in Ukraine delivering humanitarian aid to the front line and to help people cut off from society due to the Russian invasion. He...

The Argus • 25/02/2025

MP campaign to let young people work in EU wins government backing

Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary for Lewes presented a Ten-Minute Rule Bill on January 15 calling for the UK Government to negotiate a new Youth Mobility Scheme. The proposed arrangement by James, who is the Lib Dem spokesman for Europe, would grant young people, usually aged between 18-30, short-term visas to live, work, or study across the Channel - without reopening free movement. At the time, the MP said that the government "talked a good game" but so far "they’ve failed to show a...

The Argus • 22/02/2025

Drivers to face more than a month of traffic delays on busy road

SGN has placed temporary traffic lights on Western Road, Brighton, which will be in operation until March 19 at the earliest. The gas company is carrying out emergency repairs to their gas network along Western Road between Brunswick Place and Cambridge Road. A spokeswoman said: "Our work began at the end of January and we expect it to be completed around March 19. "Our progress was delayed by the discovery of a damaged water main, which has now been fixed. "Because repairs are r...

The Argus • 21/02/2025

Union raise concerns with council about public health job cuts

Brighton and Hove Unison says it has been monitoring the recent events with "mounting alarm" as Brighton and Hove City Council release the latest budget papers that confirm spending cuts to the public health sector. The union has said that the majority of the workforce that will be impacted by the spending costs are their members. The union agreed with issues brought forward by Councillor Tristam Burden, the former cabinet member for adult social care, public health and service transform...

The Argus • 17/02/2025

Sussex MP calls for Eurostar to return to South East

Helena Dollimore MP for Hastings met with the Rail Minister, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on Friday to discuss the restoration of Eurostar services to Ashford International. Helena is among a group of MPs from the South East region who have been campaigning to bring back the international services to Ashford and Ebbsfleet. Eurostar suspended their services to Ashford and Ebbsfleet in 2020 and have not resumed in the five years since. (Image: Helena Dollimore MP) READ MORE: Sussex spar...

The Argus • 13/02/2025

Residents and businesses vote on future look of the Marina

The vote is taking place today between 7am to 10pm at the Estate Office Board Room in Brighton Marina.  The public has a say as to whether the Brighton Marina Neighbourhood Plan should be adopted by Brighton and Hove City Council. One of the referendums is for residents, and the other is for businesses. The polling station for both referendums will be the Estate Office Board Room in Brighton Marina (Image: UMPF) The neighbourhood plan will set policies for development and create...

The Argus • 09/02/2025

Academy trust stops running schools in Sussex after backlash over finances

The University of Brighton Academies Trust (UBAT) has decided it will no longer be running the 14 schools it was responsible for. The trust has asked the Department of Education to re-assign them to other academy trusts. UBAT operated schools in Shoreham, Crawley, Burgess Hill, Hastings, St Leonards and Lindfield but none in Brighton and Hove. Hastings Academy (Image: Google Maps) Parents, teachers and politicians have been campaigning against the trust after it was found that it kep...