The Conservatives have selected the party’s candidate to run to be the first mayor of Sussex.
Katy Bourne, 60, was chosen this afternoon (Thursday 31 July), seeing off three challengers – the former East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton, 63, the former Hastings and Rye MP Sally-Ann Hart, 57, and 65-year-old Paul Marshall, the leader of West Sussex County Council.
Mrs Bourne currently serves as the Sussex police and crime commissioner, having won the election for the role four times.
She said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been selected as the Conservative candidate for the first mayor of Sussex.
“I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me and assure Conservative members across our beautiful county that I will work hard for you all and do my utmost to make you proud.
“It’s been a long campaign and I’d like to thank Paul, Sally-Ann and Tim for stepping forwards. I wish them every success for the future.
“I am absolutely delighted to have been selected as the Conservative candidate for the first Mayor of Sussex. I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me and assure Conservative members across our beautiful county that I will work hard for you all and do my utmost to make you… pic.twitter.com/vykS0zBHAc
— Katy Bourne OBE (@KatyBourne) July 31, 2025
“I’d also like to thank my amazing team of volunteers and activists – none of this would be possible without you.
“For now, my work as police and crime commissioner continues and I look forward to the mayoral campaign ahead and securing the very best deal for Sussex.”
The new mayor of Sussex is expected to have responsibility for policing, effectively taking over the police and crime commissioner’s duties.
Mrs Bourne said that she would have six priorities as mayor.
- Sussex homes – building the right homes in the right places with the right infrastructure.
- Get Sussex moving – with roads that work, not more road works.
- Grow Sussex – with innovation and investment.
- Sussex skills – with education to unlock doors and skills to open them.
- Safer in Sussex – more police, out on the streets, solving more crime.
- Healthy Sussex – promoting public health as a shared responsibility.
The first election is due to take place in May next year.
Mrs Bourne said that she had won Sussex-wide elections to be the police and crime commissioner four times – from the first PCC election in 2012.
She won again in 2016, 2021 and last year when the poll was held just weeks before Labour swept to victory at the general election.
So far, her only serious rival appears to be Daniel Yates, 52, the former Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.
Mr Yates, who works in the NHs in Sussex, has also served as a councillor on Adur District Council and as a member of the Greater Brighton Economic Board and the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
