Reform UK has chosen a serving councillor to be its candidate in the contest to become the first directly elected mayor of Sussex.
The party said: “West Sussex county councillor and veteran Paul Linehan has been announced as Reform UK’s candidate for the first Sussex and Brighton mayoral election.
“Councillor Linehan previously served in the armed forces in the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery before working in various sectors including as a lecturer at the Adam Mickiewicz University, in Poland, and a Detective Sergeant in Surrey Police. He also holds a PhD in Psychology.
“Originally from Yorkshire, Paul settled in the south after leaving the Army and has called Sussex home for more than 20 years. He is married with two daughters aged 20 and 15.”
Councillor Linehan said: “My sincere aspiration for Sussex is to give our residents and businesses a voice in their county.
“I want Sussex to be a county that works for the people who live and work here – a place where public safety is taken seriously, where housing and growth are planned with purpose and where training and opportunity are shaped around local needs.
“These new powers give us the chance to set a clearer direction for Sussex and I want that direction to be grounded in stability, ambition and a real focus on what improves everyday life for residents.”
At the last local elections, in 2021, Councillor Linehan won his seat in the Bramber Castle division, where he lives, as a Conservative.
He is up against Katy Bourne (Conservative), Caroline Baxter (Labour), Rachel Millward (Green), Ben Dempsey (Liberal Democrat) and Martin Webb (Independent).
