Jess Brown-Fuller, West Sussex’s newly elected Member of Parliament, has used a public opinion piece to press Prime Minister Andy Burnham to tackle three pressing issues she says are undermining services and the environment across the county.
Social care needs urgent attention, MP warns
Brown-Fuller told readers that social care can no longer be treated as a second-term issue. She argued that unless the country reforms how it delivers social care and stops treating it as a poor relation to the health service, the whole system will struggle to function.
"I want our country to succeed and thrive for every person, and we need politics to work well if that is to be possible."
The MP emphasised that both the "front and the back door" of the health system must be addressed — signalling concerns about hospital discharge pressures and the capacity of community and residential care to meet demand. She did not set out a specific plan in the piece, but framed reform of social care as foundational to restoring a working health system.
Devolution and a Sussex mayor — questions over powers and fairness
Brown-Fuller welcomed the prime minister’s advocacy for devolution but warned that the model must recognise Sussex’s differing local identities. She asked what concrete powers a potential mayor for Sussex would hold for strategic investment and how such investment would be distributed so that parts of West Sussex do not miss out in favour of Brighton.
Her comments follow long-standing local concern that a single mayoralty or regional arrangements can concentrate resources in urban centres, leaving coastal and rural communities disadvantaged.
Delay on local government reorganisation leaves councils in limbo
The MP criticised the government’s recent delay in deciding the future shape of local authorities in West Sussex. Brown-Fuller said the postponement came after warnings from district councils and MPs that the proposed plans would leave the coastal authority — covering Arun, Adur and Worthing — with a £45 million deficit on day one, effectively rendering it insolvent and unable to deliver services.
Councils, she said, have been left without clarity while still expected to prepare for elections to the proposed unitary councils in May 2028. That uncertainty, she warned, hampers planning and raises the prospect of service disruption for residents.
Water companies and environmental accountability
Brown-Fuller also called on the prime minister to take firmer action against water companies that are polluting rivers, seas and harbours. She referred to a recent government report showing that Southern Water had pleaded guilty in court proceedings — an example, she suggested, of companies not facing sufficient consequences for environmental harm.
- Priority 1: Social care reform to support the NHS and community services.
- Priority 2: Clear devolution plans that ensure fair investment across West Sussex.
- Priority 3: Stronger enforcement and penalties for water companies polluting local waterways.
| Issue | Local impact |
|---|---|
| Social care | Pressures on hospitals and community services; calls for integration with health services |
| Devolution | Risk of uneven investment favouring Brighton over parts of West Sussex |
| Local government reorganisation | Delay creates planning uncertainty; coastal authority faces a reported £45m deficit |
| Water company pollution | Damage to rivers, seas and harbours; concerns over weak enforcement |
As West Sussex councils and communities await government clarity on reorganisation and broader policy direction, Brown-Fuller’s intervention frames these issues as immediate tests of the new administration’s willingness to act. Residents concerned about local services and environmental standards will watch closely to see whether ministers prioritise practical solutions over further delays.
