Send us Fan Mail

Sussex & Surrey Soapbox – SPECIAL: Local Elections Roundtable, Featuring: 

Cllr Richard Biggs (Conservative) - Leader of Reigate and Banstead BC, Councillor for Horley West and Sidlow.

James Tidy (Reform UK), Vice Chairman of Reform UK, Crawley.

Cllr Abigail Chapman-Miller (Labour) - Parish Councillor & sits on East Surrey Executive Committee.

Cllr Mark Smith (Independent) - Councillor in Redhill and sit on Reigate & Banstead BC.

Cllr Bob Lanzer (Conservative) - West Sussex County Council Councillor and cabinet member for Public Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Crawley BC.

Hosts: Tony Williams, Clive Hilton and thank you to Jacq Inwood for production assistance.

--

Only 1 in 3 people vote in local elections… yet the outcomes shape our everyday life — from the state of the roads and high streets, to the cost of your housing and even how quickly you can see a GP.

So why do so many people feel disconnected from local politics?

In this special episode, recorded in Copthorne ahead of polling day on 7 May, we bring together voices from across the political spectrum — Conservative, Labour, Reform UK and an Independent councillor — to move beyond slogans and confront what residents across Sussex and Surrey are actually saying.

We put the real, unfiltered comments from local Facebook groups to the panel and challenge them to respond to the issues people care about most — and the answers aren’t always comfortable. Tony and Clive help turn up the heat to ensure a BS, word-salad free answer!

From housing pressures and crumbling infrastructure to immigration, council tax and the growing toxicity of online debate, this is a frank, grounded conversation about trade-offs, accountability and whether local leaders are truly listening AND serving the community.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your vote across Sussex & Surrey really makes a difference — this episode is for you.

Please share with others and we would love to hear 👉 What one change would improve your town most?

Key Topics:

• 90-second pitches from Conservative, Labour and Reform on priorities and misconceptions 
• Raw resident feedback 'what ONE thing need fixing in this town': potholes, roads, housing, drugs, lack of leadership, councils/councillors, litter, high street decline and immigration (well over 50 responses).
• Housing crisis: supply vs affordability, social housing and rising rents 
• Infrastructure lagging behind development: roads, GPs, schools and transport 
• Local government shake-up: unitary authorities, devolution and democratic accountability 
• Party politics vs grassroots councils: should local decisions be less political? 
• Social care pressures, stretched budgets and the reality behind council tax rises 
• Potholes and road maintenance: funding, quality and long-term fixes 
• Immigration and asylum: hotel use, processing delays and policy tensions 
• Civility in politics: social media toxicity and its impact on public service 
• Gatwick expansion: economic opportunity vs local impact

Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.