The four main political parties have already announced 10 candidates for the three seats in Brighton and Hove for the general election on Thursday 4 July, with two still to be chosen.
And two of the seats have new names after a boundary review. Brighton Kemptown becomes Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven. Hove becomes Hove and Portslade. Brighton Pavilion keeps the same name.
The Brighton Pavilion contest is likely to be the most keenly fought, between the Greens and Labour.
The seat is held by Britain’s first and only Green MP Caroline Lucas, 63, who is due to leave the House of Commons when Parliament is dissolved next Thursday (30 May).
She was first elected at the 2010 general election and has held the seat at elections in 2015, 2017 and 2019 – each time with more votes, a bigger share of the vote and a bigger majority.
The Greens have selected former party leader Siân Berry, 49, who was a member of the London Assembly until she stood down earlier this months – days after having been re-elected. She also stood in the London mayoral elections in 2008, 2016 and 2021.
Labour has picked Tom Gray, 47, a musician, songwriter and music industry activist. His selection was announced last December after he defeated the comedian and actor Eddie Izzard.
Labour would need a 17.2-point swing to win the seat from the Greens after Caroline Lucas polled 33,151 votes in 2019 and was returned with a majority of 19.940.
The Conservatives are in the process of choosing their candidate in what was once a safe Tory seat but which former Brighton Borough Council leader David Lepper won in 1997. He held the seat in 2001 and 2005 and retired in 2010.
The Liberal Democrats have chosen 22-year-old Ashley Ridley, a football coach, retail and youth worker. He stood in East Worthing and Shoreham at the last general election, coming third in a seat won by the sitting Conservative MP Tim Loughton.
At least two other candidates are expected to stand in Brighton Pavilion – Carl Buckfield for the SDP (Social Democratic Party) and Don Goghrod for the Workers Party.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle, 37, is one of seven candidates so far in the contest for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven. The Labour MP won the seat from the Conservatives in 2017 and held it in 2019.
The Conservative candidate is Khobi Vallis, 34, a communications director and former civil servant.
The Greens have selected former councillor Elaine Hills, a university lecturer, who represented Hanover and Elm Grov ward on Brighton and Hove City Council until May last year.
The Liberal Democrat candidate is Stewart Stone, 65, a former recruitment consultant who lives at Brighton Marina. Mr Stone grew up in Brighton and went to school at Varndean in the 1970s.
The Party of Women founder Kellie-Jay Keen, 49, a child safeguarding and women’s rights campaigner, also plans to stand.
Two other parties have named candidates for the constituency – the SDP has selected Valerie Gray and the Workers Party has picked Elaine Ghoneim.
Labour MP Peter Kyle, 53, hopes to keep his seat in Hove and Portslade. He is currently the Shadow Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary in the party’s frontbench team in the Commons.
Mr Kyle won the seat from the Conservatives in 2015. He increased his majority substantially at the 2017 and held the seat with another big majority – of 17,044 – at the 2019 election.
The Conservatives are in the process of choosing their candidate in what was a safe Tory seat until 1997. The Conservatives won the seat back in 2010 but lost in 2015 when the late Mike Weatherley stood down.
The Green candidate is Sophie Broadbent, who works to help the advertising production community measure and reduce carbon use.
The Liberal Democrat candidate is Michael Wang, an immigration lawyer.
Two other candidates have been announced. Martin Hess has been picked by Reform UK and Tanushka Marah plans to stand as an Independent.
Polling day is Thursday 4 July.
What a poorly written article, spelling, grammatical errors ! And how can peacehaven and Hove become Hove & Portslade wards? Very weird.
Such a shame students being allowed to vote, ruin our city. They only live in the city temporarily – And don’t contribute to the wellbeing of it.
1. Original: …article, spelling, grammatical errors !
Correction: …article, with spelling and grammatical errors!
2. Original: …how can peacehaven and Hove…
Correction: …how can Peacehaven and Hove…
3. Original: …allowed to vote, ruin our city.
Correction: …allowed to vote, ruining our city.
4. Original: …temporarily – And don’t contribute…
Correction: …temporarily and don’t contribute…
5. Original: …to the wellbeing of it.
Correction: …to its wellbeing.
Students are alllowed to vote because that’s the law not some B&H policy. to boost the green vote.
If you had bothwred to check before you anti student rant you’d have seen that term at Sussex Uni ends on 1st June so non local students will have likely returned home a MONTH before the election so unless they all arrange postal votes or physically retutn to Brighton on election day I’d say that very few will vote here and most will vote at their home addresses. That’s if they are even registered to vote here in the first place
Term at Brighton ends on 7th June so the above applies there as well.
Students will dominate the vote, Hamas supporters no doubt, no candidates from the reform party so another 4 years of Brighton being a socialist dive of skint council and haven for immigrants. I’ll spoil my ballot thanks
As I wrote most of them won’t be here for the election.
Nominations don’t close until the end of next week so time for Reform to find a candidate and nominate.
Reform… Because Boris Johnson wasn’t enough of a moron for you lol
Kellie-Jay Keen standing against LRM will certainly put the cat among the pigeons. She won’t win, of course, but there’ll be some interesting hustings.
I had to look her up…and I’m deeply concerned that I did. What an extremely vile and hateful individual. She does realise this is Brighton, one of the most accepting communities in the UK? Her brand of bigotry won’t be welcome.
Hateful and a bigot for daring to say biological sex is real, women and girls have rights? Bigotry against women and girls is ok? We really need to get past the default that everyone who questions trans ideology is hateful, a bigot. I don’t agree with everything KJK is (reported) to have said, but respect her right to say it, and she- like other (mostly) women have been attacked and targeted, literally mobbed, death threats- the works, and then attacked more for daring to fight back rather than quieten down, disappear and crumple like a good little woman? Sincerely hope you are not endorsing or inciting that?
No, I think she’s bigoted for having strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life. That is the very definition. She then takes those to far-right extremism and inspires violence and hatred in that demographic. Naturally, she is allowed to say those things, and I am allowed to disagree with those things. I don’t disagree with everything Rosie Parker says, unfortunately it’s conceptualised in fearmongering.
Her gender doesn’t concern me, the content of her words, and the hatred they endorse do. And to enforce my assertion that her brand of bigotry won’t be welcome, we only need to look back to September 2022 when her brand of bigotry was counterprotested in Brighton and wasn’t welcome.
Rookie mistake! KJK doesnt have a “gender” or “gender ID” like at least 99.5% of UK population. KJK like 100% of population has a sex & like 51.0% of population of England & Wales her sex is female. ONS #Census2021
PS
0.6% lesbians – female & homosexual described as “bigots” by transgender extremists for their ‘protected characteristics’ i) sex & ii) sexual orientation
0.95% gay males – ditto
ONS #Census2021
Benjamin eh? so the whole of society is constructed around sex: male so of course u dont care about disadvantage of female popn (not excluding transmen). According to ONS 1 in 13 raped at least once since 16 ct 1in 409 males. incidence density (no of times) will be higher too.
B&H “accepting” eh but effectively banning survivors & victims from NHS care for medical symptoms of fenale specific rape trauma.
Looks like Benjamin needs to educate “them”selves before they vote. Kjk wont be elected but at least she will make a few people actually *think* about implications for women & children. At no small risk to herself.
Firstly, you are arguing the semantics of gender vs sex whilst completely missing the point of what I was saying, and the discussion around things like genderless, gender-neutral, or neutrois is really not what I’m looking to discuss here. If Kellie wants to argue about protecting potentially vulnerable people, that’s something I could get behind – but she isn’t.
Kellie is claiming that transgender people, specifically MTF, are sexual deviants. It is a harmful stereotype that unfairly maligns transgender individuals. This kind of rhetoric perpetuates fear and misunderstanding, contributing to discrimination against transgender people. Such statements are not based on evidence but rather on prejudice and bias, which are characteristic of bigotry.
And to reinforce what I said, as you’re misrepresenting what I said, no one should ever be subject to violence because of their views, however, her bigotry will be called out for what it is, if history repeats itself.
Beyond that, even as an advocate for this person, and getting back to the actual topic of this article, you think she’s going to lose so it begs the question, why bother being involved in the first place in Brighton of all places? Feels like someone who desperately wants a platform that otherwise would be sidelined for having extremist views.
Benjamin – I think you’ll agree that a few minutes looking someone up doesn’t necessarily bring us the accurate information. I witnessed first hand how Kellie-Jay Keen’s Let Women Speak event in Brighton was attacked and I’ve witnessed first hand the mysogeny of LRM. Good luck to her.
Of course, people are allowed to have different points of view and perspectives, which ironically, is exactly what her brand of consistent bigotry campaigns against. And of course, no-one should be attacked physically for their opinions, we use our words. I know this is one of your topics of interest; the safety of individuals is certainly reasonable, but the hatred of a demographic is not.
Please tell us a single bigoted thing she said? Standing up for the rights of women and children over predatory men used to be praised, we called those women our heroes. Quite how in thrall to group think you are I don’t know – but I applaud Kellie standing and I know she will make a difference to vulnerable women and children in our city
Absolutely. One example is that in an interview with Jordan Peterson in August 2023, she insinuated that an MTF working in underwear would likely sexually assault her and her daughter, and that her daughter would likely be exposed to a penis.
It is a harmful stereotype that unfairly maligns transgender individuals. This kind of rhetoric perpetuates fear and misunderstanding, contributing to discrimination against transgender people. Such statements are not based on evidence but rather on prejudice and bias, which are characteristic of bigotry.
I don’t agree with the woke brigade but I do agree with the right to freedom of expression.
Quite a simple concept, everyone has the right to freedom speech but if you don’t agree with a persons political beliefs then vote against them. Simple. I am a white British man who has had relationships with black women and have mixed race kids. I still get racist comments when out and about in so called ethnically diverse Brighton.
The whole point I’m trying to make is that everyone has a right to live life as they see fit. It would be a boring world if we were all the same
She is brave and she stood up for the rights of women and children.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP has consistently demonstrated a troubling tendency to prioritise the rights of entitled, men over the safety and well-being of women and children. His track record reveals a pattern of misogynistic behavior and policies that undermine the protections and rights of vulnerable groups. Russell-Moyle’s stance on various issues reflects a disregard for the fundamental realities of sex and the importance of evidence-based decision-making, showing a dangerous willingness to sacrifice the welfare of children at the altar of ideology.
One stark example of this is Russell-Moyle’s support for policies that allow self-identification of gender without sufficient safeguards, potentially opening the door for predatory individuals to exploit these measures. Such policies disregard the legitimate concerns of women and girls about their safety in single-sex spaces like bathrooms, changing rooms, and shelters. Instead of advocating for a balanced approach that respects the rights and safety of all individuals, Russell-Moyle’s actions suggest a troubling indifference to the potential harms his positions could cause.
In stark contrast, Kellie-Jay Keen stands as a beacon of protection for vulnerable women and children. Keen, a prominent advocate for women’s rights, has consistently fought to ensure that the safety and dignity of women and girls are not compromised by policies that prioritize ideological over evidence-based approaches. She understands that acknowledging biological sex is crucial for maintaining the integrity of spaces and services designed to protect women and children.
Keen’s advocacy is grounded in a commitment to safeguarding the rights of women and children, ensuring that their voices are heard and their concerns addressed. She recognizes the importance of protecting these groups from the potential dangers posed by ill-conceived policies that ignore the realities of sex. Her work highlights the need for a sensible, evidence-based approach to gender issues, one that does not sacrifice the rights of one group for the perceived rights of another.
As the upcoming election approaches, it offers a critical opportunity to shine a light on the abhorrent misogynistic views held by those who dismiss the importance of sex and evidence in policy-making. It is a chance to expose the harmful ideologies that threaten the safety and well-being of children and women, and to advocate for a more balanced, protective approach.
Kellie-Jay Keen’s candidacy against Lloyd Russell-Moyle is not just a political contest; it is a battle for the soul of our society’s approach to gender issues. Keen represents a voice of reason and protection, advocating for policies that genuinely safeguard the vulnerable. Her potential election would signify a victory for common sense, evidence-based policy, and the protection of women’s and children’s rights. It is a chance to reject the dangerous ideologies that have taken root and to affirm that the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable must always come first.
Nice to hear from you Kellie-Jay.
With radical feminist nonsense like that you won’t be getting your deposit back.
Thank goodness neither you nor Kellie-Jay Keen live in Brighton.
I’ve lived in Brighton since 1982, my entire family was born here, my house has been in my family since the nineteen forties. I know this town better than you.
Who are you?
They forgot to change their alias.
LMAOOO I had a feeling some of these accounts were dupes, looks like someone forgot to switch their name. that’s brilliant and also explains so much.
interesting how KJK is mentioned briefly in this article and somehow the people who never comment on anything else suddenly swarm here, you can scroll the front page and tell from the number of comments and it’s always the same people. this whole site is sus.
LRM has consistently been abusive to women on the Kemptown Residents Forum, recently likening a female Jewish moderator to ‘Hitler’. A complaint has apparently been made to Labour, but it would seem they only care about misogyny and antisemitism when there is not an election looming. If anyone wants a laugh ask to join the residents’ forum on Facebook and read his late night rants. Unhinged!!!
Oh, I checked it out. She argues with everyone who disagrees with her biased views just reading back. She’s not a great debater, comes off as unhelpfully ranty.
Bless her.
Blah blah blah. Science denying bigots who use recycled homophobic tropes to attack marginalised people aren’t welcome here. Evidence based care is gender affirming care. Quack Cass’s stitch-up doesn’t change the actual evidence. And self-ID only refers to allowing people to change their birth certificate, marriage certificate, and have the correct gender on their death certificate. It doesn’t allow anyone access to anything at all. People don’t need a GRC to go for a pee. That’s why over a dozen countries have introduced self-ID without any of the lies from the bigots coming to fruition in any of them. This city’s full of queer people who have seen it all before and recognise the lies, rhetoric, and tactics used by Kellie-Jay and the far right fascists she sides with. KJK quite happily works with people like Tucker Carlson who had multiple allegations of sexual misconduct made against him and is anti-feminist. She happily handed the mic to a well known forced birther last year. She doesn’t even call herself a feminist; ‘party of women’ – ha. Sure. TERFs need to get back under their rocks.
Labour will have the vote from the new mayor
“The Party of Women founder Kellie-Jay Keen, 49, a child safeguarding and women’s rights campaigner, also plans to stand.”
Umm, no. World famous transphobe doesn’t equal safeguarding children or caring about women’s rights. She also has ties to the far right.
Well, Kemptown certainly got a lot more interesting!