Voting has started in the general election, with 20 candidates vying to represent the three Brighton and Hove constituencies in the House of Commons.
And voters will choose at least two new MPs after the departure of Green MP Caroline Lucas and Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle.
Ms Lucas, Britain’s first and only Green MP, has stood down after 14 years of representing Brighton Pavilion, having built a majority of almost 20,000.
The seat has attracted eight candidates and is widely seen as a two-way contest between Siân Berry, for the Greens, and Tom Gray for Labour.
The Conservative candidate Sarah Webster was a latecomer to the contest for a seat held by her party until 1997.
The other candidates are Steve Ai (Independent), Carl Buckfield (SDP), Mark Mulvihill (Reform UK), Ashley Ridley (Liberal Democrat) and Citizen Skwith (Official Monster Raving Loony).
In Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, Mr Russell-Moyle, who won the seat from the Tories in 2017, was suspended by Labour shortly after the election was called. He denies any wrongdoing.
In his place, Labour selected Chris Ward, a former speech writer for Sir Keir Starmer. He is expected to hold the seat in the face of a challenge on two fronts.
His main challengers are Elaine Hills, a former Green member of Brighton and Hove City Council, and Conservative candidate Khobi Vallis.
The three other candidates are the Liberal Democrat Stewart Stone, Valerie Gray (SDP) and Emma Wall (Independent).
In Hove and Portslade, Labour shadow cabinet minister Peter Kyle, who has represented the area since 2015, is standing again and remains the clear favourite. He is defending a 17,000 majority.
Mr Kyle won the seat from the Conservatives and they look likely to provide the main challenge, with Carline Deal running for the Tories.
But the conflict in Gaza has added an extra dimension to the contest, prompting Tanushka Marah to run as an Independent.
Her backers include David Maples, who has stood locally for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), and former Labour councillor Anne Pissaridou who left the party after claims of anti-semitism which she denied.
The other three candidates are Sophie Broadbent (Green), Martin Hess (Reform UK) and Michael Wang (Lib Dem).
A council by-election is also taking place in Brunswick and Adelaide ward after Labour councillor Jilly Stevens stood down because of ill health. Five candidates are contesting the seat.
Labour hopes that Alice Burton will hold the seat while the Greens hope that Ollie Sykes will win it back for them. He represented the ward for eight years until he stood down in 2019.
The other three candidates are Chris Woodley (Brighton and Hove Independent), Jamie Gillespie (Independent) and Claire Lachlan (Liberal Democrat).
Polling stations are open until 10pm for voters in both the general election and the by-election today (Thursday 4 July). Photo ID is required for those voting in person.
Votes are due to be counted overnight at Portslade Sports Centre. The Press Association (PA) has estimated the time when results are expected to be declared.
- Brighton Kemptown – 3.45am
- Brighton Pavilion – 4.30am
- Hove – 4.45am
Brighton and Hove News will be at the count and will bring you the results as soon as they are announced.
Respect to all candidates and voters.
We probably all want a better UK and a better world for everyone, and only disagree on how to get there.
I hope everyone will be respectful and sympathetic to others. It’s all only personal opinion, different life experiences, and seeing the world in different ways. Politics is a horrible, sordid and necessary evil, but those of us that are not politicians can play the game, but rise above it. I’m pretty sure that whatever happens from here on in, nothing will make an ounce of difference.
Democracy. Accept the terms and conditions, and respect the outcome in a decent and respectful manner.
The Tories are going to get the result they’ve made for themselves. I hope they learn and reinvent, as Labour have done since 2019. I hope we never experience anything like the last ten years ever again.
Absolutely, to stand for election is to open yourself up to the criticisms of the masses, and quite honestly, we can be pretty nasty. Takes a lot of bravery to make a stand for what you believe in politically.
Thanks are due to all the poll workers who will be working for over 15 hours today just to allow people to vote.
Then there are a separate set of counters and other officials dealing with the actual count tonight into the small hours.
Yes they get paid but it’s not a lot in the scheme of things.
And these are the people who make our democracy work yet are under appreciated and often abused.
Still dying to know what nonsense got Lloyd Russell Moyle fired off the ticket. Oo er Mrs🤣
Especially if it was raised historically vexatiously, most certainly want to know if that’s the kind of underhanded tactics being used.
Style in Hove, of course, where the polling station at the Museum, brings a walk through two galleries of Matisse’s late, 1950-54 cut-outs. A chance to linger cheeringly on the way in and out.