Andrew Griffith MP recently joined Richard Freeman on the ‘Sussex and the City’ podcast for a conversation about rural Sussex, small business, devolution and what it would take for places like Midhurst, Petworth and the South Downs to have a stronger voice in national and regional decision-making.
Episode 51 of the regional podcast, released on 6th July, discussed local and national perspectives on devolving power from Whitehall to the regions, and what the opportunities and impacts could be for residents in Sussex.
The conversation delved into topics including planning – described by Andrew Griffith as being ‘tragically slow,’ which he said is not just a problem of the local planning authorities, but also of Westminster’s making with rules and policies.
Andrew said that the Sussex countryside with its farmers and growers is a really big UK footprint in economic industry. Tourism, farming, sustainable food growing and natural capital are burgeoning areas that Sussex has a good contribution to make. He warned that the natural strengths of Sussex should not be undermined by building all over it in a pre-emptory and unthoughtful fashion.
On devolution, Andrew Griffith said he is supportive of the principle of devolution so that the smartest decisions can be made closer to local people. But he warned that governments don’t really ‘do’ devolution instead adding extra layers while still ultimately controlling the purse strings.
He said he wants the best for communities and that he would work with every layer of government. Andrew said that a benefit of devolution might be a greater alignment around improving the A27 route in the West Sussex sections, as a major East/West route of economic importance. He recognises one reason that progress has not been made is that there has not been ‘one clear voice’ in how to deliver this. Andrew suggested that a new Sussex mayor, with influence over strategic transport decisions, could broker a consensus which would be a great thing.
Andrew Griffith said he is a fan of not having a “one-size-fits-all” mayoralty model. He suggested that lessons can be learned from watching emerging mayoralties in Cambridge and Peterborough that share similar characteristics with Sussex.
The MP remarked that Sussex’s history and heritage is something local people feel strongly connected to through events such as the jousts at Loxwood and Arundel. He hopes that a mayor can celebrate Sussex and help to 'lift' the things we should be most proud of onto the national stage.
The MP said the biggest marker of success for a mayoral authority could be a greater prominence, common pride and recognition of people from Sussex. He concluded that if there is to be real devolution, then Sussex needs agency to solve issues over Whitehall with a coherent agenda.
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Sussex And The City is an independent and non-political project, clarifying the major reorganisation affecting Sussex and Brighton in 2026 and beyond. - https://lander.alwayspossible.co.uk/home-1
