Wealden's two Labour councillors have left the ruling Alliance, which now holds 23 of the 45 seats. A Cabinet reshuffle is to follow.

The Alliance for Wealden still runs Wealden District Council, but now by a single seat. Its two Labour councillors announced on Tuesday 3 November that they were leaving, ending the power-sharing arrangement with the Green Party.

The Alliance now holds 23 of the council’s 45 seats. Before Labour left it had 25. (Wealden District Council, 3 November 2026)

Who is in the Alliance now

The council gives the new make-up as:

  • 12 Liberal Democrat councillors
  • 10 Green Party councillors
  • 1 independent, Councillor Daniel Brookbank MBE

One councillor has also changed party. Councillor Christina Coleman, who represents Danehill and Fletching, has joined the Liberal Democrats after previously sitting as a Green. That is why the Liberal Democrats went from 11 to 12 and the Greens from 11 to 10.

The council’s statement does not say why the Labour councillors left. It says the Alliance “has accepted the Labour councillors’ departure and remains committed to cross-party co-operation”.

A Cabinet reshuffle is coming

Councillor Daniel Manvell is stepping down from the Cabinet. The council’s councillor list still showed him on 8 November as the portfolio holder for Housing, Benefits and Revenues, representing Uckfield North. The other Labour councillor is Councillor Ben Cox, Uckfield New Town.

The council says a reshuffle “will follow and will be announced in due course”. It has not said who will take on housing and benefits.

Crowborough’s councillors

Six district councillors represent Crowborough’s wards. Five of them sit in the Alliance, according to the council’s list on 8 November:

Ward Councillor Party
Crowborough Central Jane Clark Liberal Democrat (Alliance)
Crowborough Jarvis Brook Gareth Owen-Williams Liberal Democrat (Alliance)
Crowborough North James Partridge Liberal Democrat (Alliance), deputy leader
Crowborough South East Andrew Wilson Conservative
Crowborough South West Alison Arthur Liberal Democrat (Alliance)
Crowborough St Johns Martyn Everitt Green (Alliance)

None of Crowborough’s councillors changed sides this week.

What it means for you

  • Day-to-day services carry on as before. Bin collections and council tax billing are run by council staff, not the Cabinet. Our bin day and council tax pages are unaffected.
  • Close votes get closer. With 23 of 45 seats, a single Alliance member voting with a full opposition would be enough to defeat it at full council.
  • The housing brief matters here. Whoever takes Housing, Benefits and Revenues will oversee council housing and benefits for Crowborough too. We will report the new Cabinet when the council names it.