Presiding over, but not necessarily altogether happy with the way his Kingdom is going.

Andy Wooley is the Reform UK, Leader at East Sussex County Council (ESCC), at time of writing in June 2026. He is new to life in the macrocosm that will tie his hands, as he is forced by the officers to tow the party line

Where a crime is reported to a serving public official, or comes to their attention, that if they fail to act to protect the victim of crime, in this case, the wrongful conviction of Victor von Woolfe, that they are guilty of an offence, after R v Dytham 1979. The moment he is gagged, that is when he hits the slippery slope of lies and deception. As our fictional account of this story, based on real events, portrays.

The fact that ESCC was involved in the planning corruption from 1986 onwards, until the Petition in 1997, and further complaints to Sussex police, that were not investigated, meant that ESCC could not be party to any investigation into Victor von Woolfe due to the perceived conflict of interests, as per R v Sussex Justices 1924.

But that did not stop them, they did not recuse themselves. Quite simply because, investigation by an independent local authority would have shown that the allegations against Victor were false. And that would never do, allegedly.

SUSSEX WORLD 21 MAY 2026 - Reform UK forms minority administration to run East Sussex County Council

Reform UK has formed a minority administration to run East Sussex County Council.

On Thursday (May 21), East Sussex county councillors met for the first time since the local elections.

Councillors elected Andy Woolley, leader of the council’s Reform UK group, as their leader. He said he had spent 40 years working in London’s insurance market.

He said: “Let me direct about what we are here to do. This council must protect the services that matter most —adult social care, children’s services, SEND — they are not line items in a spreadsheet, they are the point of this council’s existence.

“We will lobby the government hard for funding that reflects the true cost of care in this county like ours.”

Cllr Woolley was elected with 25 votes. Some 21 votes were cast by Reform councillors, with the remaining coming from the three Conservative councillors and independent Stephen Shing.

Neil Cleaver, Reform UK councillor for Hailsham New Town, was not present for the meeting. The LDRS understands that he was unable to attend as a result of being called to jury duty.

Conservative group leader Paul Redstone, councillor for Northern Rother, set out why his group had voted the way it did. He said: “Let me be absolutely clear; there have been no deals — either formal or informal — with Reform, the Liberal Democrats or Greens.

“As Conservatives we care deeply about our community and the three of us will seek to be the voice of reason. We will be constructive opposition looking at each issue on a case-by-case basis, at all times thinking about the interests of the residents of East Sussex. We will seek to hold Reform as the executive to account.”

Cllr Shing said: “Cllr Wooley and I have found common ground on a number of local issues and the need to make the best use of the council’s limited resources. While we do not agree on many things, I believe that we can work together constructively in the interests of the residents.”

The council’s other 24 councillors — made up of 13 Liberal Democrats and 11 Green Party councillors — voted for Lib Dem group leader Kathryn Field.

Cllr Field set out what she saw to be the greatest challenge facing the council. She said: “The authority has a huge debt — £201m currently and, I understand, rising. We have also taken out a loan to pay a £55m budget deficit. This is an enormous strain on everybody.”

She added: “We need a repayment plan, which doesn’t hurt residents. For years, governments have paid lip service to adult social care and … the NHS … however, funding has to reflect this.”

Green group leader Julia Hilton said to Cllr Woolley: “As Greens we pride ourselves on collaboration, so where there is common ground and an ambition to be better we will happily contribute our knowledge and experience to the future shaping of services and hope that you will be open as an administration to working with all of us across the chamber in that endeavour.

“I was pleased to hear that you are wanting to focus on local issues and that you as leader want to distance yourself from some of the more extreme elements of your party.”

Martin Kenward, Reform UK councillor for Bexhill East, was elected as the council’s chairman.

Voting followed the same pattern as the election of Cllr Woolley, with the three Conservatives and Cllr Shing voting in his favour. Other councillors supported Kelvin Williams (former Wealden district planning officer), Liberal Democrat representative for Uckfield North.

Part of the chairman’s role includes the ability to use a casting vote to break any ties. Cllr Kenward was called on to use this ability during the meeting; breaking a tied vote to see Reform UK’s Victoria Carson elected as the council’s deputy chairwoman.

Cllr Woolley also named his cabinet for the year. It will be made up of: Cllr Pete Morley, lead member for economy; Cllr Stephen Chapman, lead member for resources and climate change; Cllr Mark Estcourt, lead member for adult social care and health; Cllr Daniel Bradley, lead member for children and families; Paul Soane, lead member for Education; and Cllr Peter Griffiths, lead member for transport and environment.

Cllr Woolley will also be lead member for strategic management and economic development in addition to his role as council leader. 

Every time this council makes a mistake, they push their incompetence to the public, to pay for their negligence. Victor's case is just one example of how an agenda to get a campaigner for planning and then criminal justice, into hot financial water. Conspiracy to defraud is a costly matter. Then there are the golden handshakes, with each retirement and non-disclosure agreement. It all adds up.

NOTE: The victim's name has been changed to Victor von Woolfe in this fictionalized docu-drama based on real events.

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/council/reform-uk-forms-minority-administration-to-run-east-sussex-county-council-8602019

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/council/reform-uk-forms-minority-administration-to-run-east-sussex-county-council-8602019