Worthing Borough Council leader to stand in general election

Worthing Borough Council leader Beccy Cooper has been confirmed as the Labour Party candidate for West Worthing at the next general election.

By Thomas Hanway, local democracy reporter

Published 24th Nov 2023, 13:45 BST

Worthing Borough Council leader Beccy Cooper is to stand in the next general election. Picture: Adur & Worthing Councils

The council Labour leader stood uncontested to become Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for the constituency and was confirmed as the party’s choice on Monday, November 20.

Announcing the decision on X, formerly Twitter, Dr Cooper said she was ‘incredibly pleased and proud’. She also ran for Labour in West Worthing in the 2019 general election, losing to incumbent Conservative MP Sir Peter Bottomley, who has been the MP for West Worthing since the constituency was created in 1997, and an MP since 1975.

In 2017, Dr Cooper was the first Labour councillor to be elected to Worthing Borough Council for 41 years, following a by-election in Marine ward. She was re-elected in 2021 and became leader of the council in May, 2022, when Labour took control of the council from the Conservatives.