Stand Up 4 Eastbourne

03/06/2026

🚨 WHO WILL ANSWER THE CALL? 🚨

Hundreds of HM Coastguard volunteers have reportedly resigned nationwide.

The reason?

Following a court ruling, changes have been made to the attendance payments previously available to Coastguard Rescue Officers. A Parliamentary petition has now been launched calling for the law to be changed so emergency service volunteers can continue to receive remuneration without losing their volunteer status.

This is not just a national issue.

It matters right here on the Sussex coast.

From Hastings, Eastbourne and Beachy Head, through Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters, to Newhaven and beyond, HM Coastguard volunteers respond to some of the most challenging incidents anywhere in Britain.

They search for missing people.

They rescue walkers stranded on the cliffs.

They respond to emergencies at sea.

They descend dangerous cliff faces, risking their own safety to save lives.

And, tragically, they are often called upon to recover those who could not be saved, bringing closure to devastated families during their darkest moments.

These are not paid employees.

They are ordinary local people with jobs, families and commitments of their own who leave everything behind when the pager sounds.

Their professionalism and dedication were recognised nationally when the Coastguard Rescue Teams at Newhaven, Birling Gap and Eastbourne were awarded the Rescue Shield for their outstanding dedication and courage in responding to challenging emergencies on the steep and dangerous cliffs of the Sussex coast.

Beachy Head is one of the most demanding locations in the country for emergency responders. It has one of the highest rates of su***de interventions in Europe, while the wider Sussex coastline presents constant challenges from cliff falls, missing persons, marine incidents and dangerous tides.

The volunteers who serve our coastline witness things most of us will thankfully never experience.

Their experience, dedication and local knowledge cannot simply be replaced overnight.

If experienced volunteers continue to leave, every coastal community should be asking the same question:

Who will answer the call when the next emergency happens?

Stand Up 4 Eastbourne would like to thank every serving and former Coastguard Rescue Officer for the incredible service they provide to communities across Sussex and the United Kingdom.

You deserve recognition.

You deserve support.

And you deserve a fair solution.

🚨 Please consider supporting the Parliamentary petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/763675

31/05/2026

This is ….

Connecting the South Downs to the North Downs, the 37 mile long Downs Link follows two disused railway lines.

Crossing the Surrey Hills, Low Weald, South Downs and Coastal Plain, the Downs Link is perfect for walkers, horse riders and cyclists.

📸: SDNPA

19/05/2026

🚨 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 - 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀. 🚨
Before the County Council elections, Eastbourne Borough Council promised us a fair, open, unbiased survey on the future of the Carpet Gardens.
Yesterday they published it. And let’s be honest - it’s anything but fair or honest.
🌼 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆?
All of the new style planting - conveniently taken after the rushed pre election colour boost. Not a single image of the old style gardens we’re being asked to compare it to.
💷 𝗧𝗵𝗲 £𝟭𝟬𝟲𝗸 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 to plant and maintain the old style Carpet Gardens?
A Freedom of Information response earlier this year showed the old style cost much, much, less than that. Yet the survey states the inflated figure as if it’s fact.
🌱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 £𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗸 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺?
Council documents show that £100k was the total saving across all parks and grounds maintenance - including reduced verge and grass cutting and park upkeep across the whole town. Not just the Carpet Gardens. So this £106k claim regarding the original annual cost of the Carpet Gardens just does not add up.
📉 𝗧𝗵𝗲 £𝟯𝟬𝟵𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁?
We’re now told it was a 'recording error'. But the Q1 2026 open data - which should confirm this - has quietly vanished from the EBC website. How are residents meant to verify anything?
🗳️ 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹:
How can this possibly be called an open and unbiased survey when:
• the facts are disputed
• the figures don’t add up
• the images are one sided
• and the survey is being run by the very council that promised a neutral third party?
Eastbourne residents deserve transparency. We deserve honesty. We deserve a real choice - not a survey designed to steer us to a pre decided outcome by pushing misinformation and lies.
This isn’t consultation.
This isn’t accountability.
This is a waste of public money and public trust.
It stinks. And Eastbourne deserves better.

07/05/2026

Today’s the day. Vote.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve shared the facts about the last 19 years of the Lib Dem’s running Eastbourne — the decisions, the record, and the reality- that same group want to run the County .

Now it’s over to you.

This election isn’t about national politics.
You’re not voting on immigration.
You’re not voting on the NHS.

You’re voting on local issues —
your roads, your services, your town, your future.

Who do you trust to make decisions about East Sussex and your local area?

Vote for the person you genuinely believe will do the best job, regardless of which Party

But above all — please vote.

Because if you don’t, someone else will decide for you.

Your vote matters.

06/05/2026

🌼 'Determined to make Devonshire and our town an even better place to live.'
That’s what Stephen Holt told Devonshire residents in his artful, deceptive hand scrawled 'letter' to residents - so let’s take a look at what’s actually happened over just the past year 👇

💸 £309,850 spent ripping out the Carpet Gardens and replacing them with what many residents have called a “cat litter tray”. (That is still the official figure published on the council website despite claims of an administrative error)

📝 Thousands signed a petition asking for a public meeting about the Sovereign Centre fiasco - and it was ignored. Cllr Holt said there would be a series of consultations on leisure services instead where people would get the chance to ask their questions. He lied.

🚽 £168,000 spent installing pay‑to‑pee machines in run‑down public toilets so residents now pay £1 to use them.

🏗️ £250,000 'loaned' to Headland Ventures.

🔵 £187,716 on blue hoardings around the Bandstand to hide a demolition plan - then removed after no work done when Historic England intervened.

ℹ️ £60,000 paid to Trafalgar Theatres for tourist information in a council owned building instead of negotiating it into the deal when they transferred the theatre to them.

🏬 £6 million plus lost selling a retail park bought at an overinflated price. We are still paying interest on that loan.

🏛️ Heritage Centre closed.

💦 Splashpad closed.

📚 Beachy Head Story closed.

🌊 £492,000 paid to Wave - with no clear explanation to the opposition or residents as to why.

🅿️ Parking charges increased, some by over 2100%. Free parking on the Downs for residents removed.

And this is just one year, without mentioning the near £35 million disaster around Boutique Modern ...

📚 If we listed all the disasters he has been responsible for since becoming an Eastbourne councillor, it would be longer than War and Peace.

Devonshire residents and Eastbournians deserve transparency, competence, and respect.
You deserve leadership that listens - and delivers.

📅 Please check the facts. Look at the record. Make your voice heard on Thursday. 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘁!

05/05/2026

🚨 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 - 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬 🚨
The Lib Dems are, we’re told, quietly confident about taking Ratton in Thursday’s County Council elections.
They’ve brought in Cllr Jim Murray from Hampden Park as their big hope for the '𝒑𝒐𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒆' .

But before Ratton residents cast a ballot, here are at least four things voters deserve to know so they can do their research and make up their own mind ⬇️

1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Cllr Jim Murray was the cheerleader for the project that tore out Eastbourne’s traditional Carpet Gardens and replaced them with what many residents now call 'the Cat Litter Tray'. 🌱➡️🗑️

2️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Two female Lib Dem councillors left the party within a very short period after making accusations of bullying. One specifically named him. 🚫🤝
(These are their allegations - residents should look them up and decide for themselves.)

3️⃣ 𝗔 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗯 𝗗𝗲𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁
Among other allegations a former Lib Dem Campaign Manager publicly accused Jim of manhandling him at an event. ⚠️
(Again - their claim, not ours. Worth looking at the screenshot of their post below.)

4️⃣ 𝗔 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱
A council officer waived a complaint about Cllr Jim's conflict of interest over a planning application (he was living in the house concerned, whilst also a councillor on the planning committee). The officer stated officers had been unaware of this association as no objections mentioned it.
But several objections did mention it, the documents exist. And we found them. 🗂️🔍

🗳️ Ratton deserves full transparency.
🗳️ Ratton deserves to know who’s asking for their vote.

Please check the facts for yourself, talk to neighbours, and make an informed choice on Thursday.

05/05/2026

The few ruling the many? A bottle neck of authority? Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely?

We need to claim Eastbourne back for the people. This starts with voting Cllr Holt out on Thursday. The people of Devonshire ward - are you hearing us?

04/05/2026

Another letter. Another rewrite of history.

Stephen Holt — Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council — is asking for your vote to be re-elected as your County Councillor in Devonshire Ward.

But where’s the truth about his record?

Nowhere.

No mention of:
❌ Closing the Splash Pad
❌ The attempted closure of the Sovereign Centre
❌ The Bandstand fiasco
❌ Vanity projects burning through public money
❌ A council now carrying around £205 million in debt

Instead, you get carefully crafted lines about “community” and “listening”.

Let’s be honest — this isn’t an outsider promising change.
This is the man in charge of the Lib Dem-run council.

And while residents face cuts and uncertainty, he’s also the CEO of the Business Improvement District.

So he hasn’t just been nearby… he’s been at the centre of it all.

Yet in his letter:
➡️ No accountability
➡️ No ownership
➡️ No honesty

Just a polished appeal that pretends the last few years didn’t happen.

Eastbourne deserves better than spin.

🗳️ On election day, don’t read the leaflet — remember the reality.

01/05/2026

Essential viewing for everyone voting in the county council elections next Thursday.