Katy Bourne has been selected as the Conservative candidate for the new office of Sussex Mayor. To party loyalists, she may seem the obvious choice after twelve years as Police and Crime Commissioner. But this is not a reward for competence. It is a political appointment based on profile, not performance. Voters should not be fooled. Bourne is not fit for the role, and her record offers more cause for concern than confidence.
The Sussex Mayor will control serious levers of power. These include transport, housing and spatial planning, adult education and skills, economic development, environmental strategy, and coordination between local authorities. This is a job for someone with deep and varied experience in public service delivery. It is not a role for a one-issue politician with a track record of missed targets and media spin.
The Conservative selection process was internal, and Bourne had the support of several sitting and former Members of Parliament. That support carried weight. But it also shut out the one contender who brought direct experience in the policy areas the mayoralty will oversee. He was not selected. She was. The result reflects loyalty and name recognition more than merit or ability.
Bourne’s only significant role in public office has been as Police and Crime Commissioner. Before that, she was a district and parish councillor. Her business background consists of running a small dance and leisure company, which she sold twenty years ago. None of that qualifies her to design housing frameworks, lead regional transport strategy, or manage skills and investment plans. These are not communications exercises. They require competence, not visibility.
And the one area she has led — policing — continues to underperform. The most recent inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate, published in July 2025, found that Sussex Police still requires improvement in crime investigation. There are not enough trained staff. Supervision is inconsistent. Cases are delayed. Victims wait too long for justice and many investigations go nowhere. This is not an unfortunate blip. It is the result of long-term failure under her direct oversight.
The force was rated good in only one area, contact with the public. Every other category was judged either adequate or worse. That includes protection of vulnerable people, offender management, and crime prevention.
Bourne has recently said that rebuilding trust in the police is now her top priority. But this comes after twelve years in which trust has declined and outcomes have weakened. Her public image has often relied on polished communications and managed appearances rather than visible reform or hard results.
Now she wants to expand that same style of leadership across every major public service in Sussex. There is no evidence she has ever delivered transport reform, launched an education programme, driven environmental policy, or coordinated regional investment. There is no record of strategic collaboration across sectors. This is not a natural step up. It is a sideways move by a political figure known more for consistency of presence than consistency of delivery.
For Reform UK, her selection is a gift. Her record invites challenge. Her policing legacy offers little to defend. Her lack of relevant experience in wider policy areas creates an open goal for opposition candidates. This is not a difficult target. It is an invitation.
The Sussex mayoralty is a chance to do things differently. It is a chance to drive growth, invest in skills, build housing, and create a connected region that works for towns, cities, and rural communities alike. But that will not happen under someone who has never done any of those things.
Katy Bourne is not the competent regional leader the Conservatives claim. She is a familiar name put forward for a job that requires very different skills. If she could not fix Sussex Police in twelve years, why should anyone believe she can fix everything else?
Sussex deserves leadership based on substance, not just time served. It deserves delivery, not decoration. And voters deserve better than a closed internal appointment shaped by recognition rather than readiness. Reform, Labour, and independent candidates will find much to say. Bourne’s candidacy makes their job easier.