Horsham Lib Dems re-select Sam Raby and select Jay Mercer for Roffey South

The Horsham Liberal Democrats have made their selections for Roffey South Ward, for the upcoming Horsham District Council elections in May 2023.

Cllr Sam Raby will stand again in Roffey South, defending his hard fought seat after his December 2021 by-election win helped reduce the Conservative majority.

The Lib Dems are also proud to have selected West Sussex County Cllr Jay Mercer to stand with Sam. Jay currently represents a large portion of Roffey South residents as their West Sussex County Councillor for Horsham East Division.

Sam said, “Jay and I already have a strong working relationship, as my ward and his division overlap. We’ve worked well as a team, as between us we have been able to direct resident concerns to the right council and demand action.”

Jay added, “I would welcome the opportunity to represent Roffey South on Horsham District Council. Liberal Democrat support has been growing across Roffey and Horsham district for years. Re-electing Liberal Democrats in Roffey will help us increase our numbers overall on the Council helping to steer a better agenda than the current Tories' chaotic mess.”

Horsham Lib Dem Group Leader, Martin Boffey said:

"Sam Raby hit the ground running, and has been working hard for Roffey South residents since his election. He also serves as our Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing & Community, advocating for the strongest response from the Council to the on-going cost of living crisis.

"Having also worked closely with Jay Mercer since his WSCC election in 2021, I know he will help cement that important link, advocating on behalf of residents at both Horsham District and County Hall, and showing how Horsham Lib Dems work as a united team."

Former Lib Dem and current sitting Cllr Alan Britten was not re-approved by the Lib Dems to stand as a candidate.

Sarah Ullmann, Chair, Horsham Liberal Democrats, explained:

“We have high expectations of all our Lib Dem councillors and are proud of the efforts that they make on behalf of residents. Alongside Alan’s district councillor role, he also serves as Chairman of North Horsham Parish Council. In practice this significantly limited the time he could devote to HDC. Alan’s average attendance at HDC meetings was less than 50%. I’d like to thank Alan for his contribution over the last four years and we wish him well for the future.”