LD took this seat from Con after 4 consecutive elections.
MP News Approval i
+72
Alison Bennett
Liberal DemocratsAlison Bennett is the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Sussex, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. She currently undertakes the role of Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Care and Carers).
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Sign up freeCoverage of Mid Sussex has been mixed for Alison across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: A rare condition should not mean rare care” — Sussex Express
“Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Supporting people in later life” — Sussex Express
Represented by LD since 2024. Covers Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint. Population 103,391. Recorded crime is 59% below the national average.
London Harness Horse Parade delights Mid Sussex in the Easter sun
Sussex Express · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£33,800
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£50,400
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
4,510
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
38
23 primary, 5 secondary, 10 other
Total Income Tax▼
£574m
from 56,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£3,640
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£10,300
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
50.0
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
72.6%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
2 large towns, 2 towns, 1 village, rural areas — 98,395 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
34 councillors across 18 wards · Last elections: May 2023
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardingly Balcombe Turners Hill | Conservative and Unionist Party | Gary Marsh | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Jenny Edwards | May 2023 | |
| Burgess Hill Dunstall | Liberal Democrats | Mike Kennedy | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Mustak Miah | May 2023 | |
| Burgess Hill Franklands | Liberal Democrats | David Christopher Eggleton | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Janice Marie Henwood | May 2023 | |
| Burgess Hill Leylands | Green Party of England and Wales | Anne Eves | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Simon Hicks | May 2023 | |
| Burgess Hill Meeds Hammonds | Liberal Democrats | Robert Eggleston | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Tofojjul Hussain | May 2023 | |
| Burgess Hill St Andrews | Liberal Democrats | Christine Angela Cherry | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Matthew Alan Cornish | May 2023 | |
| Burgess Hill Victoria | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Peter Jack Chapman | May 2023 |
| Cuckfield Bolney Ansty | Conservative and Unionist Party | Jim Knight | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Malcolm Ronald Avery | May 2023 | |
| Downland Villages | Conservative and Unionist Party | Geoff Zeidler | May 2023 |
| Hassocks | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Patrick Hobbs | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Kristian Johannes Berggreen | May 2023 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Sue Hatton | May 2023 | |
| Haywards Heath Ashenground | Liberal Democrats | Duncan Pascoe | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Richard Stemp Bates | May 2023 | |
| Haywards Heath Bentswood Heath | Liberal Democrats | Alison Clare Rees | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Anthony Peter Platts | May 2023 | |
| Haywards Heath Franklands | Labour Party | Paul Kenny | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Rod Clarke | May 2023 | |
| Haywards Heath Lucastes Bolnore | Liberal Democrats | Abdul Bashar | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Lucraft | May 2023 | |
| Haywards Heath North | Conservative and Unionist Party | Sandy Ellis | May 2023 |
| Hurstpierpoint | Liberal Democrats | Alison Bennett | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Rodney Thomas Hayden Jackson | May 2023 | |
| Lindfield | Liberal Democrats | Anne-Marie Cooke | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Cavan Wood | May 2023 | |
| Lindfield Rural High Weald | Conservative and Unionist Party | Lorraine Nunes-Carvalho | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Paul Brown | May 2023 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| LD | 21,136 | 39.6% | |
| Con | 14,474 | 27.1% | |
| Lab | 9,397 | 17.6% | |
| Ref | 5,921 | 11.1% | |
| Green | 2,048 | 3.8% | |
| Ind | 352 | 0.7% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2024 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 33,455 | 53.3% |
| LD | 15,258 | 24.3% | |
| Lab | 11,218 | 17.9% | |
| Green | 2,234 | 3.6% | |
| Ind | 550 | 0.9% | |
| Ind | 47 | 0.1% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 35,082 | 56.9% |
| Lab | 15,409 | 25.0% | |
| LD | 7,855 | 12.8% | |
| Green | 1,571 | 2.5% | |
| Ind | 1,251 | 2.0% | |
| Ind | 464 | 0.8% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 32,268 | 56.1% |
| Lab | 7,982 | 13.9% | |
| Ind | 6,898 | 12.0% | |
Won 2024 GEWon 2019 GE | LD | 6,604 | 11.5% |
| Green | 2,453 | 4.3% | |
| Ind | 958 | 1.7% | |
| Ind | 329 | 0.6% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 28,329 | 50.7% |
| LD | 20,927 | 37.5% | |
| Lab | 3,689 | 6.6% | |
| Ind | 1,423 | 2.5% | |
| Green | 645 | 1.1% | |
| Ind | 583 | 1.0% | |
| Ind | 259 | 0.5% |
Alison Bennett has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
16 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
The London Harness Horse Parade took place at the South of England Showground in West Sussex, attracting over 50 entries showcasing historic carriage driving and horse welfare standards. The event celebrates a tradition dating back to 1885 and has relocated to the area due to rising costs and London's ULEZ restrictions.
Young people aged 16-24 from across the region created an advertisement for Wakehurst botanic gardens near Haywards Heath, focusing on conservation and biodiversity. The project is being repeated this year with calls for expressions of interest from creative young people.
SASBAH, a Sussex-based charity supporting disabled adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, is fundraising for its annual Breakaway weekend trip through a golf day at Haywards Heath Golf Club on June 10. The event aims to raise £10,000 to fund the three-day break for around 70 disabled participants at Lodge Hill Centre near Pulborough, which provides outdoor activities and respite care for families.
South Downs Amateur Boxing Club in Burgess Hill, founded by University of Brighton graduate Lisa Houston and coach Shaun Stepney, is providing accessible boxing sessions for all ages and abilities while supporting youth intervention through the Reboot scheme. The club has become a community hub offering specialist programmes including sessions for children, women, and individuals with Parkinson's, and is currently crowdfunding to expand operations.
A six-month pond restoration project at a Mid Sussex nature reserve near Haywards Heath has been completed by the charity Wildlife For All. The project demonstrates successful wildlife habitat management and the charity is now recruiting volunteers for future conservation work.
Mid Sussex District Council's food waste recycling programme has collected over 2,200 tonnes of food waste in its first four months, exceeding national deadline expectations. The scheme has significantly boosted the district's recycling rate from 43% to 56%, demonstrating strong community engagement and environmental progress.
East Grinstead Sports Club is investing £450,000 to upgrade its hockey and 3G football pitches this summer, with work beginning in May. The project aims to enhance facilities for local players and the wider Mid Sussex community, funded through club reserves, a Sport England grant, and a supporter loan.
West Sussex has received nearly £300 million in funding through Growth Deals, supporting 87 regeneration projects across 34 locations over five years, with extensions planned to 2030. The programme has improved town centres, created jobs, and supported new housing, with projects including upgrades in Burgess Hill and other areas relevant to the region.
Sussex Police conducted an operation in Mid Sussex that seized 11,400 cigarettes and 6.4kg of hand-rolling tobacco worth approximately £5,960 from local businesses, disrupting illegal supply chains. The operation involved the Regional Organised Crime Unit, Trading Standards, and local Neighbourhood Police, with authorities emphasizing the link between illegal tobacco and organised crime.
MP Alison Bennett describes her Easter recess visit to Café Neuro, a support service for carers and people with neurological conditions in Burgess Hill, and outlines her advocacy for better housing and support for older people in Mid Sussex.
A community events listing for Hurstpierpoint, a village within Mid Sussex, covering local cultural, social, and recreational activities including music performances, horticultural talks, bowls club sessions, and cinema screenings scheduled for April and May.
A Friend In Need, a volunteer end-of-life companionship service at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust, has supported nearly 1,000 patients and families in its first year. The programme is expanding to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, which serves Mid Sussex constituents.
Mid Sussex District Council has extended a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to combat car cruising and dangerous driving through March 2029, following strong resident support in a consultation. The extension covers Burgess Hill, the A2300/Jobs Lane corridor, and the Birches Industrial Estate, with data showing the PSPO has reduced incidents from 73 to 30 between its initial introduction and August 2025.
Burgess Hill hosted Easter craft sessions where 47 children created Easter bonnets at The Hub, followed by a colourful parade through the town centre led by the Easter Bunny. The event, organised by Burgess Hill Town Council in partnership with local creative community groups, was well-received and created a positive atmosphere in the town centre.
Sussex MPs, including the Mid Sussex representative, publicly endorse a chronic fatigue and long Covid charity for its valuable support work in the community.
Haywards Heath Town had a successful Non League Day with over 1,000 attendees and a 5-1 victory over AFC Varndeanians, featuring Premier League legends and the trophy. However, their title challenge was dented by a surprise 2-1 midweek loss to Lancing, leaving them three points behind leaders Steyning ahead of a crucial Monday fixture.
The Co-op store in Whiteman's Green, Cuckfield, has reopened following a four-week refurbishment that expanded shopfloor space, added a Costa Coffee Express, and improved energy-efficient refrigeration. The store supports 13 local jobs and now offers enhanced services including online delivery options and soft plastic recycling.
Rampion 2, a major offshore wind farm extension project with onshore infrastructure in Mid Sussex, has received development consent and is progressing toward future funding rounds. The project faces opposition from environmental campaigners over ecological concerns and suitability of Sussex Bay, though the developer RWE denies reports of funding setbacks and remains committed to the scheme.
GSF Car Parts has opened a new 6,855 sq. ft. branch in Burgess Hill with nine full-time staff and four delivery vans, offering car parts and services to independent garages and motorists across the area. The opening represents continued investment by GSF in the South East region.
A man from Horley suffered gangrene in his foot after a slip injury and endured a 13-hour wait in A&E at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton without antibiotics, resulting in toe amputation and extensive surgery. His mother's account highlights severe NHS A&E overcrowding and poor patient care standards, with concerns about systemic failures in the trauma centre.
SASBAH, a Sussex-based charity supporting around 1,000 people with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, is launching a fundraising appeal for its 32nd annual Golf Day at Haywards Heath Golf Club to fund the Breakaway 2026 weekend programme. The event offers respite care and activities for disabled people and their families across Sussex.
MP Alison Bennett discusses the postcode lottery affecting Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) patients, highlighting how access to essential speech and language therapy varies across England depending on where patients live. She advocates for consistent commissioning of therapy services across all Integrated Care Boards and argues that healthcare should not depend on how rare a condition is or a person's location.
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