Not only have the Tories lost control of Worthing, they also lost a seat in true-blue Wealden. In a very posh bit of Wealden, too, up in the Ashdown Forest.
Figures for both below:
Wealden – Hartfield
Green Party 598 (55.8 per cent, +12.7 from 2019) Conservatives 467 (44.2 per cent, -12.7)
Green Party gain from Conservatives.
Worthing – Marine
Labour 1,239 (50.2 per cent, +17.6 from May) Conservatives 972 (39.4 per cent, -1.6) Green Party 124 (5.9 per cent, -3.7) Lib Dems 112 (4.5 per cent, -3.8)
Labour gain from Conservatives.
The Hartfield result, with just the Greens standing against the Tories, show what a difference it makes when the anti-Tory vote isn't split between 3 parties (or even 4, if Reform UK are in the mix).