Former leader wanted the very best for the people of West Sussex

For nearly a decade Louise Goldsmith was seen as one of the most influential political leaders in West Sussex.

She was not merely the leader of the county council but her profile was such that she was an intrinsic part of everything it did.

That passion for both the council and the county it served was a powerful, potent mix.

She wanted the very best for the people of West Sussex and her commitment to the environment in particular, one of her reasons for now leaving the Conservative Party, was without question.

Naturally, her tenure in the top office was not without controversy.

Attempts to improve the A27 around Chichester proved the most contentious, with the community divided on whether they wanted a new northern route – vigorously opposed by the north – or improvements to the existing line of the road which risked isolating the southern communities.

Despite her best efforts at finding a common way forward, the current impasse was a major disappointment for all concerned and continues to contribute to widespread congestion in the city centre – exacerbated by endless house building which was only ever accepted on the basis of an improved route.

By 2019 the bad headlines in this newspaper were coming thick and fast.

Children’s services in West Sussex were transferred to an independent trust after a Department for Education report found there had been ‘inadequate and ineffective leadership’ from the county council. And the £190,000 per year chief executive Nathan Elvery left by mutual consent – with, subsequently, a shockingly substantial £265,000 financial settlement.

It was the equivalent on a local scale of Margaret Thatcher’s poll tax debacle and no-one was surprised when Mrs Goldsmith decided to hand over the reins.

This newspaper supports no political party. We are proudly neutral. But it is a moment of note that such a strong champion of the county has felt unable to remain in the political party she had served with such vigour for so many decades.

Her landslide political victory in 2017 was a high water mark in her time in office and reflected on so many achievements for the council.

Her politics and the dreadful succession of tribulations in 2019 apart, we wish Mrs Goldsmith well in the future and signal to her our respect for always having the courage of her convictions.