Councillor Theresa Fowler was today appointed Mayor of Brighton & Hove at the Annual Meeting of the Council, held at Brighton Town Hall on 21 May 2026.
A Labour councillor first elected in 2019 to represent Hollingdean and Stanmer, and re-elected in 2023 for the newly formed Hollingdean and Fiveways ward, Fowler takes over from Councillor Amanda Grimshaw, whom she served alongside as deputy mayor.
Born in Hong Kong to a British Army family, Fowler grew up in Hollingdean and attended local schools before returning to the area to raise her family and, in 2010, open Fiveways Arts and Crafts. She joined the Labour Party in 2015 and has focused her council work on housing, road safety, environmental protection, and support for children and young families. She is perhaps best known for her successful campaign to ban sky lanterns and balloon releases on public land, now embedded in the council's Public Space Protection Orders.
During her mayoral year, Councillor Fowler will support two charities: Forward Facing, a Sussex-based charity supporting families affected by childhood cancer, life-limiting conditions and bereavement; and Whoopsadaisy, a Brighton charity helping children with cerebral palsy and other motor disorders through Conductive Education and Occupational Therapy.
Cllr Fowler will attend LGBTQ+ community events during her mayoral year.
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