AS THE first Brexit Party candidates for Sussex are announced, it is clear the next election will be a very interesting one.

It is tempting to doubt how well Nigel Farage’s party will do in an upcoming election, considering how smaller parties always falter in our electoral system.

But, as polls indicate, the Brexit Party does have a wealth of support in many Conservative strongholds in Sussex.

It would not be wise for Tory MPs in these constituencies to ignore them, as the end result could see them usurped by a Brexit candidate or beaten by Labour thanks to a right-wing split vote.

It will be very interesting to see what alliances are made between parties in Sussex. As a traditional Tory heartland, it will be absolutely crucial for Boris Johnson to keep a majority in Parliament.

But Labour will certainly seek to extend its reach in the South East after wins in Hove and Kemptown.

The Brexit Party, meanwhile, knows a lot of its supporters will come from Leave-supporting constituencies in Sussex such as Worthing and Bognor.

There are talks of a Conservative-Brexit Party pact, especially if Mr Johnson becomes desperate for a majority, which could see success for both parties but could lead to Remainer rebellion.

On the other hand, perhaps Labour and the Lib Dems will try to avoid infighting in the Remain camp and concentrate on marginals where they are most likely to win.

Either way, we are in for a very interesting election, whenever it may come.

Only when it does will we know just how popular the Brexit Party is, and how many resources it has.