Tens of thousands of local residents have urged Croydon Council to hold a referendum for a directly elected Mayor of Croydon on May 6 next year. 

Today (Sept 3), a campaign led by local Residents’ Associations and supported across the political spectrum, including members of the ruling Labour Party, handed in a petition to the Council with over 20,000 signatures. 

This is well in excess of what is legally required to trigger a referendum for a directly elected Mayor for Croydon.

The leaders of the campaign called on Croydon Council’s leadership to confirm the referendum would take place on May 6 next year, the same day as the London Mayor and Assembly elections are already due to be held.

Joanne Milligan, Vice Chair, Croydon South Labour Party, said:“This campaign is about what is best for democracy and best for Croydon – not which political party is in charge. Residents’ Associations, members of all political parties and of none, have come together to change the way local government in Croydon works – to boost accountability.

“We want to change the system so that whichever political party the Mayor comes from, they have to listen to people right across the Borough from Norbury to Coulsdon and New Addington to Waddon.”

The Campaign for a Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon (DEMOC) states ina press release that  there are ‘many good reasons’ why the people in Croydon want a directly Elected Mayor.  Underlying all of them is the belief that the current council system ‘doesn’t work’ for residents – whoever is in power, half the Borough is ignored because of Croydon’s specific political landscape where the north of the borough votes Labour and the south votes Conservative, it says. DEMOC adds that the Council ‘doesn’t listen and often doesn’t seem to care’ what large parts of the community think.

Croydon Council leader Labour councillor Tony Newman is in the midst of leading the council through one of its worst crisis  as it faces huge billion pound debt, resignation of chief executive Jo Negrini  and hundreds of job cuts. 

The council has also become the first to seek emergency financial assistance from the government in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown and is facing issuing a Section 114 which is effectively bankruptcy. 

Chris Philp, Conservative MP for Croydon South, said: “As the local Conservative MP, you would expect me to disagree with Croydon’s current Council on a wide range of issues – from their indiscriminate approach to granting planning permissions to the abject failure to deliver the regeneration of Croydon’s town centre; from the huge cost overrun on the Fairfield Halls refurbishment to the near bankruptcy of the borough’s finances.

“But the root of many of these problems stems from the way the Town Hall works. A directly elected Mayor would dramatically increase the accountability of those who run our town locally.”

The Council’s action in response to the 20,000 signatures on this petition, secured despite lost months from the Covid lock down, will be a good indicator of their approach to democracy and accountability, says Gerry Meredith-Smith, Chair of the DEMOC (Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon) campaign.

At present Croydon Council operates a ‘Strong Leader Model’ which concentrates all local authority executive power in the Council Leader. This is exactly the same as with a Directly Elected Mayor but crucially a Mayor will be elected directly by the 275,000 voters across Croydon, whilst a Leader is chosen by Councillors of the majority Party rather than by the voters.

He added: “There is a desire for change in our Borough and a lot of momentum behind the idea of a referendum for a directly elected Mayor. Will the Council listen to the will of the people and go ahead with a referendum on May 6 next year? Will the Council now give people the choice over how their town is run and how those responsible are chosen by and accountable to the people?

“Or will they hide behind Covid legislation, using it as an excuse to ignore what a large number of the people of Croydon now demand? Will they prioritise holding on to their current positions and allowances for a few more months, rather than giving the people the chance of a better system and a better future for our town?”

At present Croydon Council operates a ‘Strong Leader Model’ which concentrates all local authority executive power in the Council Leader. This is exactly the same as with a Directly Elected Mayor but crucially a Mayor will be elected directly by the 275,000 voters across Croydon, whilst a Leader is chosen by Councillors of the majority Party rather than by the voters.

The Campaign for a Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon (DEMOC) is supported by the following Residents’ Associations :- Addington Village, Croham Valley, Hartley and District, Kenley and District, Purley and Woodcote, Sanderstead and Whitgift; as well as the local Conservative Party and Croydon South Labour Party.