Given the continuing crisis the result of the Croydon Council elections is probably the best result possible. No Party is in overall control. With 34 seats Labour is the largest party, with the Conservatives having 32, and the Liberal Democrats having broken through to win by one seat and the Greens two. Even when the vacancy caused by Jason Perry’s election as Mayor is won by the Conservatives, they will still be one seat behind Labour. The Liberal Democrat and the 2 Greens could be holding the balance of power.
Given that Jason Perry only became Mayor on a 580 vote majority, and with the two main parties closely balanced he and they will have to find ways to work together. There is no role for hard line party politics which could prevent any significant reforms and rebuilding of the finances from happening.
Turnout
While the overall turnout of voters was 35% it varied from as low as 24.45% in Fairfield and 48.36% in Sanderstead. The low turnout in many wards is a disgrace showing the inadequacies of both major parties in failing to have a vibrant visible public campaign involving streets stall, motorcades, public meetings to enthuse those who did not vote to take part. Clearly those who did vote seem to have been more influenced by the Croydon Labour’s mismanagement than the national issues of the cost of living and Partygate. But the Tories did not have a landslide. It is regrettable that Andrew Pelling did not do well in the Mayoral election did not get re-elected in Waddon. The Council has lost a member who could have made an important contribution.
Labour Needs To Rethink
Labour needs now to be very humble and completely rethink the way it operates stopping the right’s attacks on the left, rethinking how to motivate Party members, and stop the uncritical sycophantism. It will need to appoint a Leader who is not contaminated by the mismanagment. If Jason Perry invites any of the former Labour Cabinet members to be so again they should decline to accept, should not be members of Scrutiny and become backbenchers.
Perry’s Big Agenda
Perry has a big agenda, including that outlined by his colleague Robert Ward. One of the most difficult is going to be changing the culture of management which continues to show incompetence in service delivery and contempt of residents. Trying to blame the COVID crisis for some of this will not wash.
| Ward | Tory | Labour | Other Parties | Turnout |
| Addiscombe East | Jeet Bains | Maddie Henson | 43.04% | |
| Addiscombe West | Sean Fitzsimons, Clive Fraser & Patricia Hay-Justice | 32.01% | ||
| Bensham Manor | Humayun Kabir, Enid Mollyneaux, & Eunice O’Dame | 28.17% | ||
| Broad Green | Sherwan Chowdhury, Stuart Collins & Manju Shahul-Hameed | 26.52% | ||
| Coulsdon Town | Mario Creatura, Ian Parker & Luke Shortland | 39.33% | ||
| Croydon South | Maria Gatland & Michael Neal Jason Perry elected but as elected as Mayor there will be a by-election. | 38.41% | ||
| Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood | Patsy Cummings & Nina Degrads | Claire Bonham (Lib Dem) | 37.92% | |
| Fairfield | Robert Clark | Ria Patel & Esther Mary Sutton (Greens) | 24.45% | |
| Kenley | Gayle Gander & Ola Kolade. | 39% | ||
| New Addington North | Adele Benson | Kolapo Agboola | 25.63% | |
| New Addington South | Lara Leigh Fish Tony Pearson | 26.82% | ||
| Norbury & Pollards Hill | Leila Ben-Hassel & Matthew Griffiths | 30.96% | ||
| Norbury Park | Alisa Flemming & Appu Srinivasan | 35.33% | ||
| Old Coulsdon | Margaret Bird & Thampi Sherine | 45.79% | ||
| Park Hill and Whitgift | Jade Appleton | 42.07% | ||
| Purley and Woodcote | Simon Brew, Samir Dwesar & Holly Alice Ramsey | 37.42% | ||
| Purley Oaks & Riddlesdale | Alasdair Stewart & Endri Llabuti | 39.41% | ||
| Sanderstead | Yvette Hopley, Lynne Hale & Helen Redfern | 48.36% | ||
| Selhurst | Catherine Wilson & Mohammed Amirul Islam | 26.08% | ||
| Selsdon and Addington Village | Joseph Lee Robert Ward | 41.69% | ||
| Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Andy Stranack, and Badsha Quadir | 40.90% | ||
| Shirley North | Sue Bennett Richard Rishi Chatterjeee Mark Paul Aaron Johnson | 35.38% | ||
| Shirley South | Jason Cummings & Scott James Roche | 38.78% | ||
| South Norwood | Louis Carserides, Christopher Herman & Stella Nabukeera | 30.39% | ||
| Thornton Heath | Karen Jewitt, Tamar Nwafor & Callton Young | 30.24% | ||
| Waddon | Simon Fox | Rowenna Davis & Ellily Ponnuthurai | 31.68% | |
| West Thornton | Janet Campbell, Stuart King & Chrishni Reshekaron | 27.15% | ||
| Woodside | Michael Bonello, Amy Foster & Brigitte Graham elected. | 33.12% |
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