Croydon has been failed. First by Labour, who left behind a bankrupt council and a mountain of debt. Then by Conservative Mayor Jason Perry, who promised stability but has only delivered more financial chaos.

When Mayor Perry took office in 2022, he inherited a £1.5 billion debt crisis created by Labour’s reckless mismanagement. But instead of restoring financial discipline, Perry has overseen a worsening situation. Despite raising council tax by a staggering 27% over his tenure – one of the steepest increases in the country – Croydon’s debt is now projected to rise to over £2.2 billion by 2027.

That is not financial recovery. That is financial freefall.

To balance books in the short-term, the current administration has relied selling off council assets and taking on even more debt. These are not sustainable solutions. They’re desperate measures. And all the while, costs at the council have continued to spiral out of control.

Let’s be clear: Croydon is not just struggling with numbers on a spreadsheet – we’re struggling with a broken culture at the top of our local government. While vital services are being cut, we continue to fund a bloated senior management structure, with more high-paid Directors and Corporate Directors than almost any other London borough. Meanwhile, over £15 million a year is being spent on external consultants – a figure that has surged under Perry’s leadership.

It’s time for a radical change of approach.

If elected Mayor, my first priority will be to restore financial responsibility and transparency at the council. We do not need both an “Executive Mayor” and a “Chief Executive” – this duplication is costly and unnecessary. We must streamline top-heavy management, cut excessive salaries, and bring an end to wasteful consultant spending.

Croydon residents deserve leadership they can trust – not career politicians from the two parties who have taken turns running our borough into the ground. As a financial planning professional, I understand how to control budgets and make public money work. And as a former bomb disposal officer in the British Army, I know what it means to lead under pressure and make tough decisions.

Croydon cannot afford more of the same. It’s time to fix our finances, restore pride in our council, and put residents first.

The choice is clear: more chaos with Labour and the Conservatives – or real change with the Liberal Democrats.

Richard Howard

Liberal Democrat Candidate for Mayor of Croydon