Category: LocalElections2026

With local elections across here in Croydon in May, we speak with Jamie Ahinasi-Blondy, Reform UK candidate for Thornton Heath.

“My mission is simple: to bring genuine common-sense and professional integrity back to our local governance”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

I am Jamie Ahinasi-Blondy, and I am honoured to stand as a Reform UK Council Candidate for Thornton Heath ward.

My mission is simple: to bring genuine common-sense and professional integrity back to our local governance. My commitment to this borough is profound, built on years of living and serving here, particularly in the communities stretching from Thornton Heath to Norwood Junction.

“My service through the church food bank during the pandemic showed me the resilience of our community but also highlighted the urgent need for policies that address everyday struggles”

What do you see as the big issues for Croydon and if elected what would you hope to champion?

As I look at the state of our Council, I am driven by this conviction:

“I stand confirmed as the Reform UK Council Candidate because I believe our community deserves strong, practical representation that puts local people first. Having lived in Croydon for nine years, I have seen both the strengths of our borough and the areas where residents feel let down. My service through the church food bank during the pandemic showed me the resilience of our community but also highlighted the urgent need for policies that address everyday struggles such as cost of living, housing, and local services. Reform UK’s focus on accountability, fairness, and common-sense solutions resonates with my own values. I want to ensure that Croydon residents have a voice that challenges waste, prioritises local needs, and works to restore trust in local government. My commitment is to stand up for ordinary people, to listen carefully, and to act decisively on the issues that matter most to our community.”

That commitment to decisive action is backed by professional competence. For years, I have worked as a Senior Risk Assurance Manager, holding high-level public sector programmes to account. I am a certified expert in governance and fiscal integrity. When I look at the Council’s finances, I don’t see a political problem; I see an assurance failure that my skills are placed to fix.

I will bring that rigour to the Council chamber. I will use my expertise as a Data Analyst to expose waste and drive process optimisation, ensuring we maximise service delivery while reducing the burden on our local ratepayers. My job will be to cut the bureaucracy and ensure that every pound spent on local services —from bin collections to tackling anti-social behaviour—is justified and effective.

I have proven my ability to mobilise the community through my work with the Food Bank and as a Local Advocacy Coordinator. Now, I am asking for your support to take that fight for accountability directly to the Council. We deserve a Council that listens, is financially responsible, and puts local needs first.

Let us reform Croydon together.

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

You can find out more in our booklet ‘CROYDON NEEDS REFORM – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU’.  You can also follow us on Facebook or contact us at chair.croydon@reformuk.com.

“I am asking for your support to take that fight for accountability directly to the Council”

With local elections across here in Croydon in May, we speak with Máté Andrási, Reform UK candidate for South Croydon.

“I am a legal immigrant, a classical liberal, and a patriot by choice who believes that Britain’s strength lies in its values”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

I am a legal immigrant, a classical liberal, and a patriot by choice who believes that Britain’s strength lies in its values, not its identity politics. My career in the technology sector has been dedicated to one thing: efficiency. As an Agile Programme Manager and practitioner of Lean Six Sigma, I specialise in optimising complex systems and ruthlessly eliminating waste.

I apply that same analytical rigour to politics. In Reform, I see a movement demanding common sense. They are the only party brave enough to judge individuals by the content of their character rather than the quotas they fill. My own journey to this country was driven by a respect for British law and liberty—ideals that are currently threatened by weak borders, wasteful spending, and a policing system afraid to enforce order.

“A smaller, sharper council that lives within its means: audit every pound, publish every contract, and put Croydon taxpayers first again”

What do you see as the big issues for Croydon and if elected what would you hope to champion?

Croydon is £1.4 billion in the red and still paying £86 million a year just to service the debt left by decades of failure. Enough. We will freeze all non-essential consulting and agency spend – no more £1.5 million+ vanity contracts – and redirect every saved pound into debt reduction and frontline services.

A smaller, sharper council that lives within its means: audit every pound, publish every contract, and put Croydon taxpayers first again. Not by raising your taxes and issuing more penalties but by stopping waste.

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

You can find out more in our booklet ‘CROYDON NEEDS REFORM – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU’.  You can also follow us on Facebook or contact us at chair.croydon@reformuk.com.

With local elections here in Croydon in May, we speak with Vanessa Calou, Reform UK candidate for Addiscombe East.

“I’m standing because I believe in putting Britain and our communities first and in giving residents a real say in decisions that affect their lives”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

I’m Vanessa Calou, Reform UK’s candidate for Addiscombe East. I am a proud British Chagossian, born in exile after my family were forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands. I’ve lived in Croydon for over 20 years, raised two children (both born at Mayday Hospital) and have long been active locally. My background includes youth counselling and leadership work overseas, a Diploma in Travel & Tourism, more than 15 years at Gatwick as a Passenger Service Agent and union representative, and volunteer service as a BIOT citizen representative and with Citizens Advice. I’m standing to deliver accountable, community-first leadership for the place I call home.

I’m standing because I believe in putting Britain and our communities first and in giving residents a real say in decisions that affect their lives. Reform’s commitment to secure our borders, protect sovereignty and defend our Overseas Territories aligns with my campaign for recognition and self-determination for the British Chagossian community. Having seen how policy affects families, I want to restore integrity, stop waste, and make the council work for ordinary people.

“People want reliable frontline services and safer, cleaner streets”

You’re the prospective candidate for Addiscombe East ward, what are the major concerns in the area?

Residents tell me their top concerns are: the housing crisis and poor-quality housing or delays in repairs; the risk of homelessness for vulnerable families; persistent fly-tipping, litter and poorly maintained public spaces; antisocial behaviour and the need for more visible, effective local policing; parking and local traffic management; and lack of investment in youth services and local schools. People want reliable frontline services and safer, cleaner streets.

More widely what do you see as the big issues for Croydon and if elected what would you hope to champion?

Croydon faces a broken model of council spending and risky property deals, rising bills without better services, a housing crisis, and patchy delivery on basic street maintenance and public safety. If elected I will push for: a full efficiency review of council spending; no council tax rises above inflation until residents see value for money; prioritising decent, safe housing and preventing homelessness; tackling fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour; and stronger investment in education and youth wellbeing. I will also champion recognition and self-determination for the British Chagossian community and ensure local decisions are transparent and accountable.

“Croydon faces a broken model of council spending and risky property deals, rising bills without better services, a housing crisis…..”

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

Visit the Reform UK Croydon Facebook page on the Reform Croydon UK website.  Come to our street stalls and surgeries or get in touch through the campaign contact details on our site. You can help by volunteering to deliver leaflets, door-knock, phone bank, host a small meeting, or simply spread the word locally. If you have a local issue you want me to raise, please get in touch via chair.croydon@reformuk.com — I’m listening and ready to help. You can find out more in our booklet ‘CROYDON NEEDS REFORM – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU’.

With local elections here in Croydon in May, we speak with Gareth Heald, Reform UK candidate for Sanderstead.

“I specialise in driving investment into local areas and helping new businesses open their doors as quickly and efficiently as possible”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

Hello readers, I’m Gareth Heald a seasoned senior property professional with decades of experience leading change, eliminating waste, and driving commercial performance across a wide range of SME, public, and private sector organisations. I began my career in the immigration service at just 16, later gaining experience in banking and security before finding my long-term path in the property sector.

In my current work, I specialise in driving investment into local areas and helping new businesses open their doors as quickly and efficiently as possible. Each year, I support dozens of new ventures across the capital cutting through delays, solving operational problems, and ensuring entrepreneurs can start trading, hiring, and contributing to the local economy without unnecessary barriers. This hands‑on experience has shown me exactly how strong, well‑run services and clear decision‑making can unlock growth and opportunity for communities like ours.

I live in Sanderstead with my fiancée Alessandra, whom I met here in London after she moved from Italy in 2015, along with our son Logan and our sausage dog, Sandy. This is our home, and like many local families, we care deeply about the character, safety, and wellbeing of our community.

I am standing for election in Sanderstead because residents deserve a councillor who will protect what makes this area special and ensure that the services we all pay for actually work. Many people in Croydon have expressed concerns about rising council tax, deteriorating roads, unreliable waste collection, and a Town Hall that has not always responded to local priorities. My professional background has been built on competence, accountability, and value for money and those are the standards I want to bring to local government. If elected, I will work to ensure Sanderstead gets the efficient, responsive services it deserves.

“This is our home, and like many local families, we care deeply about the character, safety, and wellbeing of our community”

What do you see as the big issues for Croydon and if elected what would you hope to champion?

I will push for proper investment in our pavements and roads, stronger action on crime and anti-social behaviour, and real protection for our green spaces against inappropriate development. Sanderstead contributes heavily to the borough; it’s time we had a councillor who ensures we get our fair share back.

This campaign is about restoring pride and common sense to local government. I will fight tirelessly for better bus and transport links, improved street and playground cleaning, tougher action on fly-tipping, and greater police visibility so residents feel safe in every part of our ward. I will challenge waste and mismanagement at every level and work with residents, schools, community groups and the police to deliver practical, local solutions. Sanderstead deserves strong, independently minded representation, someone who speaks up for families, protects our environment, and ensures local voices are heard. With Reform, we can bring real change to Croydon and secure a better future for Sanderstead.

“Sanderstead deserves strong, independently minded representation, someone who speaks up”

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

You can find out more in our booklet ‘CROYDON NEEDS REFORM – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU’.  You can also follow us on Facebook or contact us at chair.croydon@reformuk.com.

With local elections here in Croydon in May, we speak with Nick Collins, Reform UK candidate for Old Coulsdon.

“I have seen how countries in Asia have overtaken Europe and Britain by having sensible policies run by professionals and how the opposite has happened in Britain”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

With a MA in history from the University of Cambridge, I spent a 40 career in the shipping industry and almost as many as a resident of the Croydon area. Working in the City on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.  I have also worked extensively overseas in Tokyo for over 3 years, in Singapore as CEO for over 3 years and in Dubai as a COO for over 5 years all as bases to do business around the world.  Advising large multinational companies on global shipping strategy and I have been involved in thousands of deals.

I have seen how countries in Asia have overtaken Europe and Britain by having sensible policies run by professionals and how the opposite has happened in Britain. I will bring commercial rigour into local government so taxpayer money is not wasted and more can be retained by voters/taxpayers – the way more prosperous societies are created.

I have also authored books on how shipping works and after retirement a wrote a three volume history of maritime trade, the last of which The Ascent of Maritime Trade 1700-2025 (due out in April 2026) includes a chapter analysing the decline of maritime Britain and hence Britain itself – described by a peer reviewer as ‘an essential text for today’. For more on my books and social media output please go to maritimetradehistory.com.

“I will bring commercial rigour into local government so taxpayer money is not wasted and more can be retained by voters/taxpayers”

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

You can find out more in our booklet ‘CROYDON NEEDS REFORM – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU’.  You can also follow us on Facebook or contact us at chair.croydon@reformuk.com.

With local elections here in Croydon in May, we speak with Neil Watson, Reform UK candidate for New Addington North.

“I intend to foster a secure, confident, and stable future for our children by tackling head-on the problems we face”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

I am standing for Reform in New Addington North for Croydon Council because we can bring much-needed change not only to our borough, but to the country as a whole.

My career to date has involved policing, security, and education (as well as running businesses), so I can see how various elements need to flourish if our nation is to prosper.

I intend to foster a secure, confident, and stable future for our children by tackling head-on the problems we face in a decisive but fair manner.

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

You can find out more in our booklet ‘CROYDON NEEDS REFORM – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU’.  You can also follow us on Facebook or contact us at chair.croydon@reformuk.com.

With local elections here in Croydon in May, we speak with Christine Bigrigg, Reform UK candidate for Broad Green.

“we now have situation where the Borough has been bankrupted leaving the town’s services poorly run with shops closing down and crime moving in”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

I was born in Croydon and lived in a prefab in New Addington after the last War and watched it grow and evolve from a cold and desolate place with no roads or pavements and just 4 or 5 shops, into a thriving community, Croydon grew into a town to be proud of and almost made City status.

Unfortunately, things have changed for the worst and because of the appalling way that the 2 main parties have run the town for the last couple of decades we now have situation where the Borough has been bankrupted leaving the town’s services poorly run with shops closing down and crime moving in.

“Reform are brave and stand for freedom from the downward spiral of political and moral decline currently thriving in the UK”

What do you see as the big issues for Croydon and if elected what would you hope to champion?

I am frustrated with the daily news of illegal migration, along with violence, crime and a government who appears to lack the political will to deal with situation, similar things are happening to towns and cities all over our country.

Reform are brave and stand for freedom from the downward spiral of political and moral decline currently thriving in the UK.  We may not have all the answers but I know we will give it a damn good try to reverse the decline and put us back on a footing where we can work towards making our country a place to be proud of once again.

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

You can find out more in our booklet ‘CROYDON NEEDS REFORM – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU’.  You can also follow us on Facebook or contact us at chair.croydon@reformuk.com.

With local elections here in Croydon in May, we speak with Paula Bucur, Reform UK candidate for Shirley South.

“I joined Reform because I share their goals and their commitment to improving the local business environment, supporting small businesses, and standing up for the working class”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

My name is Paula, and I have been part of the Croydon community since 2017, when I took over a local pub in Addiscombe. I joined Reform because I share their goals and their commitment to improving the local business environment, supporting small businesses, and standing up for the working class.

The hospitality sector is being hit hard. Rising taxes and soaring bills have created a volatile and unpredictable business climate, making it increasingly difficult for us to do our jobs. It’s easy to point out everything that’s going wrong, but I believe the time has come for us to take action. By addressing issues at a local level, we can help drive positive change across the country as a whole.

I am interested in becoming a local councillor because this role would give me the opportunity to work directly with the people and organisations who can help us tackle community challenges and build a better environment for everyone living in Croydon.

I look forward to representing the community of Shirley South, and I am confident that, together, we can make Croydon a better place and bring more people on board who believe in our goals and what we stand for.

“It’s easy to point out everything that’s going wrong, but I believe the time has come for us to take action”

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

You can find out more in our booklet ‘CROYDON NEEDS REFORM – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU’.  You can also follow us on Facebook or contact us at chair.croydon@reformuk.com.

With local elections here in Croydon in May, we speak with David Booth, Reform UK candidate for Kenley.

“We badly need to be governed by people who care about the country’s future”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

I am standing for Reform in Kenley because I am fed up.

We badly need to be governed by people who care about the country’s future. At the very least, that means keeping us safe, defending our borders, protecting our institutions and respecting our history. Labour is doing none of those things. The Tories are once again talking conservative but they have shown repeatedly that they cannot be trusted in power.

Between them, the established parties have also driven the economy into the ground, by destroying incentives and losing control of spending, locally as well as nationally.

I am hopeful for the future too.

Reform has put together a programme to put things right, including radical legislation to restore the sovereignty of parliament and start rebuilding Britain as a prosperous, multi-ethnic but culturally coherent, nation-state, based on mutual respect and love of country.

We have exciting plans – set out in “Croydon Needs Reform: Our Contract with You” – to begin this process after the local elections in May.

I was brought up in Essex and spent a long career in research and teaching. My home has been Purley for the last 25 years and I spend much of my leisure time in Kenley. The common, and the airfield and its traditions, are close to my heart.

I shall be proud to represent the interests of the ward if Kenley voters choose to elect me.

” the established parties have also driven the economy into the ground, by destroying incentives and losing control of spending”

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

You can follow us on Facebook or contact us at chair.croydon@reformuk.com.