During the general election we interviewed local pro-Brexit
candidates. Following on from this we asked
the candidates how they found the election and for any thoughts they had from
the campaign.
Below is the update written by Councillor Mario Creatura the Conservative Party candidate for Croydon Central. Mario’s original interview is available here.
In December 2018 I was lucky enough to be chosen to be the Conservative candidate for Croydon Central. At the election on 12th December, 21,175 people in my hometown chose to put their faith in me – I am sorry that it was not enough, but I will be forever grateful to every one of them.
It’s been an incredible year. Over the campaign my team and I have spoken to many thousands and ran a positive, energetic campaign. We highlighted vital local issues, like Labour’s plans to build on the green belt and their wanton destruction of community identities, as well as fighting to respect the result of the Brexit referendum and shining a spotlight on Labour’s illiterate economic policies. I am truly proud of the way my party behaved during the campaign.
Across the UK so many unbelievably talented Conservative friends have been elected – particularly those from blue collar backgrounds breaking through the so-called ‘red wall’ in the Midlands and the North of England. Our Parliament is lucky to have each and every one of them. It was the greatest result for the Conservatives since 1983, and the worst performance by Labour since 1935. We now have five years of stable national government, one that means we can finally get Brexit done and move on with our lives.
“Chris Philp’s majority went up in Croydon South, a testament to his incredible work ethic and stamina. Steve Reed’s majority was slashed by a massive 8,000 votes. The start of a worrying trend for Labour in London?”
In Croydon, it’s well worth looking at the results of the two ‘safe seats’. Chris Philp’s majority went up in Croydon South, a testament to his incredible work ethic and stamina. Steve Reed’s majority was slashed by a massive 8,000 votes. The start of a worrying trend for Labour in London? If I were Croydon Labour, I would be very concerned about what this means on a local level for the 2022 Council elections.
For every candidate standing for election there are dozens, if not hundreds of passionate party volunteers helping our democracy to function. Every leaflet delivered, every street pounded and door knocked – it’s a huge team effort and they are all doing it out of love for their party, community and country. It takes a lot, particularly in the cold winter months, to forgo spending time with your loved ones and to instead pull on a waterproof and try to campaign in an election. I’m grateful to each and every one of them.
“There are 81,000 electors in Croydon Central alone – so it takes years to get around everyone once, which is why it feels like you only see us at election time”
One thing all political campaigners will hear on the doorsteps repeated time and time and again: “we only see you out at election time”. It’s one of the most frustrating things to be accused of – of not caring about our community enough to be out all the time, not least because it’s just not true! There are some 47,000 properties in Croydon Central. If a single volunteer can knock on 100 doors in a given canvassing session, around 2/3s of people will be out. Which means each activist might get to speak to 30 people a week. There are 81,000 electors in Croydon Central alone – so it takes years to get around everyone once, which is why it feels like you only see us at election time.
So here’s my plea to everyone reading this: if you are upset by the result of the election in Croydon, if you want to get Labour out of Croydon Town Hall in 2022, then don’t sit at home complaining – get involved with the Croydon Conservatives and help us do something about it. We need good people to stand to be local councillors. We need talented locals to help us build a machine to take the fight to Labour over the next few years. We need bright, passionate members of our community to get stuck in any number of different roles and activities.
If you would like to find out more, then get in touch by emailing [email protected] and I’d be happy to meet to explain more about what it might involved – there’s something for everyone!
Croydon is my home town. It’s where I was born and where I live with my wife. I’m still a serving councillor and I’m not going anywhere. Croydon has so much potential just waiting to be unleashed – get in touch and let’s make it happen!
Always keen to support people in Croydon prepared to support Brexit. The Croydon Constitutionalists spoke to Councillor Mario Creatura, the Conservative Party Candidate for Croydon Central.
Mario will be well known to many of our followers as a local Councillor and campaigner. He worked for Gavin Barwell when he was an MP, global beer company Heineken and in 10 Downing Street running social media for Theresa May. He now works in communications for Virgin Money UK.
Mario thanks for your time.
What
don’t we know about you that has led you to be the PPC in Croydon Central?
I’ve lived in Croydon all my life. I was born in Mayday
Hospital and went to nursery at Tollgate in Shirley; attended St Thomas Becket
Primary in South Norwood; checked my first books out of Ashburton Library and
learnt to ride my bike in Bingham Park.
My first job was in the town centre; first flat just off the
historic Surrey Street Market and last year, with my wife Amy, we moved into
our first home together in Park Hill.
Croydon isn’t just some rung on the political career ladder
for me – it’s been my home for over 30 years. I want my community to thrive and
that’s not been happening in recent years.
I truly believe that it’s only when our community comes
together that we can tackle the complex issues facing our town – to create an
environment that promotes aspiration and helps our town thrive. That’s why I’m
running to be our next Member of Parliament: to work with everyone to help
Croydon be the best it can be.
What
first got you involved in politics?
Growing up in Croydon I wasn’t
really concerned about politics, and neither were my family. My dad still gets
up at 4am to go to work, and when I was a kid mum would work nights in
Woolworths in the town centre.
I went to a great state school in
South Norwood, worked hard and became the first in my family to make it to
university. It wasn’t easy; I didn’t know anyone else that had been. Thankfully
with the help of a bursary and an incredibly supportive family I graduated, and
it’s no exaggeration to say that it truly transformed my life.
I met people who became lifelong
friends. Some of them were interested in politics, and over many a beer it was
at university that my interest in politics was kindled.
I graduated in 2009 and came back to
Croydon just before the 2010 General Election. While I was away my mum had
become a Teaching Assistant at my old school and my dad had started refereeing
and coaching the local little league. They had started to get fully involved in
the community, rolling their sleeves up and helping out. I saw the difference
they made, and how much of an impact they were both making in our local area.
That’s when I started thinking about
local politics. I have always thought that if you want to help your community
then the best way is by getting involved. It doesn’t matter what it is – but the
best way to make a difference is to get stuck in.
That’s also why I started getting
involved in the local Conservative party. Politics can be a force for good, a
place where people debate ideas and work to make our local area better. I
wanted to be a part of that effort, so I took my own advice and got involved!
Any
stories from previous campaign trails that have stuck in your memory?
I first ran for election in Selhurst
ward. One weekday evening I was out knocking on doors on the Selhurst Road,
working to find out about the issues and concerns facing the local residents.
In one of the houses was a lady who
was clearly getting ready to go out for the night. She had a towel around her
hair and was in a dressing gown – she was clearly in no mood for talking to a
councillor candidate. She told me, as anticipated, that she was in the middle
of something and had no time to talk – but in any case that there was
absolutely no way she was going to vote for a Conservative. She thought that
was the end of that, and so I (thinking I had nothing to lose) asked her ‘Why?’
She was taken aback. What did I
mean: why? She was very clear wasn’t she?
I was genuinely interested in what
she had to say. Why not vote Conservative? Why vote Labour? Why be so unequivocal?
I was curious, and she appreciated it.
Despite her supposed rush, we ended
up talking for more than 30 minutes. About schools and social mobility. About
fly-tipping and potholes. About the health service and police force.
At the end of the conversation she
thanked me for my time, and that I listened to her. She told me that she would
still be voting Labour but that she appreciated my commitment to our community.
A few weeks later was Election Day.
That night I was surprised to receive a message on Facebook. It said:
‘Hi Mario. Not sure if you remember
but you canvassed me on Selhurst Road the other day and we had a good
conversation about politics. Well just to let you know that I did something
that I have never done before in my life and voted for a Tory! Because you are
young and passionate and I believe that you will make a difference. So good
luck, and if you do get in don’t let me down!’
I sadly did not win that time, but
the whole experience taught me a valuable lesson: that if you truly care about
your local area, and you listen to the people in the community, then you can
make a difference.
” We were all told that the referendum result would be respected; both Labour and the Conservatives ran on a manifesto commitment to do just that. If we betray that trust, then we jeopardise faith in our entire political establishment”
You
supported Remain in the EU Referendum. What’s made you now support us
leaving the EU?
Although
I did support Remain, I always recognised that there were merits on both sides
of the argument. Since the referendum, my excitement about the possibilities
for Britain outside the EU has really grown. In the last year I’ve had the
privilege of travelling quite a bit, and there’s a real appetite around the
world to re-engage with Britain in a way that simply wouldn’t be possible if we
were staying in.
However,
above and beyond anything else, I am a champion for Brexit because I’m a
democrat. I
believe we should leave the EU as soon as possible to fulfill the democratic
instruction given to us by the British people. I therefore fully support Prime
Minister Johnson’s intention that we leave by October 31st.
In the largest vote ever to take place
in British history, the people made a clear decision. I am a democrat, and that
decision must be implemented. To do otherwise would shake the very foundations of our
democracy.
We were all told that the referendum
result would be respected; both Labour and the Conservatives ran on a manifesto
commitment to do just that. If we betray that trust, then we jeopardise faith
in our entire political establishment – a faith that is already being tested to
the limit.
Politicians should not choose which
votes they respect and which they do not. We must leave the EU – no ifs, no
buts.
“However, even if we can’t secure a deal like this – which I think we can – we must leave the EU, come what may, on 31st October”
What
terms would you like to see us leave the EU under?
The ideal
terms for Brexit would be to negotiate a comprehensive free trade deal with the
EU similar to the arrangement enjoyed by Canada. This kind of deal will
allow free trade and relatively little friction on the borders but would not
compromise national sovereignty, our ability to set our own laws, control our
borders and pursue an ambitious global trade policy.
However,
even if we can’t secure a deal like this – which I think we can – we must leave
the EU, come what may, on 31st October.
“Join a political party or residents’ group or local charity – whatever suits you, just do it. Truly the only way to improve things, and to oust bad politicians, is to work hard and push for change locally”
Until
recently you were Chief Whip for the Conservatives in the Council. You must
have seen a lot of what’s going on. What are your thoughts more broadly
on Croydon Politics?
Our local politics is not in a
healthy place. The Labour-run Council actively avoids scrutiny – tens of
thousands of residents have signed petitions that are ignored by the Council.
Even in official consultations, if the response is not in keeping with Labour’s
policy objectives then the results are often sidelined. Residents’ Associations
are barely engaged with and whenever a reasonable local resident tries to flag
issues with an insensitive development, aggressive councillors routinely shut
them down.
The public gets a measly 30 minutes
to ask questions at each Council meeting, and there are only 7 meetings each
year. The Labour Cabinet members don’t hold public meetings and when a member
of the public does get to ask a question often the answer is mealy-mouthed and
obstructive.
A confident council should welcome
scrutiny. The Opposition can help the (currently Labour) Administration to up their
gameif they are allowed to do their job properly. However, at the moment Labour does everything
it can to block any attempt at the main parties working together in Croydon’s
interests – and so meetings often spiral out of control into childish bickering
that debases our community.
But I’m an optimist. There are so
many phenomenal people involved in our local politics – whether they’re in a
political party or not, so many residents are committed to making our local
communities thrive. We may sometimes disagree on the way to get there, but our
ultimate goal is the same.
The only way to help Croydon thrive
is to get involved. Join a political party or residents’ group or local charity
– whatever suits you, just do it. Truly the only way to improve things, and to
oust bad politicians, is to work hard and push for change locally.
This is
your first time as a parliamentary candidate, has anything come as a surprise
from making that step?
Croydon has got huge potential – the
potential to be a dynamic, prosperous town that provides opportunities for
everyone. I’ve spent 10 years campaigning in Croydon, and the biggest surprise
since becoming the candidate is finding out just how many people locally care
passionately about our community and how desperately they want it to get
better. There have been heated discussions, and the vast majority have shared a
common desire to boost our borough. It’s energising to know there’s that hunger
out there, and I want to be instrumental in helping to make it happen for my
home town.
If you
introduce or repeal 3 laws (other than for Brexit) what would they be?
Cracking down on
crime:
A review of sentencing of prolific
offenders with a view to creating a clearer expectation of longer and more
certain prison sentences for super-prolific offenders. We should continue the
Government’s policy of investing in more prison capacity to enable more
super-prolific offenders to be jailed and for longer. And we need action to
improve and toughen community sentences, suspended sentences and drug
rehabilitation programmes – a greater emphasis on rehabilitation is all-important
in breaking the cycle that too often drags those leaving the penal system back
into a life of crime.
Tackling poverty: tax cuts for
business should be made conditional on increases in wages for staff on the
lowest rates of pay, in order to counter in-work poverty. I would offer
corporate tax cuts to firms that increase pay for their staff and these tax
cuts should also be used to encourage more training for young and low-paid
staff, who are most likely to miss out on support to boost their skills. With
near full employment already achieved, the Conservatives are already helping
millions, but it’s time to address the root causes of in-work poverty – this is
just one policy idea to contribute to achieving that goal.
Social mobility: Given that gaps
between the advantaged and less advantaged open up before birth and get wider
through a child’s formative years, the role of parents and the early years
workforce is highly important. The government’s 30-hour free childcare offer
has helped many families afford a vital service – but good quality childcare is
still out of reach for many. Significantly reducing the lower income limit of
eligibility and working with local authorities to specifically target
low-income households will help to boost social mobility. I want every kid in
Croydon to get the support and services they need so they can achieve their
maximum potential in life.
Any other
thoughts you want to leave us with?
We’ve
currently got a Labour MP in Croydon Central who has voted to block Brexit more
than 10 times. The Lib Dems can’t win in Croydon and neither can the Brexit
Party – it’s a straight fight between Labour and the Conservatives. If you
truly want to deliver Brexit, then the only way to do that is to vote
Conservative in the next election, whenever that comes. A vote for any other
party is effectively a vote for Labour to stay in power and for our
Brexit-blocking MP to continue in her determined effort to circumvent the will
of the people.
Don’t let
that happen. Croydon deserves better than that.
