NEW figures for potential voters across Croydon hint at which areas could cause a surprise when the borough goes to the polls on May 22.
Figures provided to the Advertiser by the council show some wards have seen significant increases in the number of people registered to vote since the last election in 2010 while, in others, the electorate has fallen.![]()
Excluding a handful of marginal seats, most commentators are fairly confident as to how Croydon will vote.
But latest figures reveal that, in some areas, there will be a significant number of voters whose intentions are unclear, particularly in the most marginal wards where an increase in potential votes could make all the difference.
Fairfield, in and around the town centre, has seen the biggest increase, with 1,148 (10 per cent) more people eligible to vote in 2014 than in 2010.
The Conservatives hold the ward but with only a five per cent difference between their lowest polling councillor Susan Winborn and the nearest Labour challenger Robert Elliott.
Broad Green is another area to have seen a significant increase in potential voters, with the electorate increasing 8 per cent in the last four years, though that still looks a safe Labour seat given the margin of victory in 2010.
There was only three per cent between the Conservatives and Labour in Waddon, the ward many believe could predict the outcome of the election as a whole.
Since then the number of people on the electoral roll has risen 5 per cent, suggesting the result will be as close – and unpredictable – as four years ago.
The voting population in certain areas, such as Sanderstead and Selsdon and Ballards has shrunk. Most of the areas with the smallest increases are in the south of the borough, though interestingly the size of the electorate in Bensham Manor, in Croydon North, also fell.
Overall, the number of registered voters in Croydon has risen from 253,266 to 259,936, an increase of 2.6 per cent.
While the council vote does coincide with the European elections, the absence of a general election means the turnout is likely to be significantly lower than in 2010, making direct comparisons tricky.
There is also the question of UKIP, the purple dinosaur in the room.
But, these figures at least serve to highlight the areas of Croydon where there is all to play for in the coming weeks.
