THE latest column from Croydon North MP Steve Reed...
THE people of Croydon have elected a Labour council for the first time since 2002.
After eight years of Conservative leadership, people were fed up with a council that just couldn't get the basics right.
In the north and centre of the borough the streets were unswept, fly-tipping piled up in the streets, and the rubbish collection was, well, rubbish.
With new leadership on the council the borough has a chance at a fresh start.
But it would be wrong to pretend that because the council has switched from Tory to Labour that everything will happen overnight.
We face enormous challenges as a borough: the government will cut Croydon's funding for local services again this year.
Michael Gove has failed to give Croydon enough money to fund the school places that we need for all our children.
We have fewer police now than the wholly inadequate number at the time of the riots in 2011, and Boris Johnson has already closed every police station in the north of the borough.
The challenges that we will face over the next few years cannot be underestimated, but we now have a council ready to stand up for Croydon and to deliver for the people of our borough.
I offer my warmest congratulations to all councillors elected in May and look forward to working together with Tony Newman, the new leader of the council, to make real Labour's promise to be ambitious for Croydon.
