THE Green Party could take advantage of a "surge" in support and "sneak" a shock win in Croydon Central, its best known local candidate has claimed.
The latest polls put Labour's Sarah Jones narrowly ahead of the Conservative incumbent Gavin Barwell in the marginal constituency, with Ukip third.
Shasha Khan, who is standing for the Greens in Croydon North, believes a swell of interest in the party, with local membership more than doubling in the last year, coupled with publicity from potential television debates, could place its candidate, popular pub manager Esther Sutton, firmly in the mix.
He says many of those who have signed up in the last 12 months have been disillusioned former Labour voters.
"We have to be a concern for Labour," he said. "Sarah Jones has definitely got her eye on us.
"Esther can poll enough votes to make a difference in that constituency. If the surge in interest continues, and we get good publicity from the television debates, suddenly Croydon Central is up for grabs.
"There's been increased interest nationally but it helps we've been active in Croydon with various campaigns and stood 70 candidates in last year's local elections.
"What many of our new members are telling us is they are fed up of Labour failing to offer an alternative position on the issues that matter to them."
Mr Khan said membership of the Green Party in Croydon had increased from 76 at this time last year to 244 this week. Small numbers, perhaps, but it seems the party's message is beginning to be heard, with national membership increasing from 15,000 to 50,000 in a simialr period.
Natalie Milsom, 32, joined the party last month. A teacher at the CACFO Education Centre, a specialist school in Thornton Heath, Miss Milsom turned Green because she was "really disappointed" with Labour, who she voted for in 2010.
"They were supposed to be for the working person but I've never seen that so I won't be voting for them this year," she said.
"I feel the Green Party is doing things that will really help local communities in a way I haven't seen from Labour.
"I used to think the Greens were just about recycling and things like that. I didn't think of them as a party that could run the country, but that's changed."
Miss Milsom, who lives in Thornton Heath, spoke to the Advertiser after reading a negative story about the party in the Daily Mail. Its improved polling – 11 per cent by one recent measure – has led to greater scrutiny, including a particularly difficult interview for leader Natalie Bennett on Sunday Politics last month.
"There's a lot of misinformation about the party so what it needs to do is make sure it makes it clear what it stands for," said Miss Milsom.
"Even if we don't get in, the big rise in membership will send a clear message to the other parties and put the environment firmly on the agenda."
Cycling and road safety campaigner Kristian Gregory, 28, is another recent recruit living in Thornton Heath.
"I was always a bit of a fence sitter, a leftie between Labour and the Green Party, but Labour seemed to lurch to the right every time [Nigel] Farage opened his mouth. I wanted to support a party that is trying to drag politics back to the left," he said.
"I think the Green Party needs to get the message out there about its economic offering, which is really strong. It needs more grass roots support too. I think a lot of people in Croydon North either aren't aware or feel it won't make a difference because it's so strongly Labour.
"I get really annoyed when people say a vote for the Greens is a wasted vote. The only really wasted vote is one for a party whose policies you don't agree with."
While an increase in support is encouraging and the Green's did stand a record number of candidates last May, none of them came close to becoming the first Green member elected to Croydon Council.
They are, however, polling alongside their mainstream rivals among 18 to 24-year-olds and Mr Khan, who has led the campaign against the incinerator in Beddington Lane, is optimistic about his party's prospects in May's general election.
"If the surge in support continues then I would hope we could finish second in Croydon North and Croydon south and that's what we will be targeting," he explained.
"Overhauling those two majorities is a massive task but I hope we will come close to taking second place in both constituencies.
"But, because the threshold is much lower for victory in Croydon Central, and Esther is a very well-known and well-regarded candidate, she has the chance to sneak a win there.
"There's everything to play for. It's a very exciting election because there are so many possibilities and so many outcomes. It's very exciting for us and we look forward to it."
