Conservatives Surge as Labour Become Complacent in Addiscombe

Keeping it local: artha Chatterjee, David Harmes and Lisa Terry

Three local Conservative candidates look set to unseat the complacent Labour incumbents in the crucial ward of Addiscombe. Conservative candidates Partha Chatterjee, David Harmes and Lisa Terry are set to defeat the current Labour representatives who have failed to meet the promised made in the 2010 election.

The aspirational area, which has benefitted from a rise in house prices and the re-development of East Croydon station is one where the shadow of Labour’s 27.3% Council Tax rise from 2003 is likely to resonate with hardworking voters on the doorstep.

With the Labour group’s resources and funding being diverted towards New Addington, which would traditionally be Labour safe turf, the ward is looking increasingly vulnerable to a Conservative surge, led by a pledge to freeze Council Tax and a £25 cash rebate to hard pressed families. 

Back in 2003, a politician who is now one of Labour’s own candidates criticised its “huge increase in Council Tax” which hit hardworking people.

Croydon Labour Gets Nasty in New Addington

Local Man: Cllr Tony Pearson in New Addington 

The Croydon Labour Party has ramped up is negative campaign against Conservative incumbent, Councillor Tony Pearson. 

The increasingly personal campaign through social media around Mr Pearson’s job, has triggered speculation that the Labour Group’s botched selection process and lack of policies in New Addington could add two more seats to the Conservatives majority come May.

Tony Pearson has lived in New Addington with his wife and family most of his life and is a well-known figure in the local community. By contrast, the Labour candidates several miles away from New Addington and have never lived there.  

Smears: How one Labour-supporting
blog attacks Pearson

The sense of panic in the Labour group has been underlined by the arrival of several high profile Labour figures in New Addington. Former Minister Alan Johnson, Shadow Minister Rachel Reeves and current Croydon North MP Steve Reed have all been spotted in the area recently.

In 2003, the Croydon Labour Party increased Council Tax on residents by 27.3%, hitting low paid workers in New Addington particularly hard. The rise was so severe that a petition was launched, attracting 16,000 signatures.

Tony Pearson and the Conservatives by contrast have frozen Council Tax and given New Addington residents a £25 rebate. 

Croydon Conservatives’ Council Tax Freeze Puts Labour on Ice

The Croydon Conservative policy to freeze Council tax for every household in the borough has further damaged the Labour group’s chances in key marginal swing seats, heaping pressure on beleaguered Labour leader Tony Newman to raise his game. The key policy includes a £25 rebate for residents across the borough and is expected to resonate well with hard-up families struggling with the costs of living.

The Croydon Labour group is still haunted by its reputation for promoting and supporting massive Council Tax rises, which have previously pushed up family bills by hundreds of pounds. The last time Croydon Labour were elected into the town hall, Council Tax was increased by a whopping 27.3% in a single year, the move left thousands of families struggling to make ends meet and find the extra money.

The Council Tax ‘fear factor’ is understood to be a key challenge for Labour in previously safe wards such as New Addington, where workers on modest incomes could be hit hard by any rise in tax if Labour are elected. The sense of Labour panic in New Addington has been underlined by visits from an unusually high number of Shadow Cabinet Ministers in the last few weeks.

Chris Philp Selected for Croydon South

Croydon South: Chris Philp

Chris Philip has been selected as the Conservative candidate for Croydon South.

The news was met by an attack from the Inside Croydon blog, recently linked to the Labour party....

Welcoming a New Candidate in Croydon South

Top Prize: Croydon South

Croydon’s Conservatives are waiting in anticipation for the announcement of the new candidate for Croydon South. The seat is currently held by senior MP Richard Ottaway. The new candidate will be expected to act as a catalyst for the Croydon Council Elections in 2014.

The Croydon South Constituency is the southern most of the three constituencies in the London Borough of Croydon. It includes the wards of Coulsdon East, Coulsdon West, Croham, Kenley, Purley, Sanderstead, Selsdon & Ballards and Waddon.

But the new Conservative candidate will need to have a very thick skin. Under the leadership of Tony Newman the local Labour Party is running its campaign almost exclusively on personal attacks and character assassination of Tory candidates, a strategy which has raised serious questions from more senior members of the Labour group. Mr Newman recently declined to condemn vile personal attacks in a recent radio interview, despite being asked to do so by a local resident.

One local Tory volunteer said, “I almost feel sorry for our next candidate, Labour will plaster him or her all over the Inside Croydon blog within minutes. Newman’s far too weak to do anything about it, a stronger leader would have enforced discipline and decency amongst the ranks.”

Boris Johnson ´Won´t Stand in Croydon South´

Tory gossip magazine The Spectator has said that London mayor Boris Johnson will not stand in Croydon South. The Mayor who is expected to attempt to succeed David Cameron as Prime Minister has made several visits to the constituency and speculation gathered that he would be running.

Current Croydon South MP Richard Ottoway is stepping down at the next election and has a majority of 16,000.