In a bold challenge to the political establishment, the Green Party candidate for Mayor of Croydon has branded the executive mayoral system "nonsense" while launching his campaign to win the very office he criticises.
A Candidate Against the System
Peter Underwood, a former civil servant and seasoned campaigner, is standing for the Greens in the May 2026 election. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service in December, he did not mince his words about the role he seeks. "I hate the mayoral system," he stated, arguing it wrongly assumes "that one person knows everything." His central mission is to use the position to "hand power back to the people" and disrupt the Labour and Conservative dominance that has defined Croydon politics since the borough's creation in 1965.
Underwood, who came fifth in the 2022 mayoral election with 6,193 votes, insists his candidacy is about transformation. "It is going to be a bit of a shock in terms of running things differently," he promised, outlining plans for more frequent council meetings to increase public questioning and consultation.
Policy Pledges: From Carers to Council Allowances
The Selsdon resident pointed to recent council decisions as examples of a flawed, top-down approach. He cited the controversy over the Carers Support Centre on George Street, where a 25-year partnership with the John Whitgift Foundation ended in February. While the council called it a lawful "service change," Underwood framed it as symptomatic of an arrogant administration that fails to cooperate with residents and frontline workers.
His policy platform includes several key pledges:
- Reducing the power of the Executive Mayor to give residents more direct influence.
- Cutting Special Responsibility Allowances paid to senior councillors, which the Greens have consistently opposed.
- Shifting housing policy to prioritise affordable homes over "luxury flats" and taxing empty properties.
- Expanding Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), Healthy School Streets, and reliable bus routes.
- Reducing reliance on expensive agency staff in favour of full-time council employees.
He also criticised Mayor Jason Perry's focus on large-scale projects like the Westfield redevelopment and the Purley Pool scheme, accusing him of a "silver bullet mentality." Underwood advocates for a 15-minute city model to strengthen local high streets across the borough.
Mayor Perry's Rebuttal and the Road to May
In a pointed response, Conservative Mayor Jason Perry defended his record. "I focus on what residents actually care about," he said, arguing that projects like Westfield and Purley Pool are "long-term investments in Croydon's economy, health and wellbeing."
He rejected claims on the Carers Centre, stating the contract was re-procured lawfully with carer involvement, and noted that Green councillors had accepted allowance rises during their term. Perry concluded that the Green candidate's claims "show a lack of understanding of how local government works."
Undeterred, Peter Underwood, a familiar face on Croydon ballot papers for a decade, offered a final message to voters. "You want people you can contact and who are part of the community," he said. "Win or lose I will carry on regardless of the result." The stage is now set for a fiercely contested election that will test Croydon's political traditions.
