Croydon’s Young Mayor election campaign is hotting up, with candidates preparing to battle it out in a Speakers’ Corner-style debate in the town centre this weekend.
The 28 young candidates will be making their voices heard on local issues during a campaign day in North End Croydon from 11 am-1pm on Saturday 10 March. Armed with megaphones, two candidates at a time will go head-to-head speaking from soapboxes.
Also this week, candidates will be promoting their manifestos and responding on local issues at a Young Mayor question time. Held 7-9pm tomorrow (Thursday 8 March) at Stanley Halls, South Norwood, the evening will be an opportunity for the electorate to submit questions to all candidates. Anyone can submit questions through Twitter @Young_Croydon or to attend the event email youngmayor@croydon.gov.uk. More information about the election, the candidates and their manifestos can be seen at http://www.croydon.gov.uk/youngmayor.
The campaign day will be the final public debate ahead of polling day on Tuesday 13 March, which will see 11-18 year-olds all over the borough head to the ballot boxes to elect their first Young Mayor. Votes will be counted on Wednesday 14 March and the new Young Mayor announced on Thursday 15 March. Croydon Council’s Executive Director of Resources will act as Returning Officer.
With 93,500 under 18s living in Croydon, the successful candidate will represent 1 in 20 young Londoners and is expected to have the largest youth mandate in the UK.
“Question time and campaign day are going to be really exciting opportunities for the public to find out more about our candidates and what they stand for. All of them have so much to say, on a huge range of issues and it’s been fantastic to hear all of their voices on the campaign trail. I’ve learned so much from listening to them on the issues they care about, and whoever is elected on 15 March, all of them have made an incredibly important contribution to their borough, by standing up and speaking out.”
Councillor Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, young people and learning
