The Executive Mayor of Croydon has called on the new Secretary of State, and Croydon’s four newly-elected MPs, to work with him to fix the borough’s finances and secure its ongoing financial sustainability.
In an open letter to Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Croydon’s Mayor Jason Perry congratulates her on her appointment to the Cabinet.
He sets out the significant progress the Council has made, under his leadership, in fixing the Council’s finances – progress which has been repeatedly noted and welcomed by the borough’s independent Improvement and Assurance Panel.
Mayor Perry outlines Croydon’s remaining challenge – the Council’s £1.6bn debt burden, which he inherited, and which is the legacy of the past mismanagement that led to the Council’s financial collapse in 2020. This burden continues to cost the Council £62m per year to service – money which could otherwise be spent on improving services for residents.
Mayor Perry has been clear that it will require a new solution from Government to tackle this historic debt problem and become financially sustainable. In his letter, Mayor Perry requests a meeting with the Minister, at the earliest possible opportunity, to discuss a way forward.
Read the Mayor’s letter to the Secretary of State in full here.
Mayor Perry has also written to the four newly-elected MPs for Croydon – Natasha Irons (Croydon East), Sarah Jones (Croydon West), Chris Philp (Croydon South) and Steve Reed (Streatham and Croydon North).
He asks them to unite in support of our borough and invites them to a meeting to discuss how they can champion Croydon for the benefit of all residents.
“Croydon has made huge strides in tackling our financial challenges in the past two years and we are tightly managing all the parts of our budget that are within our control. Our strong progress, under my leadership as elected Mayor, has been recognised by the previous government and by our independent Improvement and Assurance Panel. But I have always been clear that Croydon will need a new solution, with a support package from Government, if the Council is to become financially sustainable for the future.
“I am calling on the new government, and our local MPs, to work with me in bringing forward this solution. I want Croydon to provide the best possible services for our residents, and be the most efficient and cost-effective council, so that we provide them with excellent value for money. To achieve this, our number one priority must be fixing the Council’s finances so that Croydon can be sustainable for the future. If we work together, we can achieve the best possible outcome for local people and ultimately restore pride in our borough.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
