Election candidates give their say on why they should be the next Fairfield Ward councillor

People living in the Fairfield Ward will have the chance to vote for a new councillor to represent them on Croydon Council.

The by-election was called after Niroshan Sirisena resigned on September 24.

The reason for his resignation has not been made public by the Croydon Labour Party, but council leader Tony Newman confirmed that the former councillor is ‘under investigation’ by the police for a ‘serious incident’.

There are six candidates standing in the by-election.

In the 2018 local elections the ward swung from being represented by three Conservative councillors to three Labour councillors.

Voting will take place between 7am-10pm at five polling stations in the ward, this will be written on your polling card.

The following is a summary of each candidate:

Jayde Edwards – Conservative 

After becoming a mum at 15, Jayde says she wanted to become a role model in her community and got involved in politics in 2017.

She ran in the 2018 elections in the Broad Green ward.

Jayde said: “I am a community leader and apart of an organisation that mentors over 300 young people weekly. I have supported over 50 young mothers in London, and I am continuously providing support to young women.

“Aside from this, I teach in various secondary schools about teenage pregnancy prevention, grooming and healthy relationships. I am confident that I will be the best councillor for Fairfield because I am ready to have a listening ear to the issues that are most faced and ensure I prioritise not my own political gain, but the needs of the people.”

Andrew Rendle – Liberal Democrat

For four years, Andrew was a Labour councillor in the Ashburton ward as well as being deputy cabinet member for adult social care.

He has lived in Croydon for more than 10 years with his wife and three children.

He said: “The reason I am standing is because for years the two old parties have run things and I believe now is the time for a strong experienced third party voice in the chamber.”

“I am a former councillor so know how to get things done, I’ve also worked as an MPs’ caseworker helping constituents with issues and I’ve already picked up and actioned casework. Some councillors are better than others at casework and I feel this is the most important part of the job.”

Mark Samuel – Independent

We were not able to contact Mark, but he previously stood as an independent candidate in South Croydon in the 2018 local elections.

And according to the website ‘who can I vote for?’ he stood in the 2015 general election as a Putting Croydon First candidate for Croydon South.

Caragh Skipper – Labour

Born and raised in Croydon, Caragh says she understands the struggles of high rents and travel costs.

She said: “I’m standing to represent Fairfield because I know the issues people in Fairfield are facing.

“I was born and have grown up in Croydon. I’ve struggled with sky high rents and bad landlords. I’ve struggled to afford the cost of commuting and seen how under the Conservatives the town centre was allowed to rot.

“But Fairfield also has huge potential. Our Labour council are investing in the town centre, tackling the climate crisis with a green new deal and taking on bad landlords with our landlord licensing scheme. If elected I will push ahead with these exciting policies and work with every resident of Fairfield to realise our potential.”

Esther Sutton – Green Party 

As the landlady of The Oval Tavern, Esther will be a familiar face for some. She is born and bred in Croydon, she has also raised two children here.

Esther is chair of Croydon Pubwatch, director of Made In Croydon and a founder member of Croydon Pride.

Knife crime, the Westfield development and affordable housing are all important issues to her as well as, of course, the environment.

“Croydon Council needs a new start and an injection of fresh Green ideas,” she said. “I would be truly honoured to be a councillor in the town I call home and you can trust me to work tirelessly to make Croydon a better place for all of us.”

Heather Twidle – Women’s Equality Party

The South Norwood resident wants to see more women in politics.

Heather said: “I’ve lived in South Norwood for the last eight years, and have never felt more part of a local community in London than I do here. I’m a member of the Women’s Equality Party because I very much want to see more women in politics, across the spectrum, working for a fairer and more representative society.

“As your councillor, I would be the independent-minded alternative, ensuring that decision making by Croydon council doesn’t leave anyone behind and holding the mainstream parties to account.”